Sage throughout history and across cultures
Sage is a medicinal plant used ritually in many cultures throughout history. Its Latin name, salvia, comes from salvare, which means “to save”. Sage is thus literally “the plant that saves”. Sometimes called salvia savatrix, “the plant that saves and heals”, sage is one of the major plants used in herbalism. There are many different types of sage, including white sage (salvia apiana).
White sage and other sages
White sage differs from common sage (salvia officinalis) and clary sage (salvia sclarea), which are better known in European herbalism and cuisine. This plant of the lamiaceae family, also known as sacred sage, comes from North America. It is called salvia apiana, from the Latin apis, as it attracts bees. Paler in colour than its European cousin, its hairy leaves are green-grey, and its flowers range from purple to pink. It can hybridize with the salvia mellifera or black sage species, native to California, which also attracts bees, as its Latin name indicates. White sage is also commonly known as “California white sage”, as its traditional use is believed to come from many of the indigenous tribes of this area, including the Cahuilla and the Kumeyaay.
Many tribes have actually used it, throughout North and Central America. White sage shares many aspects of common sage, but has a much higher concentration of essential oils, making it a particularly popular species for medicinal and ritual purposes.
A medicinal and sacred plant throughout history
Uses of sage during Antiquity
Throughout the world, sage is generally considered as an excellent ally of good health: from China to India, the Arab world, Europe and the United States… Sage is a staple for all good herbalists. Very early on, in China and the Arab world, sage was used for its beneficial effects and its antibacterial and astringent properties. In both cultures it was added to preparations to treat fevers, sore throats and colds. The Chinese also used it to remedy digestive problems and to treat the nervous system, liver and kidneys. For the Greeks and Romans, sage was a panacea. In Greek and Roman Antiquity, sage was a symbol of immortality and long life. It was used to aid digestion, to preserve meat, or as a poultice for snake bites. A reference to the use of sage to treat snake bites can be found in the writings of Pliny the Elder, who also recommended it to treat epilepsy, intestinal worms, bronchial problems or yet painful menstruation.
The Egyptians, meanwhile, used sage as an infusion for fertility. Like the Greeks, they also considered it a medicinal plant to improve memory.
The many legends about sage
For the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, sage was a medicinal plant but also a herba sacra, that is, a sacred plant. Numerous legends attest to this.
A Greek myth tells that Zeus grew up near a sage bush, on which the goat Amalthea fed. The milk of Amalthea, which fed Zeus, is said to have taken on a divine power thanks to the sage. But sage has also been popular beyond ancient Greek and Roman culture. A Christian legend attributes the name of sage to Mary, who is said to have hidden Jesus in a sage bush to escape Herod’s men. Mary would thus be the one who named it “the plant that saves”.
From the Carolingians to today
In Europe, officinal sage is one of the most widely used aromatic herbs, particularly in France, where sage infusion has been drunk for centuries. There are documentary traces of the use of sage by Charlemagne, who had it planted in present-day Germany. In the 9th century sage entered the Capitulare de Villis, an inventory of the plants recommended by Charlemagne for royal gardens. Sage thus found its place at court, where Louis XIV later praised the plant, which he liked to drink as an infusion.
For the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, sage was a medicinal plant but also a herba sacra, that is, a sacred plant. Numerous legends attest to this.
The great Hildegard of Bingen devoted numerous pages to sage, which she used in many remedies to regulate digestion and appetite, to soothe coughs, to stem fever or insomnia and to treat bruises. The Abbess also described another, more mystical dimension of the plant, and spoke of its effect on emotions, calming anger and soothing melancholy.
Through the centuries, sage has been a staple in herbariums. In the Middle Ages, it was found in monks’ herbariums and under Celtic Druids’ billhook. The druids added it to mead and barley beer to make sacred beverages. They also used it for its medicinal benefits, to treat fevers and coughs and to prepare remedies for women.
During the Renaissance, the sick were given sage wine to reduce night sweats. In the 18th century, sage cigarettes appeared, which were given to asthmatics.
Sage has many uses in Europe, but it has remained a sacred plant central to the indigenous cultures of the Americas. In Mexico and both North and South America, shamans use white sage as well as a particular variety of sage called “diviner’s sage” or salvia divinorum. This is the only sage with psychoactive properties. It is traditionally smoked by shamans to make contact with the spirit world. Throughout the world, sage has pride of place among medicinal plants, for its composition makes it a unique plant.
White sage and other sages: composition
White sage is particularly sought after, but there are about 900 species of sage worldwide.[1] All of these sage species share therapeutic applications, although their compositions differ. White sage is one of the most interesting sage species in terms of its chemical composition. It is also one of the most powerful.
Chemical composition of sage
All sage species are rich in essential oils, but white sage contains more than do its cousins. It is more aromatic, as species that grow in drier environments often are.
The essential oils in white sage are rich in terpenes (including diterpenes and triterpenes), which have antiseptic and antibacterial properties. They contain ursolic acid, known for its antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-carcinogenic properties. White sage also contains carnosic acid, an antioxidant that protects skin cells from ultraviolet rays. Its chemical composition moreover includes jaceosidin, which has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-allergic properties. This composition gives the plant a very interesting medicinal profile.
Sage also contains plant hormones, or phytohormones, which explains why it has been used for gynaecological purposes in so many cultures. While white sage has been used for this purpose in the United States, in Europe clary sage was the plant of choice in this respect, when white sage was not yet known there. Sage contains saponosides, which have an oestrogen-like action: they mimic oestrogen. The oestrogen-like properties of sage, which were not discovered until 1938, validated thousands of years of enlightened folk practice. Sage also contains flavonoids, a source of antioxidants, tannins, minerals, etc. But its secret lies above all in its high essential oil content.
Composition of sage essential oil
Sage essential oil mainly contains eucalyptol (1.8 cineole), camphor, thujone, alphapinene, myrcene and limonene. It is rarely used in its pure form, as its ketone content is very high (about 60% [2]) and includes thujone (alpha- and beta-thujone) and camphor (about 10-20% camphor2). Thujone is a neurotoxicant, while camphor is an abortifacient and a neurotoxicant that should be used with caution. For this reason, sage is not recommended for pregnant women or young children. Camphor is also a powerful antiviral.
[1] Hamidpour, M., et.al, (2014). Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Medicinal Property of Sage (Salvia) to Prevent and Cure Illnesses such as Obesity, Diabetes, Depression, Dementia, Lupus, Autism, Heart Disease, and Cancer. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 4(2), 82¬88. doi:10.4103/2225-4110.130373
[2] This figure differs from species to species.