The name comes from ancient Greek Veneris vena that Venus’s vein.

Vervain is a flower of desire fulfillment, it enforces human intentions. The Slavs believed that vervain heated the passions and it was devoted to a spirit-keeper of a marriage bed. Vervain was attributed many curative and even mystic characteristics. Vervain was considered to be a light aphrodisiac.

Floriography is symbols attributed to different flowers and used to express moods and feelings.

In the Victorian era the language of flowers was used to express feelings which could not be spoken aloud. The language of flowers finds its roots in the East. Knowledge about the language of flowers was brought to Europe by two women: Aubry de la Mottraye and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.

Its smell was extremely popular in the early 20th century, it was compared with a smell of oysters.

Vervain is a favourite fragrance of poet Severyanin. In his poem Morefeya  Severyanin wrote:

“A bottle of vervain bought by me,

You poured out in a bath”

(Igor Severyanin, 1924)

In culture of different countries vervain was considered to be a remedy.

It is the main ingredient of “magic drinks”. It heats dying fire of love, harmonises hostile parties, and lays evil spirits. Ancient Slavs devoted vervain to Lyub — Slavic spirit-keeper of a marriage bed. A fresh or dried bunch of this ‘holy’ flower was an essential element of each sleeping room. Old Russian spring feast “Red Hill” was organized in honour of god Lyub and goddess of love Lada. The Slavs represented god Lyub as a cat with golden fir and a vervain stem in its mouth (using vervain it drove away Nelyub that was also a cat destroying family happiness).

Venus’s vein, herb of Hercules, iron herb, pigeon herb, Juno’s tears, Mercury’s blood are names of vervain, a modest       perennial plant that entered legends and culture of many countries.