Peppers, hot sauces, and salsa have been a part of folklore and mythology. Here is a sample of what has been written and transmitted over the years:
In astrology, the Capsicums or chili peppers are considered part of the domain of Mars, the ancient God of War.
In the late 17th century, Fuentes y Guzmán wrote that people who ate red peppers would be protected against the poison.
The ancient Incas, believing that peppers would be a disruptive influence, banned chili peppers from initiation and funeral ceremonies.
Forget garlic, holy crosses, and silver bullets. Chili peppers were often considered the best deterrent against vampires and werewolves. They were burned to protect them from the attacks of these creatures of the night.
In addition to being a deterrent to werewolves and vampires, hot peppers have often been used in witchcraft both to eliminate demons and to make people moody. In many cultures, chili peppers are often seen as a way to ward off the “evil eye.”
In Trinidad, according to the website fiery-foods.com, East Indians wrap “seven red pepper pods with salt, onion peels, and garlic peels on paper” and pass it seven times around a baby to “remove the najar , the evil eye, which is believed to cause unnecessary crying. ”
The same website mentions that in the Deep South of the United States, there is an African American legend that says that for peppers to be hot, you have to be angry when you plant them.
Don’t let the bed bugs bite. Chili peppers have long been used as fumigants for vermin such as bed bugs and rats.
Jethro Kloss, citing the “Standard Guide to Non-Poisonous Herbal Medicine” in his book “Back to Eden”, writes that a peculiar “effect” of eating peppers is that if someone is “completely saturated” with pepper and dies in the desert ” the vultures will not touch the body because it is so impregnated with pepper “.
Even today myths and folklore about the power of chili peppers continue to abound. The tongue-in-cheek website of the Transcendental Capsaicinophilia Society is dedicated to “worshiping spicy food.” His site (http://www.io.com/~m101/tcs/) includes the song “Litany against pain” that should be repeated silently when someone is tempted to complain about the burning that comes from eating food and chili peppers. fiery:Teach me, Chile, and I will learn.
Take me, Chile, and I will escape.
Focus my eyes, Chile, and I’ll see it.
Eat more chili peppers.
I don’t feel pain, because Chile is my teacher.
I don’t feel pain, because Chile takes me beyond myself.
I don’t feel pain, because Chile gives me sight.