Happy Saturday Everyone~ Fun Facts Ahead!

I am holding a very magical mushroom by the name of Amanita muscaria. A lot of people know them as The Santa Claus mushroom or the Fly Agaric. You might recognize this from Vinland Saga, Mario, or from various other Disney-level depictions of witches. It is undoubtedly the world's most misunderstood and stigmatized mushroom, as many believe it to be deadly poisonous. While there have been deaths associated with the mushroom, it is typically not considered lethal by modern mycologists, but merely toxic. Interestingly enough, it is perhaps one of humanity's earliest entheogens. The Sami tribes hailing from the far northern regions of modern day Scandinavia and Russia use this mushroom sacramentally, to induce visionary states as well as euphoric fits of laughter. So it is no surprise that the importance of the mushroom is reflected in their garb: Vibrant red is a fixture in traditional Sami festive dress.

As legend would have it, the early Sami watched curiously as reindeer from their herds consumed the mushroom and proceeded to frolic around as if drunk. But consumption of the raw mushroom leads to many very uncomfortable side-effects, such as intense nausea, disorientation, diarrhea, and vomiting. So the shaman of the tribe learned an interesting method of filtering out the toxins present in the fresh mushroom: Drinking the urine of the deer! Muscimol, the active compound in Amanita Muscaria, survives passage through the body, becoming concentrated in the urine, while the toxins are absorbed by the liver. 

As an elite warrior caste, viking berserkers (such as Bjorn from Vinland Saga) are theorized to have used a preparation of Amanita muscaria as a rite of passage, but also as a way of shapeshifting into the animal spirits that endowed them with their much feared superhuman ferocity such as wolves, bears, wolverines, and wildcats. The mythical metamorphosis of the berserker in battle was thought to render them impervious to fire, steel, fear, and fatigue. Their role in battle was the equivalent of modern day special forces engaged in unconventional warfare: While in the throes of this divine rage, they would charge far ahead of the preceding army to break apart the enemy line, sowing terror and destruction in their wake. There is a scientific basis to the legends: A. muscaria really does have a powerful physiological effect. It heightens heart rate, dilates the pupils, and disconnects the user from sensations of hot and cold, as well as lowering if not eliminating the perception of fatigue.  

We found these little red ridin' hoods at the coast in Oregon on Halloween last fall!