MUSHROOMS RUSSIA AND HISTORY BY VALENTINA PAVLOVNA WASSON AND R.GORDON WASSON VOLUME I PANTHEON BOOKS • NEW YORK COPYRIGHT © 1957 BY R. GORDON WASSON MANUFACTURED IN ITALY FOR THE AUTHORS AND PANTHEON BOOKS INC. 333, SIXTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 14, N. Y. www.NewAlexandria.org/ archive CONTENTS LIST OF PLATES VII LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT XIII PREFACE XVII VOLUME I I. MUSHROOMS AND THE RUSSIANS 3 II. MUSHROOMS AND THE ENGLISH 19 III. MUSHROOMS AND HISTORY 37 IV. MUSHROOMS FOR MURDERERS 47 V. THE RIDDLE OF THE TOAD AND OTHER SECRETS MUSHROOMIC 65 1. The Venomous Toad 66 2. Basques and Slovaks 77 3. The Cripple, the Toad, and the Devil's Bread 80 4. The 'Pogge Cluster 92 5. Puff balls, Filth, and Vermin 97 6. The Sponge Cluster 105 7. Punk, Fire, and Love 112 8. The Gourd Cluster 127 9. From 'Panggo' to 'Pupik' 138 10. Mucus, Mushrooms, and Love 145 11. The Secrets of the Truffle 166 12. 'Gripau' and 'Crib' 185 13. The Flies in the Amanita 190 v CONTENTS VOLUME II V. THE RIDDLE OF THE TOAD AND OTHER SECRETS MUSHROOMIC (CONTINUED) 14. Teo-Nandcatl: the Sacred Mushrooms of the Nahua 215 15. Teo-Nandcatl: the Mushroom Agape 287 16. The Divine Mushroom: Archeological Clues in the Valley of Mexico 322 17. 'Gama no Koshikake and 'Hegba Mboddo' 330 18. The Anatomy of Mycophobia 335 19. Mushrooms in Art 351 20. Unscientific Nomenclature 364 Vale 374 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 381 APPENDIX I: Mushrooms in Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina 391 APPENDIX II: Aksakov's 'Remarks and Observations of a Mushroom Hunter' 394 APPENDIX III: Leuba's 'Hymn to the Morel' 400 APPENDIX IV: Hallucinogenic Mushrooms: Early Mexican Sources 404 INDEX OF FUNGAL METAPHORS AND SEMANTIC ASSOCIATIONS 411 INDEX OF MUSHROOM NAMES 414 INDEX OF PERSONS AND PLACES 421 VI LIST OF PLATES VOLUME I JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Coprinus nycthemerus Fr. Title-page I. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Boletus edulis Fr. ex Bull. 4 ii. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Coprinus comatus Fr. ex Mull. 4 in. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Clathrus cancellatus Lin. ex Tournef. 12 iv. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Collybia fusipes Fr. ex Bull. 16 v. THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH. The Mushroom Girl. By courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Mass.). 22 vi. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Arrnillariella mellea (Fr. ex Vahl) Pat. 36 vn. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Rhodopaxillus nudus (Fr. ex Bull.) R. Maire. 40 vm. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Boletus duriusculus Kalchbr. 48 ix. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Amanita csesarea Fr. ex Scop. 56 x. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Amanita phalloides Fr. 60 xi. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Danse Macabre: Amanita verna Fr. ex Bull. 60 xn. HIERONYMUS BOSCH. The Last Judgment. Detail: Spitting toad. By courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsgemdldesammlungen, Munich. 70 xni. HIERONYMUS BOSCH. The Seven Deadly Sins. Detail: Superbia. By courtesy of the Prado Museum, Madrid. 78 xiv. Conversion of Clovis. Tapestry in the Musee de Reims showing King Clovis in the battle of Tolbiac, his instruction in Christian doctrine by St. Remi, and his baptism. Woven in 1531. By courtesy of the Caisse Nationale des Mo numents Historiques, Paris. 86 xv HIERONYMUS BOSCH. The Hay Wain. Central Panel. By courtesy of the Prado Museum, Madrid. 88 xvi. HIERONYMUS BOSCH. The Hay Wain. Detail. By courtesy of the Prado Mu seum, Madrid. 88 xvn. HIERONYMUS BOSCH. The Hay Wain. Detail: Boletus. By courtesy of the Prado Museum, Madrid. 88 xvni. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Boletus Satanas Lenz. 92 xix. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Lycoperdon furfuraceum Pers. ex Schaeff. 100 VII LIST OF PLATES xx. Napoleonic caricature. By courtesy of Frank Altschul, Esq., Overbrook Farm, Stamford, Conn. 100 xxi. Etruscan Mirror. Ixion on his wheel. By courtesy of the British Museum, London. 114 xxn. Fomes ofGcinalis. Miniature from a loth century Byzantine codex (No. 652) of Dioscorides. By courtesy of The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. 118 xxni. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Morchella vulgaris Pers. 124 xxiv. JAN FYT. Still life. By courtesy of the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels. 128 xxv. JAN DAVIDSZ. DE HEEM. Still life. By courtesy of the Wallace Collection, London. 128 xxvi. ADRIAEN VAN UTRECHT. Still life. By courtesy of the Musees Royaux des Beaux- Arts de Belgique, Brussels. 128 xxvii. Frontispiece to Franciscus van Sterbeeck's Theatrum Fungorum, Antwerp, 1675. 128 xxvni. GIUSEPPE ARCIMBOLDO. Autumn. By courtesy of the Pinacoteca, Brescia. 132 xxix. GIUSEPPE ARCIMBOLDO. Autumn: Detail. By courtesy of the Pinacoteca, Brescia. 132 xxx. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Psalliota campestris Fr. ex L. 136 xxxi. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Lactarius piperatus Fr. ex Scop. 148 xxxii. TUBER. Miniature from a loth century Byzantine codex (No. 652) of Dio scorides. By courtesy of The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. 168 xxxin. Toads in Hell. Detail from a painting \>y the pseudo-rlem met Ae B\eS. Venice, Ducal Palace. Photo by Fiorentini, Venice. 188 xxxrv. Toad. Detail from a mosaic in the Battistero, Florence. Photo by Fratelli Ali- nari, Florence. jgg xxxv. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Amanita muscaria Fr. ex Pers. 192 xxxvi. HIERONYMUS BOSCH. The Hay Wain. Left Panel. By courtesy of the Prado Museum, Madrid. 208 xxxvn. OTTO MARSEUS VAN SCHRIECK. Moth with mushrooms. By courtesy of the Offentliche Kunstsammlung, Bale. 208 VIII LIST OF PLATES VOLUME II JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Coprinus tardus Karst. Title-page XXXVHI.JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Boletus duriusculus Kalchbr. 218 xxxix. JEAN-HENRI FABRE. Panseolus campanulatus Fr. ex L. 242 XL. Ceremonial mushrooms. Water-color by Michelle Bory. 254 XLI. Accessories to the mushroom rite. Water-color by VPW. 254 XLH. Aurelio Carreras, curandero, and his son Mauro. Huautla de Jimenez, July 5, 1955. Photo by Allan Richardson. 262 XLHI. Mushroom stone. Attributed to early classic period, Highland Maya, c. 300 A.D. to c. 600 A.D. About 30 cm. high. By courtesy of the Rietberg Museum, Zurich. 274 XLIV. Mushroom stone. By courtesy of Hans Namuth, Esq., New York. 274 XLV. Cayetano's House, Huautla de Jimenez. June 1955. Photo by RGW. 278 XLVI. Maria Sabina and her daughter Polonia, curanderas. Huautla de Jimenez, June 29, 1955. Photo by Allan Richardson. 294 XLVH. Maria Sabina, curandera, passing mushrooms over incense (copal); also her daughter Polonia and Cayetano's mother. Huautla de Jimenez, June 29-30, !955- Photo by Allan Richardson. 294 XLVIII. Adoration of the mushroom. Maria Sabina, curandera, and her daughter Polonia. Huautla de Jimenez, June 29-30, 1955. Photo by Allan Richardson. 294 xnx. Emilio Garcia taking Teo-nandcatl or 'God's Flesh'. Huautla de Jimenez, June 29, 1955. Photo by Allan Richardson. 294 L. Maria Sabina, curandera, and her son Aurelio under the influence of mush- rooms. Huautla de Jimenez, June 29, 1955. Photo by Allan Richardson. 300 n. Aristeo Matias with bowl of divine mushrooms. San Agustin Loxicha, July 22, 1955. Photo by RGW. 316 in. Chinese sage contemplating Ling-chih. Painted by Chen Hung-shou (1599- 1652). Reproduced by courtesy of Wango Wing, Esq. 322 nn. Teopancalco fresco. Teotihuacan, in the Valley of Mexico. From Teoti- huacan III period, A.D. 300-600. After Antonio Penafiel. 322 LIV. Detail of Tlaloc effigy, Tepantitla fresco. Reproduced by Marilyn Weber. 326 LV. Detail of Tepantitla fresco: Soul arriving on the playing fields of Paradise. Reproduced by Marilyn Weber. 326 IX LIST OF PLATES LVi. Illuminated initial from a I5th century manuscript (No. 165) of Le Livre pour la Sante du Corps, by Aldobrandino da Siena, 1256. By courtesy of The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. 342 LVII. A. Mushrooms. Miniature from a pth century Greek codex (Grec 2179) of Dioscorides. By courtesy of the Bibliotheque Nationals., Paris. B. Mushrooms. Miniature from an 11 th century Arabic manuscript (Arabe 4947) of Dioscorides. By courtesy of the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. 350 LVIII. Mushrooms. Miniature from a loth century manuscript (No. 652) of Dio scorides. By courtesy of The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. 350 LIX. PIETER BRUEGHEL THE ELDER. The Misanthrope. By courtesy of the Museo Na- zionale, Naples. 358 LX. PIETER BRUEGHEL THE ELDER. The Misanthrope. Detail. By courtesy of the Museo Nazionale, Naples. 358 LXI. JUAN BAUTTSTA MAYNO. The Adoration of the Magi, c. 1610. By courtesy of the Prado Museum, Madrid. 358 LXII. JUAN BAUTISTA MAYNO. The Adoration of the Magi, c. 1610. Detail. By courtesy of the Prado Museum, Madrid. 358 LXIII. HERRI MET DE BLES ('CIVETTA'). Christ bearing the Cross. By courtesy of the Gemaldegalerie der Akademie der bildenden Kilnste, Vienna. 358 LXIV. HERRI MET DE BLES ('CIVETTA'). Christ bearing the Cross. Detail. By courtesy of the Gemaldegalerie der Akademie der bildenden Kilnste, Vienna. 358 LXV. OTTO MARSEUS VAN SCHRIECK. Poppy with mushrooms. By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 358 LXVI. OTTO MARSEUS VAN SCHRIECK. Mushrooms. By courtesy of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Brunswick. 358 LXVII. OTTO MARSEUS VAN SCHRIECK. Mushrooms. Detail. By courtesy of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Brunswick. 358 LXVIII. PAOLO PORPORA, d. 1673. Still life. By courtesy of the Soprintendenza alle Gal- lerie, Naples. 358 LXIX. ABRAHAM BEGEYN. Still life. By courtesy of the Galleria d'Arte Antica, Rome. 358 LXX. FRANS HAMILTON. Still life. By courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesamm- lungen, Munich. 358 LXXI. RACHEL RUYSCH. Still life. By courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. 358 LXXII. K W. TAMM. Still life. Private collection. 358 LXXIII. MELCHIOR DE HONDECOETER. Still life. By courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Am sterdam. 358 LXXIV. MELCHIOR DE HONDECOETER. Still life. By courtesy of the National Gallery, London. 358 x LIST OF PLATES LXXV. SCHOOL OF ZURBARAN, lyth-iSth century. Chestnuts, cheese, grapes, al monds, and mushrooms, sp. tricholoma personatum. By courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago. 358 LXXVI. Mushrooms. From a fresco found at Herculaneum, probably executed about A.D.