Myths and Flora - Cerberus and Aconitum Napellus

In Greek mythology, Heracles was a half-god, the son of the supreme god Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. In order to become immortal, he had to perform 12 tasks set by the king Eurystheus. The last task was the hardest. Heracles had to go to the garden of underworld Hades and bring to the light of the day guardian three-headed dog Cerberus. Cerberus is a son of the Echidna, half-woman half-snake and giant Typhon, and his duty was to watch that nobody escapes from the underworld. Heracles managed to defeat him without weapons and as he returned from the underworld, Cerberus, seeing the light of the day, started to salivate on the ground. From his saliva, a poisonous plant was developed. Cerberus was angry and that frightened king Eurystheus, so Heracles returned him to the Hades.

Aconitum napellus is a deadly toxic plant, one of the poisonous on Earth. It grows up to 100 cm and blooms with beautiful dark-purple flowers without scent. All parts of the plant are toxic and poisoning can come by touching it because the poison easily absorbs through the skin. In Bosnia and Herzegovina it belongs to endangered plant species.

(Željka Šaravanja)