 And now, the history of Lavender. Lavender has been around a long time in Ben and Yus since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Speaking of which, who wants to be mummified? What? No one wants to be mummified? Okay, embalming fluid is smelly stuff. But the ancient Egyptians sure know how to give it a little bit of pop and pizzazz by using lots of Lavender in their mummification process. In fact, when King Tutankhamun's tomb was opened in 1922, archaeologists recorded how the tomb still retained the scent of Lavender, 3,000 years after it was sealed. It was also found that wealthy Egyptians would put solid cones of Lavender on their heads. Really? You put cones of Lavender on your head? Oh, alright. And as this melted, it would coat their bodies in the wonderful scent of Lavender, creating one of the first perfumes. Which makes Lavender one of the oldest perfumes in the world. Though luckily, we've found quite a few easier ways to utilize Lavender's glorious scent in our modern products. Now Lavender comes from the Latin, lavare, which means to wash. Though, some say it could come from the Roman Livendulo, meaning livid or bluish. Yeah, I'm gonna go with lavare, as it was very common for both the Greeks and Romans to use it in their baths and soaps. They didn't stop there. They used it in cooking. They would set their hair, clothes, drawers, and even the walls of their houses. The Romans were also the first known army to carry Lavender into war, and use it as an antibacterial and wound healer. Lavender is yet another member of the monster mint family, Lamy A.C.E. There are 39 recognized species of Lavender, and about 400 separate varietals growing around the world. And despite popular thinking, Lavender doesn't just come in blue and purple. Oh no. There is also pink, white, and even green Lavender out there in the big wide world. Now it's been said that Cleopatra used Lavender to seduce both Mark Antony and Julius Caesar. By the time BC flipped around to 80, and we entered the time of Pliny the Elder and his writings about herbs, Lavender had become a very expensive commodity. Blossoms would sell for 100 Roman Denari per pound, which is about equal to 10 pounds of bread, 50 haircuts, or months' wages for a farm laborer. Because it was so valuable, King Edward I of England used Lavender to raise money in 1301 for his war against Scotland. Yeah, that war. Supporting my theory on the Latin definition Lavare to wash, women who did laundry in the Middle Ages were referred to as Lavenders. As clothes were usually laid to dry on Lavender bushes during this era, and later when they placed them on laundry lines, they scented newly washed linens with Lavender to keep sheets and clothing moth and insect free. Now this is also the origin of the colloquialism to be laid up in Lavender, which apparently is a common phrase. I mean I've never used it have you? Let me know in the comments down below. Henry VIII of England helped give Lavender some new life when he essentially opened it up to the public by dissolving the monasteries, where Lavender was commonly grown. This made it so everyone could grow Lavender. And that brings us up to another famous English monarch who was just loopy with Lavender love, Queen Elizabeth I, and she didn't just like Lavender. She loved it more than teeny-boppers loved the Beatles, Backstreet Boys, or the Jonas Brothers. A Queen Bessie required Lavender conserves to always be available on the royal dining table. She used it in her tea, perfumes, and to treat migraines. So it's no small wonder that she encouraged the development of Lavender farms in England. In fact, it's thanks to her that Lavender oil was first distilled in large quantities. She even wanted fresh Lavender flowers to be available to her every day of the year. No small task there. Queen Elizabeth would also have Lavender spread around her to fend off nasty stenches and the plague. And speaking of that happy-go-lucky plague, During the 1630s, the plague was terrorizing France, and there were four thieves who were looting people's abandoned homes in Toulouse. But when they were finally caught, the judge actually commuted their sentences in exchange for information on how they survived the plague. The thieves revealed that they were using a mysterious decoction, which became known as the Four Thieves Vinegar. It's a combo of Lavender, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Ooh, steeped in vinegar. That's nice. So it was no wonder around this time that people would wear Lavender around their wrists in order to prevent the black plague. After this, people would commonly wear Lavender-coated gloves to protect themselves too. Well, good gosh, my golly, olly. You must be enjoying this video so far, which means you should take a second to hit the like button and subscribe button if you haven't done so already. Click and be awesome. Now Queen Elizabeth and friends weren't the only ones who adored Lavender's abilities. Charles VI of France was well known for sleeping on Lavender pillows every night. Renaissance painter Rubens loved using Lavender to improve his paint colors. Louis XIV was a big fan of a Lavender bath. And really, why shouldn't he be? They are mighty soothing. Now, being a rock star, an herbal popularity has its perks. This popularity led to Lavender being featured in amazing projects like Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. Shakespeare talks about Lavender denoting middle age in a winter's tale. Maybe not the world's best reference there. And it's in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, where Lavender water is used to soothe Lady Middleton's baby. It even shows up in the modern world. Starring alongside the likes of Dame Judy Dench and Maggie Smith. And eventually it even got a movie named after it. Though strangely the movie had more to do with childhood trauma and corn. Who comes up with these titles? That brings us to the illustrious Queen Victoria, who almost single-handedly ruined Lavender's reputation. But how could this majestic monarch have done this? Well, the Queen, like many monarchs before her, loved using Lavender in everything. Victoria wanted fresh bundles of Lavender brought to her every day. Lavender was strewn over castle floors, so it would release its scent as people walked over it. She required all of her furniture to be polished with a Lavender solution. And she even named Miss Sarah Sprouls as her special purveyor of Lavender essence to the Queen. She simped Lavender tea to settle her stomach. She used it as perfume, deodorant and demon repellent. She even preferred Lavender jelly to the traditional mint jelly in her roast or mutton. Okay, I lied about the demon repellent. Or did I? And because the Queen loved it, so did all the ladies of England. No genteel lady would be cuffed dead without a flask of Lavender and a reticule. And ladies would tuck Lavender away in their bosoms in order to attract a suitor. Lavender became so popular that it led to the first commercial production of Lavender in places like Mitchum, Wallington and Carshalton. It also led to the popular Tussie-Mussie bouquets. Street vendors who sold Lavender would sing about their wares to attract buyers. And this led to the revival of songs like Lavender's Blue. However, the song originally started off as Lavender's Blue Diddle Diddle, not Dilly Dilly. The original was a bit more risqué than the version that ended up in a book of nursery rhymes during the Victorian era. Oh, that class. Uh oh. Why me? Okay. You see, Diddle has several different meanings. And the original song talked about people well uh lying down together. But herein lies the problem. Lavender became a little too popular for its own good. Increasing land values, a fungal disease, and most importantly becoming associated with old ladies almost destroyed Lavender's production in England. Yeah, apparently those cool Victorian kids just couldn't handle being compared to grandma. Never underestimate the power of perception. And eventually all three of the major producers of Lavender in England closed down either because of continued disease or in favor of urban development thanks to the amazing prices people were offering for the land. Luckily Lavender is very hearty and versatile and found new ways to endure. Like in World War One, Lavender was used as a wound healer in dressing for injured soldiers just like the ancient Roman armies did. But the biggest saving grace actually came about because of a happy accident. As many great discoveries do. You see, Rene Getofose was working in his lab when unfortunately he burned himself. Luckily he happened to have some Lavender essential oil on hand. So he coated the wound with it and noted how it had less scarring, no infection, and how it healed faster than normal. Apparently he hadn't heard about the Greeks, Romans, and lots of other soldiers between then and World War One using it in this way. But I digress. You see Getofose wasn't just any scientist. He was a researcher of aromatic oils in their healing properties. You don't think he burned himself on purpose? Oh my god. And he published a book in 1937 that brought us the term Aromatherapy. Around this same time, French biochemist Marguerite Maury developed a smart method of applying Lavender oil to the skin with massage which led to the invention of therapeutic aromatherapy massage. So while it took some tough blows through the ages, there is no stopping the all powerful yet soothing power of the world famous herb. Everyone loves Lavender. Please be kind. Take care of each other and enjoy your Lavender. Cleopatra used Lavender to seduce to seduce. Ganesh Ganesh. So luckily we've found a few easier ways to get Lavender shent. Shent. They scented newly washed Lennon's. They scented newly washed Lennon's with Lavender. Lavender oil was first distilled in large quantities. Queen Bessie required Queen Besser. Rockstar. A verbal popularity has its perks. Blur-glarks. Not that one. And it's found in Jane Austen's sense and sensibility. If you're loving the herbal history, then you should watch the history of sage or the history of rosemary next. Take care of each other and enjoy a nice cup of rosemary tea. Wait, no. Lavender. And ladies would often tuck Lavender away in their bosoms to attract cars. Really loud ones.