: Ethnobiology 227-261 23(2): EXOTIC DRIFT SEEDS NORWAY: VERNACULAR IN NAMES, AND USES BELIEFS, ALM TORBJ0RN Department Tromso Museum, Botany, University Tromso, of of N-9037 Norway Tromso, ABSTRACT.— Seeds of some West Indian plants are sometimes transported across the Atlantic and deposited along the coast of Norway. The seeds of some Fabaceae species are sufficiently large and conspicuous to be noticed by the layman, in- cluding those of Dioclea m, which are the only "common" drift seed species in Norway. Such seeds have found a position in the among groups Norway, Norwe- folklore of the ethnic living in especially the all gian and Sami inhabitants, but also among the Finnish and Gypsy (Romany- and Norwegian names Rodi-speaking) minority groups. vernacular sup- reflect their posed origin (e.g., sjobenner 'sea beans') or uses (e.g., hsningsstein 'loosening stone' and bustein 'cattle stone'). In Norwegian folk tradition, the seeds have been used mainly as an aid during childbirth and to cure various diseases in cattle. In Sami humans, tradition the seeds seem to have been used only for both during child- were birth and to cure various diseases. In all ethnic groups, the seeds considered and both by some vernacular names rare precious objects, as revealed of their and the traditions related to the way of handling and storage of such seeds. strict names, Key words: Norwegian, Sami, vernacular folk medicine. drift seeds, RESUMEN— En de algunas plantas de Antillas son ocasiones, semillas las las En transportadas a traves del Atlantico y depositadas en las costas de Noruega. son caso de algunas especies de leguminosas (Fabaceae), las semillas suficiente- el mente grandes conspicuas para que lugarenos reparen en ellas. Entre ellas, y los con las de Dioclea Erttada gigas y Mucuna sloanei son las tinicas especies reflcxa, un de "comunes" en Noruega. Estas semillas han hallado lugar semillas deriva en de todos grupos etnicos que viven en Noruega, especialmente folklore los el grupos minoritarios noruegos Sami, pero tambien entre los entre habitantes y los Romanf Los nombres vernaculos en de finlandeses gitanos (de lenguas y Rodi). y marinas') o Noruego su supuesto origen (por ejemplo sjobenmr 'alubias reflejan En ganado'). de o 'piedra del sus usos (como losningsstein 'piedra aflojar' bustein como nte han popular noruega, semillas se tradition las la > En ganado. ayuda nacimiento de ninos para curar varias enfermedades del al y para hu- exclusivamente Sami parecen haberse utilizado semillas la tradition las En todos grupos etnicos las manos, en parto para curar varias dolencias. los el y como algunos de revelan consideraban objetos escasos preciosos, lo semillas se y manipulacion en su sus nombres vernaculos y estrictas tradiciones lo referente a RESUME— derivent parfois sur lAtl Des graines de plantes des Antilles de Les graines de quelques especes F de Norvege. echouent sur cotes et les compns profanes, y I graines "ordi- de Dioclea I celles reflexi du de graines font partie folklore toutes «l particulier dans la tradition des Sames, Roms/Tsiganes de langues romani et et :s supposee ^ ,^ns refletent leur origine (par ex- & x . emple sj0b0nner 'haricots de mer') ou leur utilisation, (par exemple l0sningsstein Dans 'pierre a degager' et bustein 'pierre a betail'). la tradition populaire norve- pour accouchements gienne, les graines etaient surtout utilisees faciliter les et maladies du Dans des Sames, semble que soigner diverses betail. la tradition il graines etaient utilisees uniquement pour les etres humains dans les soins lors les des accouchements et pour des affections variees. Pour toutes les ethnies ces grai- noms que de nes etaient rares et precieuses ainsi le revelent certains leurs ver- naculaires et les regies i age. INTRODUCTION — Norway has one of the longest coastlines of any country in the world 57,258 — km extending from 57°58' to 71°11' north latitude (excluding the arctic archi- pelago of Spitsbergen). also blessed with an unusually mild climate for It is its warm latitude, due to an extensive northwards transport of waters in the Nor- wegian an which coastal current, extension of the Atlantic current, crosses itself the North Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico. warm In addition to waters, this large-scale transport across the Atlantic from West and brings flotsam the Indies adjacent areas. Drift seeds of about a dozen tropical and subtropical species have been recorded along the coast of Norway (Aim and Nelson Nelson Of beans 1998, 2003; 1998a, 2000). these, the of & Dioclea Hooker Entada gigas Fawc. Rendl. and Mucuna Fawc. reflexa (L.) sloanei f., & most Rendl. (Fabaceae) are the frequent. Their seeds, ranging in size from 3-k cm 5-7 and to {Entada) are sufficiently large, attractive, durable to arouse the interest of any finder. This has secured them a place both in Norwegian folk and tradition the scientific literature. At an early date, drift seeds caught the attention of Norwegian The scientists. first mention is in Peder Clausson Friis's topographical description of Norway, Worm written in the sixteenth century, but published by Ole 1632 late first in more (and readily available in a late nineteenth-century edition by Storm 1881). who Drift seeds were also mentioned by Pontoppidan considered but (1752), re- jected the possibility that they could derive from the Americas; in his opinion, were the stranded seeds simply too well preserved. Strom in his topo- (1762), Sunnmore, graphical description of western Norway, noted and several species, was convinced American Only and of their origin. three years the bishop later, scientist Johan Ernst Gunnerus wrote a paper on drift seeds, assembling data on and uses (Gunnerus Some comments species, records, 1765). further are found in A Strom (1779, 1784). century later, Schiibeler (1873-75) compiled data on drift He Norway. seeds in included a list of specimens then found at the Botanical Museum many now in Oslo (herb. O), of which seem be and added some to lost, More ethnobotanical data. comprehensive surveys of drift seeds in Norway were Lindman given by and Helland (1883) (1905). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY Fall/Winter 2003 No made Sources.— previous attempt has been assemble body to the full of evi- dence, scattered over (and often concealed wide in) a variety of topographical, and folkloristic, botanical, other literature. This paper reviews folk tradition re- lated to drift seeds in Norway, including both Norwegian and Sami ethnobotany, and some data on the traditions of the Finnish and Gypsy (Romany- and Rodi- My speaking) minority groups. study almost based on entirely written sources. is Although have work carried out extensive ethnobotanical north Norway, field in I who have so far failed to find more than a dozen persons had firsthand knowl- I edge and of seeds drift their traditional uses. Most Norway data relevant to are found in Norwegian-language sources, al- though number there are also a of interesting references in Danish, Icelandic, Swedish, Finnish, German, French, English, and Latin. Unless otherwise noted, quotations from non-English sources have been translated from Norwegian. Translations or glosses are given in the bustein style: 'cattle stone'. Norway commented many were on Ethnobotanical aspects of drift seeds in in Gunnerus Pontoppidan and of the early publications, including (1765), (1752), Strom (1762, 1779, 1784). Minor compilations are also found in Helland (1905) and Schiibeler (1873-75), and a few notes on vernacular names in Lindman (1883). Some comments some found Nelson Except are also in (1983, 1998a, 2000). for by Norwegian brief, popular accounts of drift seeds written botanists (Danielsen 1952; Gjaerevoll 1976; Ronning 1955), there are few twentieth-century reports on Aim made drift seeds in Norway. and Nelson (1998) a preliminary survey of north A Norwegian some maps. Nor- records of species, including full revision of the wegian with maps forthcoming (Aim and Nelson material, for selected species, is 2003). Some data from recent interviews are included in relevant sections; these are + were during indicated as "interview year" below. Interviews carried out partly March some a course on plant uses given in Finnmark in 2001, as of traditional women, recognized seed the participants in their thirties to sixties) a drift (all A shown on during newspaper note asking for information drift the lectures. and The seeds (Aim 2003a) yielded some response by mail, e-mail telephone. people who responded were mostly but ages ranged from about 40 to 95 elderly, Tromso Museum, Department years. Transcripts of the interviews are stored at Botany (TROM). of NORWAY DISTRIBUTION OF DRIFT SEEDS IN Norway. have been recorded in Exotic drift seeds of at least eleven species most legumes including the three Six or seven of these are seeds of (Fabacace s.L), A map Mucuna and frequent seashore Dioclea Entada gigas, sloanei. finds, reflexa, on herbarium specimens showing records of these three species (based extant numerous further records from the scientific only) included here (Figure is 1); Aim now by and Nelson and herbarium specimens are discussed lost literature Norway The Fabaceae species recorded as drift seeds in are all rare other (2003). (three seashore bonduc Roxb. (four records), Cassia fistula L. finds: Caesalpinia (L.) An DC. old record of Ery- and Mucuna single record). records), macroceratides (a FIGURE 1.—Map showing records of the three i baceae) along the coast of Norway, based on exta TRH, TROM): and Dioclea reflexa (squares), Entada gigas (dots) and Wucuin; iloana (trian- Many gles). further records are known, partly with identity confirmed by Gunnerus (1765), Strom Linnaeus (1762, 1779, 1784), (in his correspondence with Gunnerus and Strom), Lindman Charles Darwin, and (1883), others, but without surviving herbarium specimens! They have been left out here, but confirm the distribution pattern of the present map. Aim Compiled from and Nelson (2003). \ :l ' : thrina sp. (Gunnerus 1765:21, no voucher specimen found) should be regarded as unverified. Mucuna In folk tradition, the large seeds of Dioclea Entada reflexa, gigas, sloanei and other Fabaceae stand out, simply because they are noteworthy and attractive Almost objects. all folk tradition extracted here, as far as voucher specimens, pho- and tographs other documentation can refer to the seeds of these three species tell, (for details, see Table Species with similar seeds, Mucuna macroceratides, 1). e.g., would may obviously not be by layman, and have found rejected the similar use, much were but turn less likely to up. Other seeds recorded Norway, Anacardium exotic drift in all rare, are: officinale L. (Anacardiaceae), coconuts Cocos (Araceae), calabashes or gourds Cu- nucifera and curbita lagenaria L. (Cucurbitaceae), Garcink mangpstarm (Clusiaceae), Mer- L. A remia discoidesperma D. Sm.) O'Don. (Convolvulaceae). small seed depicted (J. may by Strom belong Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae). The few (1779:315) to sp. cala- Norway bashes recorded in are probably not true drift seeds, but rather discarded household These no utensils or decorative objects. latter species are of little or A importance few stranded coconuts are mentioned in the in folk tradition. lit- erature, but there are no data to suggest that they played any role in folk tradition. A brief note on the ethnobotany of Cocos nucifera is found towards the end of the paper. Norway; Drift seeds are anything but frequent along the coasts of finding — — some one even an Entada gigas seed sheer luck, at least nowadays. To extent, is Some on high nineteenth-century their value in folk tradition rests their rarity. were somewhat more Martins sources suggest seeds frequent in the past. that drift Finnmark commenting on an Entada seed found by French botanists in (1848:129), (see also Martins 1857), noted that the "Norwegian fishermen, like those of the west coast of Scotland, collect these seeds in fairly large numbers." Habitat de- may have reduced seeds struction in the source areas led to a influx of drift during recent years. NAMES VERNACULAR names recorded seeds Norway, Table 2 vernacular so far for drift in lists all based on the primary sources; numerous secondary references have been left out. most Names.—The conspicuous beans of Entada gigas are the Norzoegian Vernacular Norwegian, they are usually important drift seeds in terms of folk tradition. In name This frequently referred to as vettenyre (singular) or vettenyrer (plural). is Norway see Reichborn-Kjen- mentioned in the literature on drift seeds in (e.g., nerud 1942:276), but does not seem to be much used as a vernacular name. It was noted as a name used in the Faroes by Peder Clausson Friis in his description first Norway Norwegian written in the late sixteenth cen- of (and the old territories), and Gunnerus Strom tury (see Storm 1881). Most later authors refer to (1762) them Norwegian sources for vettenyre as but neither of refer explicitly to (1765), name used mentioned as a a vernacular name. In both these works, vettenyre is unambiguous by Debes The only confir- recorded (1673:169). in the Faroes, as -Identity of selected folk tradition Norway, with notes on documentation.* c in i itation Related tradition Strom name (1762); scientific description Vernacular used medicine (bustein); in folk Gunnerus (1765); scientific description Vernacular names hviiiu^tcin), used as snuff- (zvttciii/re, boxes and medicine in folk Saxlund photographs; name (1918:98, figs. speci- Vernacular used medicine 1, 3); (jcttein/iv), in folk mens now Romsdalsmuseet, at lost Reichborn-Kjennerud photographs, Used (1921:1, medicine in folk 9); now specimens Romsdalsmuseet, at lost TROM Nordland: Vesteralen Photographs of specimens stored in Vernacular name and (h/kkstein) associated beliefs TROM Troms: Senja Brox (1970:83); specimen in Vernacular name; used medicine in folk TROM Troms: Karlsoy Brooke specimen (1823:317); in Vernacular r Masoy Finnmark: Kohl photograph (1926b:958); speci- Vernacular (fig. 5, left), r men Museum Hamburg Volkerkunde, at fur Specimen Norsk Folkemuseum at Qvigstad specimen Norsk (1932:15-16); at folke- M^soy TRH Finnmark: Specimen in (and attached note) Used in Sami folk medicine Finnmark: Nordkapp Martins specimen (1848, 1857); in Paris Collected by fishermen Finnmark: Nordkapp Paulaharju (1935); glossary Vernacular name; used Quain mec in folk Finnmark Paus Helland in (1906:296); brief description Seed interpreted as female Norway Gosner photograph Museum, (1985:9); Snuffbox Historisk Bergen) (at Aucuna sloanei Hordaland Pontoppidan (1752:254); brief description ur marine origin Norway Gunnerus (1765:21-22); scientific description Vernacular names, used I Sunnm0re Strom name (1765); scientific description Vernacular (bustein' Masoy TRH Finnmark: Specimen in (and attached note) Used Sami in folk medici Masoy Finnmark: Kohl photograph (1926b:958); (fig. 5, right), Vernacular names; used Sami folk medicine i Museum specimen Ham- at fur Volkerkunde, 1 Souav documentation ,iik1 Paus Helland in ( lund (1918:98, Komsd.ilsrnii.sc-et, . BG, TRH, TROM, (in herb. O, and at some other museums), photographs, detailed descriptk ndman Schiibeler and (1883), (1873-75), Strati, were doc originally all 1 ived. The seeds of Gunnerus and Strom were partly forwarded to jmikh-us lor ideniitk .ition. I I i s not been possible to locate. The last two seeds, listed as IMucuna sloanei, could also belong t Dioclea e.g., reflex seeds of Fabaceae specie: t Name Vernacular English translation Area Source Names a) used for Dioclea reflexa, iVhttftfu stoma or specie:s with similar seeds Norwegian Norway Gunnerus bu>h'iu [Busten] cattle stone 1765:21 W Norway stone (Sunnmore) Gjerding 1932:87 cattle W Norway stone (Romsdal) Saxlund 1919:98, 2 cattle fig. Norway bustein cattle stone Reichborn-Kjennerud 1921:1, 1942:276 9; W onuotcm Norway [Orme-Sten] (Sunnmore) Strom 1762:139 worm oniustem [Orme-Sten] stone Norway Gunnerus 1765:21 Names b) used for Entmia gigas hutch, Norway Lindman rbi,estene| stone 1883:75 cattle W Norway stone (Romsdal) Saxlund cattle 1919:98, 3 figs. 1, Norway cattle stone Reichborn-Kjennerud 1921:1,9 N Iwlciu rbuestene] Norway Svendsen (Vasroy?) 1916:86 N h'rlt^imi^tcm Norway ["torlosningsstene loosening stone Helland 1905:224 | N Norway museum hu1o>iiiii^ti'iii [torloysnings-steir loosening stone Brox specimen Tromso (Senja) 1970:83; at i] Norway Lindman |*golfsnodder] Gulf nut £olf>)n>tt 1883:75 ? N Norway y>lf>m>tt |*golfsnorter] Gulf nut (Vaeroy?) Svendsen 1916:86 ? W icllnwr \*\xttenyrer] giant's kidney Norway (Romsdal) Saxlund 1919:98 TROM Andoya interviews photographs 2003; in An// lutein [Losningssten] loosening stone Norway Gunnerus 1765:15-16, 21 // 18, Norway /es/////; 's.s/('/// ["Losnings Steene] loosening stone Gunnerus in letter of 6 Feburary 1762 J.E. s (Dahl 1896:173) h^nin^h'iii Norway Lindman |*losningsstene] loosening stone Svendsen 1883:75; 1916:86 cf. N Norway h>>iiiu^>lciii osningsstene] loosening stone Helland 1905:204 C"l N Norway hwiiiiXXih'in Hosningsstene] loosening stone (Vaeroy?) Svendsen 1916:86 W [Soe-Bonne] Norway (Sunnmore) Strom i;/;/(' 1762:138, 387 -/i'/'i Norway [*sobonner] Lindman s/e/'ii////e 1883:75 N Norway Helland 1905:204 N Norway sjenett sea nut (Troms: Karlsoy) Brooke 1823:317 Name Vernacular English Area translatioi Source i ^ [*sonodder] Norway sjenett sea nut Lindman 1883:75 i sj0iwtt [*sjonotter] Svendsen 1916:86 sjotremtt [Soetraee-Nodd] Gunnerus 1765:15 N i Norway (W skate-eggs Finnmark) interviews 2001 tannine [*tangbanner] sea-weed bean Lindman 1883:75 mhwtt [\alnodder] Norway Lindman 1883:75 ivltcm/rc [Votte-Nyre] wight's kidney Norway? EC. Friis, late 16th century (see Storm 1881) ivttcmnv rVette-Nyrer] wight's kidney Norway? Gunnerus 1765:15, 18 wight's kidney Norway? Strom 1784:126 o wight's kidney Norway? Schiibeler 1873-75:32 g r enyn wight's kidney Norway iette-nyrer] Gunnerus in letter dated 6 February 1762 z J.E. \ > (Dahl 1896:173-174) o N gollcgajiw [Gollegadno] gold can Norway Schiibeler 1873-75:31 N Norway H sea serpent stone (Finnmark) Kohl 1926a:133; see Qvigstad 1932:15 Finnish (Quain) o N stone Norway of the sea (Finnmark) Paulaharju 1934, 1935 Names used c) in a collective sen se for Fabaceae seeds, including Dioclcn Mucima and Entada ivflcxa, s lomiei gigas, or other species with i more or similar seeds less § W bustein [»Bue-Stene] Norway cattle stone (Sunnmore) Strom 1756:fol. 56a, 79a; see Standal et al. 1997:125, 169 Strom 1762:138-139, 1779:315-316 388; buJh"n IBust-ne-n] Sundt 1852:152 W Norway (Sunnmore) Gjerding 1932:87 loosening stone Pontoppidan 1752:287 h^ning^tdn [Losningsstenen] loosening stone Nicolaissen 1889:17 W Li<nc>tdn |Laasne-Steen| loosening stone Norway Pontoppidan 1752:287 [dignasga' t1iki)ti^i'tiiSoi accompanying TRH herbarium specimen, i [gaggagaadge] ! [ganogaedga] r Names used Fabaceae for seeds, insufficient to allow further identification ) i N Nodder] sjenett [*Soe nut Norway >ea (Nordland: Bo) Bruun Gunnerus 4. in a letter to 16 August 1759 (Dahl 1897:21) N tn/llesfchi (tryllesten] nagic stone Norway (Finnmark) :ohl 1926a:133; 1926b:959 from celling, different present-day Norwegian if .Hid f