Innerschweizer Liebestränke
Jahrbuch für Ethnomedizin und Bewußtseinsforschung 5.1996:79-97
##Love potions of Central Switzerland. A collection of "forgotten" recipes
The author describes traditional courtship practices in Central Switzerland and investigates the role which love potions played in courtship. He distinguishes magical from genuine love potions, the latter being combination preparations which owe their reputations as aphrodisiacs in part to alcohol, which breaks down acquired inhibitions. At the same time, the spices and herbs which were also a part of these mixtures also found use in their native regions as agents which can promote love. As medicines which fortify the stomach, love potions can also relieve sluggish digestion, one of the principal causes of impotence and diminished desire. The author concludes that the aphrodisiac effects of Central Swiss love potions are due to a variety of causes, including psychological factors.##
Keywords: aphrodisiacs, love potions, Swiss love potions, alcohol
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