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Plant Identity
Botanical name: Origanum Dictamnus Dittany is endemic, Phrygan of Crete. It is a small plant with a blue stone color, with rounded leaves in the shape of a heart, slightly fleshy and fluffy. It blooms in purple color, in mid July. It is a sought after, rare and hard to find herb perched on steep cliffs. Its name originates from the Cretan mountain, Dikti (Lassithi mountains where according to mythology was the birthplace of Zeus) and the word shrub (Diktainos, the Dynasty of Dikti) where it used to be abundant. Dittany is considered a real gift of the deity, a messenger of health, happiness and love. This miraculous herb has been known since the Minoan era when the Minoans made perfumes, healing ointments & aromatic oils from it. Since the Minoan era it has been given the name Theangelis, a plant "sent by the gods". The most sacred product in the Minoan era was Dittany in olive oil which was offered to the deities, priests and kings of the palaces of Crete, Mycenae and Pylos, from the 15th to the 13th century BC. Dittany was a plant of the Goddess Diktynna (or Artemis Vritomartis). It was given to women to facilitate menstruation and facilitatew into pregnancy. Dittany has been known since antiquity and its ancient physicians attributed many healing properties. Aristotle in his work "On animal stories" introduces us to the painkiller and healing properties of dittany, stating the following: “Επεί και εν Kρήτη φασί τας αίγας τας αγρίας όταν τοξευθώσι ζητείν το δίκταμνον δοκεί δε τούτον εκβλητικόν είναι των τοξευµάτων εν τω σώµατι” meaning that when the ibex of Crete (Capra aegagrus) were wounded by hunter arrows, they instinctively ran in search of a dittany which they chewed and then spat on the wound to accelerate healing. Among the 14 names that have been given to it in Crete today (erontas, stomatochorto, stomachovotano, adichtamos, atitamos, diktamnos, etc.), the most common is "erontas" by the god Eros, the winged God of love. Dittany was a symbol of love and devotion. It is no coincidence that the leaves themselves are heart-shaped. Dittany was a herb of special economic importance in the past, as well as today. Excessive and reckless exploitation of the wild herb caused its decline and even its disappearance in some areas. Dittany is currently protected by the Berne Treaty. Dittany plants are grown on our estate in Crete and the essential oil we produce is of excellent quality.
