Day 1: Beneath the Flow
The mushroom shown in the picture is an Amanita Muscaria, also known as the fly amanita. It’s a very common and recognizable mushroom. At least, it would be from the top. The distinct red cap with white spots are so striking and recognizable that for many people when you ask them to think about a mushroom, this is the one they think about. We rarely get close enough – and low enough – to easily recognize the scene in this picture though. Not because it’s not beautiful, but, why would you? Perhaps this mushroom has us something to teach about perspective, layers, and beauty. Let’s dive in.
Don’t eat!
One thing that people might associate this particular mushroom with, is the warning to not eat them, and with good reason. In fact the name “fly” amanita comes from the poisonous properties of the mushroom. It is said that farmers used to harvest the white flakes on the cap of these fungi and mix them into a sort of pesticide to get rid of flies. The flakes themselves however are harmless so they’re safe to touch. Another way people have been using the fly amanita is for shamanistic and druidic rituals. You see, in small dosages, the fungi can have hallucinogenic properties. This fact has caused this mushroom to gather quite some fame, and it is known through cultures all over the world. Let’s visit some examples.
India
In ancient India the oldest scriptures of Hinduism are the Veda. Religious texts pertaining to things such as mantras, rituals, ceremonies and philosophy. There are four Vedas, the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. We’re interested in the first one, the Rigveda. We’re going to simplify a lot, because while looking this up it got complicated very fast, but the Rigveda, simply put, consists of ten books. Each of them dealing with a particular deity. The eight and ninth books are entirely about Soma, and this is where it gets interesting. See, Soma was a god, whose duty it was to keep the heaven and earth in their place. However Soma was the personification of a drink, or elixir. This drink, also called Soma, was used during sacrificial rituals, where it was both used as an offer, and consumed, believing it would grant immortality. The Vedas describe how the priests extract the juice from a plant called soma, and they describe it as sweet and milky, and they attribute hallucinogenic properties to this juice. Now it’s important to note here that because of the age of these texts, and how much gets lots in translation, it’s impossible to say with certainty what this elixir was made of exactly, but a very likely candidate is our friend, the fly amanita.
Europe
I know, I know. Europe is a big place, and different cultures have different folklore, religions, rituals, and traditions. One thing however pops up in places all over Europe though, especially the northern half. It’s our red and white friend! Have you ever heard of fairy rings? There’s a good chance you have, especially if you’re from Europe or North America. Fairy rings are a natural phenomenon where an underground network of fungi can seem to summon a mysterious circle of mushrooms. These mushrooms can be from a wide range of species, but one of them is our trusted pal the fly amanita. Before we figured out where these things came from though, people tried to come up with their own stories. So it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of folklore surrounding these fairy rings. The French call them ronds de sorcière, and in Dutch they’re called heksenkringen, meaning witches’ circles. Supposedly these were the places where witches danced in the night. But these things have been explained away by anything from dragons to toads to fairies. But we don’t have to stick to fairy rings, especially during autumn you probably don’t have to travel far to find a shop selling little red and white capped mushrooms made of plastic. What for? Decoration! And of course, to give gnomes a place to live.
Power up
Let’s skip ahead a couple of centuries to the modern day. Close your eyes, picture in your mind a plumber. Now I want you to imagine this plumber has a thick mustache and wears a red had and blue overalls. I think we all know where this is going, right? But it’s true, even the most recognizable power up of one of the most recognizable video game franchises uses this thing. And even though our Italian hero uses this mushroom to get stronger, eating it in real life will make you sick, so please don’t.
Finishing up
This has been a blast to write and I learned a lot, I hope you guys did too. I want to finish with thinking back on the original picture. The flowing gills, the serenity, the quiet forest floor. There is so much we haven’t discussed yet, like the fact that this species has symbiotic relationships with trees such as oaks, chestnuts, and birches. My main personal take away is that I never would’ve learned any of this stuff if I didn’t decided to get down on my stomach to make a picture of one of these interesting little organisms. I believe culture is just like that, what we tend to know is what we see and hear from a distance. Like the bright red and white caps we see when we stroll through the forest. But when you get up close, look at things from a different angle, you see things you never saw before. Oftentimes it only increases the beauty and depth of the thing, and it can lead to more understanding. Try looking at something familiar from a different perspective one of these days, you might be surprised. And if you want to admire this specific species of mushroom up close next time you see one, please do! But for the last time, and for the love of God, don’t eat!