Editing Calendula (section)

===History===
''Calendula'' was not a major medicinal herb but it was used in historic times for headaches, red eye, fever and toothaches. As late as the 17th century [[Nicholas Culpeper]] claimed ''Calendula'' benefited the heart, but it was not considered an especially efficacious medicine.<ref name=rodale>[https://books.google.com/books/about/Rodale_s_Illustrated_Encyclopedia_of_Her.html?id=htGD3Y7WNxwC Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs]</ref>

In historic times ''Calendula'' was more often used for magical purposes than medicinal ones. One 16th-century potion containing ''Calendula'' claimed to reveal [[fairies]]. An unmarried woman with two suitors would take a blend of powdered ''Calendula'', [[marjoram]], [[Artemisia (genus)|wormwood]] and [[thyme]] simmered in honey and white wine used as an ointment in a ritual to reveal her true match.<ref name=rodale/>

[[Ancient Rome|Ancient Romans]] and [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] used the golden ''Calendula'' in many rituals and ceremonies, sometimes wearing crowns or garlands made from the flowers. One of its nicknames is "Mary's Gold", referring to the flowers' use in early Christian events in some countries. ''Calendula'' flowers are sacred flowers in India and have been used to decorate the statues of [[Hindu deities]] since early times.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doctor |first1=Vikram |title=Marigold: The Mexican flower that has become a part of Indian festivals |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/onmyplate/marigold-the-mexican-flower-that-has-become-a-part-of-indian-festivals/ |website=Economic Times Blog |access-date=2 April 2020 |date=20 October 2017 |archive-date=1 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501025623/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/onmyplate/marigold-the-mexican-flower-that-has-become-a-part-of-indian-festivals/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The most common use in historic times was culinary, however, and the plant was used for both its color and its flavor. They were used for [[dumplings]], [[wine]], [[oatmeal]] and [[puddings]]. In [[English cuisine]] ''Calendula'' were often cooked in the same pot with spinach, or used to flavor stewed birds. According to sixteenth-century Englishman [[John Gerard]], every proper soup of [[Dutch cuisine]] in his era would include ''Calendula'' petals.<ref name=rodale/>