| Mushroom Detectives
R. Gordon Wasson and his Russian born wife, Valentina, became mushroom detectives because they discovered that they mirrored within their relationship a cultural rift that could use some investigation. They discovered that their two cultures had completely opposite feelings about mushrooms for food. The Wassons began by collecting the words used to describe various mushrooms in their respective languages. In Mr. Wasson's English, it was easy. There are only three; mushroom, fungus and toadstool. In Valentina's there was a nearly unlimited choice of words describing the attributes of the many edible species. It seemed to them that such different attitudes must have some very ancient roots. They were right.
As the years went by, and their collection of information began to overwhelm them, one species stood out as having had an enormous impact on the cultures of Eurasia and the surrounding areas. The Amanita muscaria seemed to have a hold on the people's imaginations that exceeded its role as a mildly poisonous fungus of striking appearance.
What started out as a hobby to explore their different cultural backgrounds and their mutual interest in cooking developed into one of the most amazing stories of the 20th century. They explored the "folkloric and linguistic background" of this fungus throughout Europe and Eurasia. People from many cultures showed a strong interest in this fungus. It didn't matter whether or not they were the ones who loved mushrooms or hated them, the reaction was always strong and often emotional. Because of this, they felt that there had been some sort of special "curse", or "tabu", connected with its use.1 Wasson
Aryan Warriors
A couple of thousand years before the time of Christ, a warrior people calling themselves "Aryans" swept into the valley of the Indus, conquering all in their path. They fought with horse drawn chariots and a ferocity that was more than enough to subdue the local farming population. Their gods, the mighty Indra with his thunderbolts, Agni, the god of fire, and Soma, the god of immortality, among others, required sacrifice to maintain their favor. Although they sometimes used human victims, their favorite was a strong bull from the herds of cattle that they brought with them.
In the Vedic tongue, the parent to classical Sanskrit, the Aryan priests sang songs of praise to their gods. As written language developed these songs were recorded and became known as the Rg Veda. The first hundred or so verses pay homage to Soma, the god of immortality. Soma was said to be a holy plant, a divine drink, and a god of awesome power. 2 Wasson For years, researchers had tried to identify the plant source of this god, but to no avail.
For several decades, Mr. and Mrs. Wasson explored the ritual use of the Amanita muscaria, first in the Scandinavian countries, and then through Siberia into Russia. There are still tribes in the Siberian region that partake of this mushroom, but they are hardly immortal. Although the Wassons considered this to be their hobby, they were very thorough in their research, questioning people in all walks of life as to their knowledge of these plants.
Together, Mr. and Mrs. Wasson traced the use of this mushroom by the ancients from Scandinavia to India. The history of its use as a communion with the Gods goes back at least 5,000 years. In his book, Soma, Divine Mushroom of Immortality, Mr. Wasson has clearly shown that the immortal elixir Soma was indeed, the Amanita muscaria. Of course, this field is highly controversial; none of our present day religious practitioners or scholars wants to admit that their Holy Scriptures were written under the influence of "drugs".
Fly-agaric
Fly-agaric is another name for the Amanita muscaria, so named for its supposed ability to kill flies. Mr. Wasson tested this possibility by cutting a fresh sample down the middle and placing it on a window sill. The flies were soon attracted and, sure enough, they keeled over. But they weren't dead, only passed out from the drug and probably tripping their brains out. After a few hours, they revived and flew off. Flies aren't the only critters to show a fondness for this fungus; some rodents, antelope, deer, cattle and reindeer have also been known to partake.
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Sources
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1 Wasson, Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich, New York, 1967, p 35.
2 Wasson, Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich, New York, 1967, p 3.
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