A Brief History of Wortcunning
Over the years as I’ve tried to give some kind of cohesive definition to what it is I do, how I do it, and where it all comes from, I’ve grown more and more fond of the sacred term wortcunning. In my early years, I shied away from this word simply because, let’s be honest, in modern English vernacular it doesn’t sound all that enticing. But, as I learned about the meaning of the words, their history and roots, and what this term actually embodies- it became clear to me that I was in fact practicing Wortcunning in a way I think my herbwise ancestors would recognize and celebrate.
The ancient history of these ways has many twists and turns, and some knots that seem quite impossible to unravel. Bearing that in mind, I present you with a very brief look at the history of spiritual herbalism in the traditions of wortcunning.
Wortcunning (from the Old English wyrta meaning ‘plant’ and cunnan meaning ‘knowledge’) is an ancient term referring to the traditional, often folkloric, knowledge of healing and magical properties of plants. It is rooted in pre-modern herbalism, folk medicine, and magical practices across various cultures, particularly in the British Isles and Northern Europe. Given that this name is in Old English, we get specific insights from existing Wortcunning texts and charms as well as child practices that have been handed down over the ages as they relate to England and many other areas of the Wise Isles (Wales, Scotland, and Ireland).
While the sacred term of wortcunning is rooted ancestrally in these lands, it has taken on a life of its own and has been adopted by many people as a way to define and describe their own work with the plants. In alignment with wisdom keepers of the Isles, I agree that anyone can work with the wisdom of cunning texts as long as it’s done in an informed way and with respect to the traditions that preserved that wisdom.
A Brief of Wortcunning
Early humans across time and place have worked with plants medicinally and ritually, evidenced by archaeological finds such as burial sites with medicinal herbs- one of my favorite examples is the Yarrow and Ephedra found in Neanderthal graves. Plants were central to early religious and healing practices, often mediated by visionaries or healers with deep knowledge of local flora and how plant and humans connect.
The druids of the ancient Celtic world are often associated with plant lore, although direct records are scarce. They were said to work with Mistletoe, Vervain, and other sacred herbs for healing and divination. Modern day Druids have developed a living, thriving, and evolutionary stock of plant lore that is inspired by existing stories and wisdom as well as their own personal experiences in working with plants that are native to wherever in the world they may be.
Classical authors like Dioscorides and Hippocrates catalogued medicinal herbs with vigor! The Roman occupation of Britain brought this and other Mediterranean herbal knowledge, blending with local folk practices.
Anglo-Saxon medical texts like Bald’s Leechbook and the Lacnunga (compiled in the 9th–10th centuries based on much older wisdom) include detailed herbal recipes, often combining Christian prayers, magical charms, and folk wisdom- syncretism in action! My favorite example of such charms being The Nine Herbs Charm (Nigon Wyrta Galdor) in the Lacnunga which invokes our wisdom-god Woden alongside herbs like Mugwort (Una, first among herbs)and Fennel (Finul) in a magico-medicinal context.
Norse traditions also blended practical herbalism with animistic and magical worldviews, using plants for protection, love spells, and healing. Those in the Norse texts vary as they are relevant to the origin lands of those people- but study of them can help inspire us about how we use the ancient charms in a way that’s relevant to the plants that surround us locally.
In medieval and early modern Britain, cunning folk were practitioners of folk healing and magic, often involving wortcunning. They blended herbal knowledge, astrological timing, and Christian elements as well as many grimoires containing more complex magical rituals. The books of the cunning folk were believed to poses their own kind of power- and just owning one was really all it took to qualify someone to practice the cunning arts.
Today, wortcunning is being revived by modern herbalists interested in traditional plant lore. It is often practiced alongside spiritual lines such as green witchcraft, folk magic, paganism, druidry, reconstructionism, or localized animism.
