A Bunch of Thyme

A Bunch of Thyme – a coded warning to women On the surface, the song is a sad but relatively straightforward story of a young maiden who loses her heart to a sailor. Beneath the surface, however, the lyrics contain double meanings referring to sex and possibly even sexual disease, and the loss of hope for the future. The song is traditional and dates back at least to the 17th century. It was a big hit for Irish duo Foster and Allen in the 1980s. Around the year 1689, a woman named Mrs. Fleetwood Habergam “undone by the extravagance, and disgraced by the vices of her husband,” wrote of her woes in the symbolism of flowers; however, the folklorist Cecil Sharp doubted this claim.  The versions allegedly written by Habergram would have been the “Seeds of Love” variant; The “Sprig of Thyme” / “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme” variant is probably older than the “Seeds of Love” variant; it has a more modal, sad melody with abstract and reflective lyrics.  Thyme was used as a symbol of elegance and grace in ancient Greece. Roman soldiers bathed in water infused with thyme for vigor, and Egyptians used thyme in the embalming process. Thyme sprigs were thought to be protective against plague, and thyme oil was used as an antiseptic during World War I. Teas made from thyme have been traditionally used for GI disorders and to treat intestinal parasites such as hookworm