Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Although much of our early history of hemp use has been lost in the mists of time, we still find odd echoes of it every now and then – in old medical texts, in archaeological digs, or even in a folk song or poem that has survived the passage of time to remain essentially intact. Here, we take a look at some of history’s finest and best-preserved examples!
In many cases, these poems and songs are evidence of just how important hemp was to our ancestors. But even more than that, they give us a direct view into historic usage and socio-religious attitudes towards hemp, which can help us build up a much richer idea of the past! Let’s take a look at a few examples.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1595) – William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, the great English playwright of the Elizabethan era, made several references to hemp in his works. Interestingly, most of the references he makes have somewhat negative connotations. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
“What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here,
So near the…
