A mortal youth named Krokus fell in love with a beautiful nymph called Smilax. She soon tired of his advances, but Krokus continued his pursuit of Smilax. Some legends claim the gods, taking pity on the amorous and desperate youth, turned him into a crocus flower, while others say Smilax changed him into the beautiful flower. Another variation claims the god Hermes accidentally killed Krokus, and the ground where his blood was spilled is where the first crocus flower grew. It is also said that Zeus, king of the Greek gods, slept on a bed made of saffron.
Not only was saffron celebrated for its colorant, aromatic and flavour-enhancing abilities, it was also famous for its medicinal properties and had a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Wealthy Roman families scattered saffron threads on the bridal beds of newlywed couples. Many cultures used saffron to dye bridal veils yellow.
Saffron in Egypt
Queen Cleopatra of Egypt was said to use saffron in her bath, mainly for its colorant and fragrant properties. She also used it before any meetings with men, believing its reputation as an aphrodisiac. Egyptian medical experts praised saffron for its ability to heal a range of ailments, particularly gastrointestinal disorders. A poultice containing saffron, coriander, myrrh and ox fat was placed on the body to help expel blood from internal haemorrhaging. Urinary tract infections were treated with a mixture of saffron threads and roasted beans. When consumed in quantities over ten grams (0.35 oz) saffron can be fatal, so care was always exercised in dosage.
Saffron and the Phoenicians
The Phoenicians valued the spice for its medicinal and culinary qualities, and traded it throughout the Mediterranean region during the Greco-Roman era. They traded saffron with physicians and perfumers in Egypt and with the residents of the island of Rhodes, who used saffron pouches during outings to the theatre to mask the odours of less hygienic patrons. On mainland Greece royal robes were triple dyed to give them a deep purple hue. The dye centres discovered that using saffron in the second and final dye dips gave a less purple hue, producing a lighter purple colour suitable for use by commoners.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used saffron in public areas to mask unpleasant odours. Saffron was spread across the streets of Rome when Emperor Nero entered the city. As well as adding saffron in their ablutions, Romans used it as mascara.
Saffron in Persia
Saffron threads have been found woven into Ancient Persian carpets and funeral shrouds dating back to the tenth century BC. Persians used saffron as an offering to their gods. Saffron was used to dye their clothes yellow, in perfumes and in food. Persians would dissolve sandalwood and a few saffron stands in water for a refreshing wash after a day of working in the hot sun. They would sprinkle the threads upon their beds and drink it as a tea to treat depression. Foreign travellers, wary of this practice, came to believe saffron was used by the Persians as an aphrodisiac and drugging agent.
Alexander the Great
During his excursions into Asia, Alexander the Great began to use saffron in his bath, believing it would heal the wounds sustained in battle. As the saffron baths appeared to aid the healing process, he recommended the treatment to his soldiers. They were so impressed with the spice’s healing properties they continued the saffron baths after returning to Macedonia.
Another tale tells of the day Alexander the Great arrived in Kashmir, and pitched his army’s tents on a field full of rich green pastures outside the city. The following morning he awoke to find the field full of delicate purple flowers that had blossomed overnight. So prolific were the flowers they even bloomed inside the tents. Startled to discover the flower threads had turned his clothes yellow, he attributed this phenomenon to magic, and called off the battle.
Saffron in India
It is not known whether the Persians brought saffron into the ancient world after conquering India, or if the spice was introduced to the Far East by Persian traders. An 11th century local Kashmiri legend tells of two travelling holy men - Khwaja Masood Wali and Hazrat Sheikh Shariffudin - arriving in the city. Both had become very ill, and begged the city chieftain for a cure. He agreed, and when they recovered the travellers gave the chieftain a crocus bulb to thank him for curing them. Today a tomb and shine is dedicated to the two saints in Indian village Pampore, and every year during the annual saffron harvest in autumn prayers of thanks are offered to them.
Buddist accounts offer a different tale of how saffron arrived in India. In the fifth century BC an Indian Buddist missionary named Majjhantika was sent to Kashmir, where he sowed the first saffron crop. Saffron soon spread throughout India, where it was mainly used in food and for fabric dye. The golden yellow colour produced by the dye became so popular that after the Buddha Siddhartha Guatama’s death saffron was decreed the official colour of all Buddhist attire.
European demand for saffron increased dramatically between the years 1347 and 1350, when the Black Death decimated the region’s population. Prized for its medicinal properties, supply decreased as European farmers succumbed to the disease. The start of the Crusades prevented the best quality saffron from being exported to Europe, so the product was sourced from Rhodes. Supply could not keep pace with demand, and this led to conflict between the rapidly declining upper class noblemen and increasing wealthy merchants and tradesmen. When a group of noblemen seized a shipment of the spice a 14 week long “Saffron War” broke out. Although the shipment was eventually returned piracy became a problem, because pirates made more money plundering saffron shipments instead of gold.
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