The common rose hip (Rosa canina) is a wild thorny shrub of the Rosaceae family. The plant is the closest relative of the rose, hence its name "wild rose". The relationship of the rose hip with the rose is the reason why it is called the "Queen of Herbs".
Many legends tell of the magical power of the wild rose, the ancestor of the exquisite rose. The ancient Greek legend connects the wild rose with the goddess of beauty and love Aphrodite, who as soon as she learned of the death of her beloved Adonis, rushed to him through the thick rose bushes. Her grief was so great that she did not notice how the prickly thorns hurt her delicate skin. And every drop of divine blood that fell on the green twigs turned into a red wild rose.
The rose hip symbolizes the poetic image of Sleeping Beauty, enchanted and asleep waiting for her prince. In some stories, Sleeping Beauty is also called the "sleeping rose" because she was not stabbed with a spindle, but with a sprig of rose hips, which the evil sorceress placed on her pillow while she was sleeping. Regardless of the narrative, Sleeping Beauty is essentially about the symbol of eternal love and overcoming the ordination of death.
For the Slavic people, the rose hip was a symbol of youth, love and beauty. Our ancestors believed that the wild rose had good magic. She was credited with a miraculous power capable of reviving the flame in the feelings of lovers. It was believed that rosehip not only awakens passion, but also protects love. A man who dreamed of experiencing the pleasure of love used a bath of rose water prepared from the petals of rosehip. Scattered in the home, the petals of rose hip bring harmony and understanding.
In ancient times, Rosa canina was used to treat various ailments, malaria and scurvy. The infusion of the fruit was a great treatment for ulcers and stomach problems, eye diseases, heart disease, and the seed oil was used to treat burns and colds.
In folk medicine, rose hips are used to increase vitality and the body's defenses, to activate metabolism and to recreate after a serious illness. Rosehip is believed to be especially useful for strengthening the heart and circulatory system. Due to the content of pectins and tannins, folk medicine also uses rose hip for gastrointestinal and bronchial diseases.
The high content of vitamin C makes rose hips an excellent immunostimulant, and their consumption protects the body from colds, flus and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. In addition, vitamin C promotes the synthesis of collagen, which is very important for maintaining healthy blood vessels and healthy skin.
Rosehip flowers are a source of rose oil, valued in the perfume, cosmetics and food industries. In addition, a cold-pressed oil is obtained from rose hip fruits or seeds, which is a high-quality and highly valued base and massage oil.
