Traditional knowledge and use of tuberous orchids in the Eastern Carpathians

What is it about?

The tubers of terrestrial orchids have been used for nutritional, medicinal, and aphrodisiac purposes across Europe and Western Asia for centuries. Historical sources from Hungary and Transylvania indicate that tuberous orchids, collectively known as bergőburján in the Gyimes region of the Eastern Carpathians, were believed to possess aphrodisiac properties and were used in both human and veterinary medicine. This exploratory study documents contemporary knowledge, nomenclature, beliefs, and uses associated with tuberous orchids among Hungarian-speaking communities in the Eastern Carpathians of Romania. A total of 104 semi-structured interviews were conducted in seven settlements of the Csík and Gyimes regions in 2023. Knowledge of bergőburján was much more frequently recorded in Gyimes (54/85 respondents; 63.5%) than in the sampled Csík settlements (1/19 respondents; 5.3%). Statistical analyses revealed that informants from Gyimes recognised and named significantly more orchid species, while older respondents demonstrated substantially greater orchid-related knowledge than younger individuals. Farmers also recognised more orchid species than manual workers. More than one-third of respondents familiar with bergőburján associated it with aphrodisiac effects, and over half reported its former use as a stimulant for humans and livestock. Although the use of bergőburján largely ceased decades ago, a distinctive body of traditional knowledge persists. Our results indicate that bergőburján-related knowledge has persisted among older community members despite the disappearance of its practical use. However, generational differences suggest that the intergenerational transmission of this traditional ecological knowledge is weakening.

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