A poisonous plant of the nightshade family with dark flowers and a foul smell, historically used in medicine and witchcraft despite its extreme toxicity.
From Old English henban, likely from 'hen' plus 'bane' (poison or killer). The plant was named for its use in killing or sickening chickens, or possibly because it resembles plants fed to hens.
Henbane was a key ingredient in medieval 'flying ointments' used by people claiming to be witches—the plant's hallucinogenic properties would create vivid sensations of flying, and traces of henbane were actually found on suspects during witch trials, proving they'd used it.
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