Any of several toxic plants of the nightshade family, particularly henbane, containing alkaloids and historically used in medicine and witchcraft.
From 'herb' (plant) + Old English 'bane' (poison). The name directly describes its nature—a poisonous herb. Henbane was especially notorious in medieval Europe as a hallucinogenic drug and supposed witch's potion.
Herbbane was in witch brews not because of magic, but because its toxic alkaloids cause hallucinations and convulsions—medieval people thought they saw demons, but they were just experiencing the drug's effects on their brains.
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