The Wild Swans
Available at: https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2019/06/the-folklore-of-nettles.html
The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson is a fairytale in which a princess has to save her brothers from an evil spell by spinning coats of nettles. She runs out of time due to the harm and injury this causes her hands and so her last brother is only partially saved, while the rest of her brothers are completely freed from the curse.
'Nettle Coat', Alice Maher 1995
Nettles have also been used for centuries as healing plants, their nutrients harnessed in Nettle soups, hair masks, and lotions. Their healing nature has been used as purifiers, helping with boosting the immune system, eliminating toxins, and increasing iron levels.
Zephaniah's Prophecy
Available at: https://www.carolynrothministry.com/post/zephaniah-s-prophecy-using-nettles
In the prophet Zephaniah's prophecy against Moab and Ammon, it was said that they would become places of nettles, wastelands where God would reign down burning sulphur in fiery destruction. Although sometimes symbolic of good in the Bible (the Burning Bush etc), burning and fire usually carried negative connotations meaning death and destruction.
We took inspiration from the conflicting nature of nettles and the way they are seen for our P is for Perception workshop. We wanted to draw upon the unknown nature of nettles and how they can be used in different ways for either good or bad. How can one thing be used in such opposing ways? We wanted the kids who took part in our workshop to learn to look at things that they may have overlooked before in different ways, and to push the limits of their own imagination when it comes to what they have been taught the uses for objects are.