Johnny Appleseed

[Fulgour]

Clad in Rags like a Pilgrim
from New Earth:

JOHNNY APPLESEED, the popular name of John Chapman
(1774-1845), was an almost legendary character and nature
lover of the frontier days in the Middle West. Not much
is known about the particulars of his life.

He was born in Massachusetts and went west about 1800,
carrying with him apples for planting. He lived the rest of his life
in Ohio and Indiana, wandering about clad in rags like a pilgrim,
tending the apple orchards he started wherever he found a
good spot, and reading aloud from the Bible.

The seeds that he planted and the saplings he gave away to
the local Indians and to the new settlers helped to build the
orchards of the Midwest. Chapman also planted the seeds of
many healing herbs such as catnip, horehound, and pennyroyal.

Some could say that he planted spiritual seeds as well.
Despite his eccentric appearance, he was regarded as
a healer, and even something of a saint, by settlers
and Indians alike.

John Chapman, b. Leominster, Massachusetts,
Sept. 26, 1774, d. Mar. 10, 1845

http://newearth.org/frontier/jappleseed/index.html

Note: Saturn is the God of Seeds.

[Penelope]

Maybe "The Fool" has a sack of seeds over his shoulder...?

[darwinia]

Thanks for the great historical breakdown. The bit about him being a healer sounds familiar, I think I read in one of my William Blake books some tie-in but I can't quite grasp it. Whether Blake admired the pared down lifestyle and gentle activism of Johnny I just can't remember, but there was something.

Vaguely off-topic. . . .


I bought some horehound sticks of candy at a Pioneer Village in once. It was very good. A chap I went to high school with once made himself an appleseed necklace to wear, the seeds have a beautiful natural polish and felt very nice to roll with your fingers.