Simon Syrenius’ Botanical Atlas

Complete Title:

“A Herbarium, as it is called in Latin, comprising Descriptions of the proper names, shapes, nature, effects and qualities of Herbs deriving from all Trees, Shrubs and the roots thereof, Flowers, Fruits, Juices and Pulps, Resins and roots, for the preparation of food. Also including Drinks, Syrups, Vodkas, Liqueurs, Conserves, various Wines, Ashes, Salt made from herbs; Ointments, Plasters. Additionally on varying Earth and Clay: on Pearls and precious Stones (…) A tome for doctors, Chemists, Barber surgeons, Tonsorial artists, Traders, horse doctors, Stable hands Gardeners Chefs, cooks, Innkeepers, Landowners, Mothers, Ladies and Girls and for anyone who loves and are in contact with medicine, carefully compiled and orderly written by D. Simon Syrenius.”

Simon Syrenius’ botanical atlas is the largest work in the field of natural science published during the Polish renaissance, and which was extremely popular in this part of Europe. As the first integrated work compiling contemporary knowledge on plants and their use, it is of boundless historical value today. The entries, which comprised of the Polish names for plants were taken from common usage or were made up by Syrenius especially for the atlas, were adopted by academics and used by successive generations of botanists, with the majority of scientific names entering the Polish vernacular thus making the work timeless.

Simon Syrenius (ca. 1540-1611) was a townsman from Oświęcim. In 1560 he undertook studies at the Kraków Academy (Jagiellonian University), and after nearly a decade finished with a master’s degree in liberal arts and doctorate in philosophy. Soon after he left to travel to Germanic lands, where he deepened his interest in botany and, in particular, the medicinal qualities of plants. He visited the famous botanical gardens and herbaria of the time (in Augsburg, Mainz and Heidelberg among others), and he became acquainted with the largest works concerning botany, herbalism and medicine, often richly illustrated. It was most probably then that he took the decision to create his own such work in the future. He also undertook medical studies in Padua, returning to Poland in 1577 as a certified medical doctor.

Alongside running a medical practice in Lwów (currently Lviv, Ukraine), he undertook research on the local vegetation, and with time started organising research trips to Podolia (near Kamieniec), Pokuttya, Bieszczady, Beskidy, Tatry, and even to Hungary. Having gathered an impressive amount of material from the field, he settled in Kraków in 1589, becoming a professor of medicine at his alma mater and also opening a surgery for the poor. Finally, work on his magnum opus got under way, and in 1610 he submitted it for publishing at Mikołaj Lob’s printing house in Kraków. However, Syrenius died in the spring of 1611, before the botanical atlas was ultimately published.

Nevertheless, the publication almost never saw the light of day. As it turned out, Syrenius had placed his entire fortune with Lob, and counting on a return on investment from the publication of his work he had also taken out a number of loans. After his death, Lob halted the publication process in demanding, most likely illegally, further payments. Under the circumstances, the executor of Syrenius’ will, the botanist Gabriel Joannicy, requested the help of Swedish Princess Anna Vasa, who was well-known for her love of botany and herbalism. Thanks to her personal engagement and foundation, it was possible to finalise the undertaking. In the outcome, another printer in Kraków, Bazyli Skalski, ended up publishing the work.

In March 1613, two years after the author’s death, the herbarium was printed with an impressive run of around 1,000 copies. To this day around 100 have survived, mostly in national libraries, with singular copies found in foreign collections.

The copy found in the collection of the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków is unfortunately not complete, as the first 30 pages are missing (unnumbered), including the richly decorated titular page with the full title and which contains a woodcut of an imagined globe (based on the Cosmography of Marcin Bielski) and the Vasa coat of arms on the reverse, a preface written by Gabriel Joannicy which contains thanks to Princess Anna, another foreword for the reader by Jan Achacy Kmita, as well as a register, or index, of medicines.

The atlas contains the descriptions of 765 plants, most of which are illustrated in detail. Beside a morphological description, the author adds information on the pharmaceutical qualities and medicinal uses of the given plant, including recipes for concocting the medication. There are also warnings as to unwanted side-effects as well as natural remedies to neutralise any negative effects. There are also a number of recommendations as well as practical advice for the culinary use of any given plant and its flavour.

Simon Syrenius’ botanical atlas found its way in the museum’s collection thanks to its founder, Seweryn Udziela (1857-1937) and was most probably from his private collection (many of the work’s pages are marked with an S.U. ex libris) from before the museum was founded. The museum’s library has its collection this priceless work thanks to Udziela, who had a deep interest in natural science, herbalism and folk medicine. It is certain that he used Syrenius’ work while undertaking his own studies, which include Udziela’s most formative work in the field entitled Plants in the beliefs of Kraków folk (1931), which also contains documentation in the form of a herbarium.