moly

Mythical protective herb

Moly is a legendary herb with white flowers and black roots, given by Hermes to Odysseus as protection against Circe's magic in Homer's *Odyssey*.

The word survives mainly in literary allusions to divine protection or antidotes to enchantment.

In botany, moly names various plants of the allium family.

Informally, moly is short for molybdenum, a metallic element: chrome-moly steel.

Homeric

Odysseus

Ithaca's long-wandering monarch

  • CirceMythical witch, island-dweller
  • HermesOlympian messenger deity
  • HomerAncient Greek epic composer

Odyssey · Greek · mythology · epic · antidote · divine · protection · transformation · pigs · sailors

magical-plants

mandrake

Magical nightshade with forked root

  • somaBodily cells, excluding gametes
  • lotusSacred aquatic flower
  • ginsengPerennial with tonic root

herb · mythical · legendary · supernatural · folklore · remedy · elixir · enchanted · protective · ancient

botanical

garlic

Pungent culinary bulb

  • bulbRounded storage organ
  • whiteAbsence of pigment
  • flowerPlant's reproductive organ

black · root · herbaceous · plant · wild · species · medicinal · edible · aromatic · perennial

Opposites
magical protection vs. magical harm

molypoison

Harmful ingested substance

curse · hex · bane · enchantment · bewitchment

magical vs mundane herbs

molywild garlic

Pungent woodland allium

culinary herbs · medicinal herbs

Phrases
Family

molybdenum

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G