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Autumn watch

PARAGUAY

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Joined
13 Nov 2013
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3,487
Location
Lancashire
Noticed these looking chewed l did believe they were highly poisonous but on Autumnwatch they filmed squirrels munching on them
 

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Squirrels have found the key to another reality...🤪 It can be eaten but it won't be in any edible fungi guide. In Europe, Asia, and North America, all Amanita muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being the neurotoxins ibotenic acid and muscimol.

It was probably used ceremonially by our ancestors, maybe as an ingredient in an hallucinogenic cocktail. Perhaps we can find evidence of this where you'd least expect it. Google Christmas cards and fly agaric. Watch out for the trippy vintage pixies and gnomes, they may represent the entities our ancestors met on their journey 🙃

Most christian holidays are really hijacked pagan traditions and perhaps our ancestors used it in ceremonies that occurred around this time of year when the mushroom is widely available. Hence the Christmas legacy.
 
The Fly agaric has lots of interesting history, it is a toxic and potentiely deadly mushroom but folk have always found an excuse to eat them for one reason or another!
War Mongers like Genghis Khan, Vikings like Ragna Lothbrok Red Indians, Roman emperors my mate at university !
All found an excuse to eat them!
The Death cap is in a different league of toxicity, very few people have survived eating them.... however ... in my home town sometime back in the 80s a locale news reporter and his wife did in fact survive eating 6 death caps .
Interestingly the doctor who managed to save their lives was a fish keeper and he had a radical idea to use large quantities of activated carbon to filter their blood .
Although the experimental treatment was successful the patients lives were shortened considerable and they both died young.
I would of liked to check my details but i cant seem to find what was once a well documented story (event even)
I can remember the name of the man, Mike Le Cocq and i think it was the 80s but nothing comes up on google.
 
Next time l go into the woods(thanks Tim and Foxfish!) I will cut out the night walk and ensure l have the dog close at all times incase of pixies goblins all manner of myths and legend. And thinking l have a bit of Dr Dolittle in me now the squirrels maybe seeing two of me and two dogs. A few years back though a chap was collecting fungi and said he knew all the edible from the poisonous he was interested in starting a local society at the time it went above my head now l would be interested.
 
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