Myths, symbols & folklore
Onion: A vegetable already popular in the time of the ancient Egyptians, frequently mentioned in ancient Greek writings (Homer, Aristophanes) as well. In time the onion and its cousins (leek, garlic, chive, shallot), because of their powerful odors, came to be thought of as food for the masses and rejected by the gentry – although in more recent centuries precisely these odors (and especially that of garlic) were believed to ward off vampires. In folk medicine the onion was recommended against congestion, impotence, dropsy, digestive disorders, colds, scurvy, and hair loss. (Biedermann)