Dried Maggots Apothecary Label

Description

Maggots, dried or otherwise, are pretty nasty. They’re larval flies hatched on dead and rotting food, feces, or flesh. But did you know that they’re also very useful? If you’re a crime show buff, you may know about how maggots help investigators at crime scenes with dead bodies. The presence of maggots can be used to estimate an approximate time of death fairly accurately for a period of one to four days after death. After 4 days it’s not as accurate. Gruesome, huh?

They have also been used to clean wounds out for centuries; basically as far back as we have records of medical practices. I don’t normally associate maggots with cleanliness, but apparently they do a great job of eating decaying flesh without harming living tissue, and even have antibacterial properties. “Maggot therapy” is still a medical practice used today, even in the U.S.! If they could just come up with a maggot that would clean out my garbage disposal, and promptly die, I could get on board with that. No, maybe not. For that matter, I can’t imagine a wound getting so severe that maggots seem like a viable option! To be fair, they only use a specific species of maggot, raised in a sterile environment…. Nope. I would definitely need some anesthesia for that procedure.

But what could be more perfect for a Halloween apothecary cabinet? This label is great for a creepy crawly cabinet, or a “historical medical practices” cabinet would be pretty sick. See what I did there?

As it says on the label, these dried maggots are brought to you by Beldame’s finest potion supplies. “Beldame” is an old word that literally translates to “grand woman” or “fine woman,” but has come to mean old woman, hag, or witch. In a poem written by John Keats in 1819, “La Belle Dame Sans Merci,” the Belle Dame, or Beautiful Woman, is really an evil fairy who lures men with her beauty and charm, then enslaves them. 

There are many monsters like this in folklore, such as succubi, leanan sidhe, lamia, mermaids (we’re not talking about Ariel here), empusa…the list goes on. Apparently, men have feared being controlled by beautiful women pretty much forever. Which is really ironic when you consider that for centuries in most cultures, women were basically property. Maybe men felt they had some karma coming to them.

But back to the Beldame. As either a powerful malevolent fairy, or a creepy old crone who practices witchcraft, she would surely be a purveyor of the finest magical supplies and ingredients. Dried maggots would fit right in a classic Halloween apothecary, alongside things like eye of newt and wing of bat.

White and clear label options available, both with the same high standard of print quality. Ideal for all your indoor apothecary displays. Water-resistant and outdoor apothecary label stickers coming soon!

Available types:

• White border, opaque label (for a classic sticker look)
• Clear border, translucent label (the border is almost invisible, and the label is slightly see-through)

Repositionable: Yes (but the tackiness will be reduced with each repositioning)

Waterproof: No

Care: Clean with a dry cloth and wipe gently from the center outward.