Moon tea
Moon tea or tansy tea is a medicinal herbal tea used in the Seven Kingdoms, as well as beyond the Wall, to prevent or abort pregnancies.
Moon tea is made generally by maesters and woods witches out of tansy, mint, wormwood, a spoon of honey, and a drop of pennyroyal.[1][2]
Contents
History
Grand Maester Orwyle, disguised as "Old Wyl", mixed moon tea and potions of tansy and pennyroyal for the prostitutes from Mother's, a brothel in King's Landing, to abort unwanted children.[3]
A woods witch showed Asha Greyjoy how to brew moon tea after she lost her virginity to a Lysene sailor.[4]
Recent Events
A Storm of Swords
Lady Ravella Smallwood indicates that milkmaids across the riverlands have been drinking tansy tea thanks to Tom of Sevenstreams.[5]
Lady Lysa Arryn reveals to her new husband, Lord Petyr Baelish, that her late father Hoster Tully, Lord Paramount of the Trident, had her unknowingly consume moon tea to abort Petyr's child when they were younger.[1]
A Feast for Crows
Princess Arianne Martell consumes moon tea during her romance with Ser Arys Oakheart.[6]
Queen Regent Cersei Lannister believes that Queen Margaery Tyrell's requesting of moon tea from Grand Maester Pycelle is evidence that Margaery has a secret lover.[7]
Quotes
If Ygritte does not want a child, she will go to some woods witch and drink a cup o' moon tea. You do not come into it, once the seed is planted.[2]
I would have given you a son too, but they murdered him with moon tea, with tansy and mint and wormwood, a spoon of honey and a drop of pennyroyal. It wasn't me, I never knew, I only drank what Father gave me...[1]
Women only drank moon tea for one reason; maidens had no need for it at all.[7]
—thoughts of Cersei Lannister
Behind the Scenes
Moon tea is based on natural abortifactants. According to George R. R. Martin, he added some fantasy touches, as the actual recipe can be very dangerous, and should not be tried in real life.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 80, Sansa VII.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 15, Jon II.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 22, Arya IV.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 39, Cersei IX.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: A Myriad of Questions (March 27, 2002)
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