Shady Connections

Derived from the Arabic kababah, the very name ‘cubeb’ conjures up images of faraway places and mysterious goings on. And indeed cubebs do have a somewhat shady history – they were thought to repel demons and were used in incense and spells. According to legend, cubebs were part of a cocktail of spices used to fumigate the cell of a young nun who was plagued by night-time visits from an incubus – a demon intent on having his way with her. The fumigation was a partial success in that the unwelcome visits stopped, but the incubus continued to stalk the nun once she left her cell, so stronger measures apparently had to be used.