Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ancient Egyptians used common thyme to prepare bodies for the afterlife by embedding the plant's scent into the process of embalming. This practice marked the beginning of a long history where thyme was not merely a kitchen staple but a substance of profound spiritual and practical significance.
Women often presented knights and warriors with gifts containing thyme leaves because they believed the herb would instill courage in the bearer before they faced the chaos of battle. This belief in thyme's power to fortify the spirit persisted through the ages, transforming a humble plant into a symbol of bravery and protection.
Thymol stands as the principal aromatic component responsible for the plant's signature scent and its ability to fight infection. Gas chromatographic analysis shows thymol to be the most abundant volatile component at 8.55mg per gram of leaves.
Wild thyme covers large areas of droughty, rocky soils in southern Europe, North Africa, and the northeastern United States. Greece and Malta are especially famous for wild thyme honey, a product derived from the low-growing species that serves as an important food plant for large and common blue butterflies.
Leaves may be removed from stems by scraping with the back of a knife or by pulling them through the fingers or tines of a fork. This allows cooks to choose between using the whole sprig or discarding the woody stems when preparing recipes.