Unfortunately for Apollo, he fell in love with the wrong woman, or rather a nymph called Daphne. Daphne rejected Apollo and begged the gods to protect her and dissuade him from his pursuit of her. In the end, the nymph was transformed into the Bay Laurel or laurus nobilis.
The broken-hearted Apollo refused to release his love for the beautiful nymph and declared the plant sacred, bestowing the laurel wreath on distinguished warriors and artists. As the legend continued through history, the mortals adopted the practice.
The first Olympic winners of 776 B.C. were crowned with laurel wreaths. Modern lexicon uses variations of the word laurel, e.g., Poet Laureate.
I often use the bay leaf in sauces, while some people believe the laurel bay relieves stress and reduces inflammation. Others use bay leaf extract as an essential oil, an antiseptic, antibiotic, or to rid their home of cockroaches. Quite a variety of uses, huh? Try rinsing your hair with bay leaf water too.
So what does scientific studies reveal? Well, some government studies conclude Bay leaves improve glucose and lipid profile of people with Type 2 Diabetes.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2613499/
And, although the U.S. FDA declares the use of Bay leaves safe, it is always recommended to consult your physician or pharmacist if you are under a doctor's care.
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20
I wonder if Apollo's famous quote "Know Thyself" is a secret method of understanding all things, or just a prophetic riddle.
