For most Americans, the scent of basil usually means Italian food. But this herb is good for much more than just pasta. Some say the basil name comes from “basilisk”—the Greek word for dragon or lizard. Others say it comes from “basileus,” the Greek word for king. Tales from basil folklore support both interpretations. Basil seems to have always been an herb symbolizing extreme opposites, such as love and hate, royalty and poverty. In Medieval Europe, basil was serious magic, believed to both cause and cure evil. Since the oldest written records, basil was associated with creepy-crawly things such as snakes and lice—but especially scorpions. In the Middle Ages, scorpions and worms were widely believed to be conjured from basil leaves. In the 1500s, doctors of the day warned that merely smelling basil would breed “scorpions of the mind.” It’s strange that a plant with such a vile reputation would …