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 generally made by maesters and woods witches.[1][2][3] The recipe includes tansy, mint, wormwood, a spoon of honey, and a drop of pennyroyal.[2] Moon tea is commonly used without issues, but it can also have dangerous side effects.[4][5]
Devout members of the Faith of the Seven consider the use of moon tea to be murder.[6]
History
In 131 AC, Grand Maester Orwyle, in hiding 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.[7]
In 282 AC, Lysa Tully became pregnant by Petyr Baelish. Lysa revealed her pregnancy to her father, Lord Hoster Tully, hoping that he would let her wed Petyr. Hoster, who had always felt Petyr was too lowborn,[8] instead forced Lysa to abort the child with moon tea provided by Maester Kym.[2] Lysa nearly died from the effects of the tea, and never forgave her father for it.[9][4][5]
Queen Cersei Lannister was once unwillingly pregnant by King Robert Baratheon, so she had her brother Jaime find a woman to "cleanse" her,[10] possibly with moon tea.
After Asha Greyjoy lost her virginity at sixteen to a Lysene sailor, she found a woods witch to show her how to brew moon tea to prevent pregnancy.[3]
Recent Events
A Storm of Swords
As Lord Hoster Tully lies dying, he repeats the words "tansy", "blood", and asks for forgiveness. His daughter Catelyn Stark initially thinks her father is referring to a woman by the name of Tansy, but eventually deduces that he had forced her sister Lysa to abort a pregnancy.[9]
Lady Ravella Smallwood indicates that milkmaids across the riverlands have been drinking tansy tea to avoid becoming pregnant by Tom of Sevenstreams.[11]
Sansa Stark overhears Lady Lysa Arryn pleading her love to her new husband, Lord Petyr Baelish, telling him that she gave him her maidenhead and would have given him a son as well, but the pregnancy had been ended by moon tea. Lysa tells Petyr that it wasn't her choice, she never knew what substance her father had given her to drink, and Petyr reassures her that both Hoster and his maester are dead.[2]
A Feast for Crows
Princess Arianne Martell consumes moon tea during her romance with Ser Arys Oakheart.[12]
Queen Regent Cersei Lannister forces Grand Maester Pycelle to confess that he is making moon tea for Queen Margaery Tyrell. Cersei believes that this is evidence that the supposedly-maiden Margaery has a secret lover. She has Qyburn torture the Blue Bard until he admits to being Margaery's lover. Cersei also convinces Ser Osney Kettleblack to falsely confess his seduction of Margaery to the High Sparrow on Maiden's Day, when Margaery and her maiden lady companions will be attending services at the Great Sept of Baelor.[13]
When Margaery and her cousins are arrested by the Faith of the Seven, Pycelle tells the court that Margaery is not a maiden, and has had him make her moon tea many times. After Cersei arrives at the Great Sept to visit the imprisoned Margaery, she tells her that Pycelle admitted providing her with moon tea. Afterwards, Cersei meets with the High Sparrow, who lists multiple crimes/sins Margaery has allegedly committed, including murdering "the fruit of her fornications" by using moon tea.[6]
A Dance with Dragons
At Deepwood Motte, Asha Greyjoy has sex with Qarl the Maid. She notes she will have to brew some moon tea to avoid becoming pregnant, but before she can do so, the fight by Deepwood Motte happens and Asha is captured by Stannis Baratheon.[14]
Grand Maester Pycelle feels that Lord Mace Tyrell dislikes him because of the moon tea he provided to Margaery, and tells Kevan Lannister that he would not have said anything about it if Queen Cersei had not commanded him.[15]
Quotes
Forgive me... the blood... oh, please... Tansy....[9]
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.[1]
The riverlands are full of maids you've pleased, all drinking tansy tea. You'd think a man as old as you would know to spill his seed on their bellies. Men will be calling you Tom Sevensons before much longer.[11]
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...[2]
Cersei: Why does Margaery send for you?
Pycelle: She desires... she... she...
Cersei: I know what moon tea is for.[13]
Cersei: Say it!
Pycelle: Moon tea. Moon tea, for...
—Cersei Lannister and Pycelle
—thoughts of Cersei Lannister
—thoughts of Asha Greyjoy
Behind the Scenes
Moon tea is based on natural herbal abortifacients. According to George R. R. Martin, he added some fantasy touches, as the herbs are dangerous and can be deadly, and the recipe should not be used in real life.[16]
Moon tea is first mentioned in A Storm of Swords, although chronologically it existed long before the events of that book. In A Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister tells Eddard Stark she was once unwillingly pregnant by Robert Baratheon, but her brother Jaime found a woman to "cleanse" her.[10] By the term used, it is unlikely but possible the abortion was done via moon tea.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 15, Jon II.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 80, Sansa VII.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Lysa Tully.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Petyr Baelish.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 43, Cersei X.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 45, Eddard XII.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 22, Arya IV.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 39, Cersei IX.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 26, The Wayward Bride.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Epilogue.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: A Myriad of Questions (March 27, 2002).