Four Thieves Vinegar is a (almost certainly apocryphal) concoction of wine vinegar, herbs, and garlic that was believed to protect users from the plague. Its creation is credited to four thieves from Marseille or Toulouse, depending on the story. Sometime during the 17th or 18th century the four were arrested for stealing from the homes of dead victims of the plague and sentenced to death. They were given their freedom in exchange for the recipe of their concoction, which they used in cotton masks over their faces and to cover their bodies.

Modern day versions of Four Thieves Vinegar include various herbs that typically include sage, lavender, thyme, and rosemary, along with garlic. Additional herbs sometimes include rue, mint, and wormwood. One version called Vinaigre des Quatre Voleurs is still sold in Provence. It is also used by modern practitioners of witchcraft to ward off the spells of other witches.

[edit] References

• Kintzios, Spiridon E. (2000). Sage: The Genus Salvia. CRC Press. p. 10. ISBN 9789058230058. 
• Renoux, Victoria (2005). For the Love of Garlic. Square One Publishers, Inc.. pp. 19. ISBN 9780757000874. http://books.google.com/books?id=9zt4nhLB_NAC&pg=PA19.