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The meaning of bane as an English form of nemesis, the bringer of ruin, dates only from 1577. Now an affliction, curse, evil, ill, plague, scourge or woe, in Old English bana had a more specific and immediate meaning, of "slayer, murderer."
In the Middle Ages a number of plants were thought to have poisonous or prophylactic qualities, which would have dire consequences (Henbane) or liminal ones, like "Wolfsbane" ("Aconite", Aconitum). Aconite is thoroughly poisonous, but no one would bait a wolf-trap with it. So it's qualities of a "bane"must be protective, for the wolf is more dangerous than a mere ravening carnivore. Every medieval European knew that it could become a werewolf. Aconite was the toxic entheogen that could keep the dire transformation from happening. Milder poisoning, at a later date, was thought to trouble sheep in the U.S. southeast, if they strayed into woodland and nibbled Kalmis latifolia, or "sheep's bane").
In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings the One Ring is referred to as Isildur's Bane. Also, the Balrog that killed Durin VI is named Durin's Bane.
Bane, the mysterious foe of Batman, made his first comic book appearance in "Vengeance of Bane," 1992, where his history is told. Bane was born in the prison Pena Duro in the Caribbean Republic of Santa Prisca as the son of a murdered political prisoner. His mother died in prison when he was still a boy, and he was subjected to experiments by the unscrupolous Dr. Ruger. Bane is pumped up on a steroid called "Venom".
Bane broke Batman's back and took over the rule of Gotham City, until he was defeated by Azrael. Later, he joined forces with Ras Al Ghul.
- Bane (http://www.batmantas.com/cmp/bane.htm)
In the Forgotten Realms role-playing universe, Bane is the god of tyranny, slavery, and strife. See Bane (god)
In the Harry Potter series, Bane is a centaur. See Bane (Harry Potter)
The Bane are also a tribe in the South Province of Cameroon.
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