Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-21
LsoeAos OF THE mlsrLsros
IL OLIVE cursyEY.

lOft1s AlAtot'AOC WIN
clusters OF pearls set in dark, thick.
lusterless leaves, or OF holly hung with
berries Of vivid scarlet mid its polished
leaves.
Like the splendor OF Heavens sun
light, these leaves, stored with romance
and history, are heirlooms alike TO the
hearts of prince and peasant, making
bright and beautiful the humble roof
tree and cleaning amid the banners,
and trophies OF long ago, IN the
great baronial halls that centuries have
aged. In our own continent, America,
tho favored il wayward child OF old
England, at this holy festival binds her
brow with her own beautiful green's
twined with those worn by her houored
mother.
Apart from its waxen beauty, the mis-
tletoe is dear TO our hearts from child
hoods associations that hang around the
legendary ballad, "Tho Mistletoe
Bough," sung on Christmaseyes Of
Lang Syne.
Many legends, poetic and mythical,
have made classic this beautiful parasite.
1t was regarded as sacred by the Druids,
who. on one of their festivals of the
full moon, sought for e growth of II On
an oak-tree, q tree also held sacred by
this ancient order. " was then. as now,
rarely found growing upon an oak, but
when its beautiful berries gllstened upon
this tree. was esteemed possessed OF
mysterious virtues, and its discovery
celebrated with festivities and solemn
religious ceremonies.
The turf beneath the sacred, wide
spreading branches became at once the
site of sacrifcial rites and feasting. A
large space vas encircled by stones of
enormous size. The cromlech. or altar,
formed Of one immense stone raised
upon other stones on end, occu-
pied the centre Of the space. Two
young milk-white bulls, tethered for the
first time, were bound 10y the horns to
the eacred oak. The arch-Druid, in
priestly yestments, assembled the tree,
and with a golden sickle severed the
mystic r,istletoe, which was caught In
the snowy robes of bis scolytes. The
victims were slain amid rejoiclngs and
prayers to their deity that the gift might
he propitiouc TO those upon whom be
had bestowed 1t.
IN infusion of the precious leaves in
water was regarded by them as an anti
dote TO all poisons and cure for all dis
eases. The plant, according 10 Pliny,
was called by them name which, IN
their language, signiiied "heal-all.' Its
wonderful twigs suspended IN front OF
their huts exempted the fortunate own
ers from the frowns OF the SYLVAN deities
and from the wrath OF the elements.
"A charm against all bad and evil.
A spell to keep away the devil
The Scandinavian legends warn us
that the mistletoe has fatal properties 10
oil who touch the sap in plucking its
lunches. Far away in the North, upon
lonely mountain-top, there dwoit a
few peasant families. An inmate of one
of the lowly dwellings Was young girl,
lovely loving, beloved by and be-
trothed to her next neighbor, %
sturdy peasant lad. The young girl
fell sick. To restore her TO health
her lover sought near and far for
the precious mistetoe growing upon an
oak. st length his search was rewarded.
Upon snow-clad oak the coveted
punches hung in generous proiuslon.
With eager, reckless haste, forRetiul OF
bis own danger he climbed tine oak,
seized the life-giying or death-deallng
plant as handled, and fell liieless TO the
ground.
The mythology Of the North unfolds
to us the fatal power OF the mistletoe In
the charming myth of Baldur, the
young god OF oratory and Of poetry.
Baldur the Good was the iavOrite son
OF Odin, and beloved OF all the gods,
especially for his marvellous beauty and
courage. From succession OF terrible
dreams he believed himself doomed 10
death, and related tho hideoas vision
to the assembled gods, who with one
accord determined to avert from him all
danger and to this end conjured all
things. Frigga, his mother. exacted
from the elements and from all things In
nature, animate, and inanimato, vow
under no circumstances to DO him harm.
Thus protected Baldur, as OF yore, led
the chase and courted danger in protean
form. giving himself as target Tor the
other gods arrows, battle-axes, and
other weapons. who, believing that do
what they would they could do him no
hurt, thus sported with his yalor, deem
ing it an honor paid to Baldur.
Loki, the detractor Of the gods and
the author of all their mistortunes, au-
cured that no harm could befall Baldur,
and filed with envy and jealousy at the
tribute thus paid to him by the other
gods, resorted to strategy to find some
way to work him evil. Assuming the
disguise OF a woman, he sought the
abode Of Frigga, who questioned her ii
she knew how the gods were employed.
She replied to the question and TO the
passionate love and pride OF the mother
for her darling, gifted son, that they
we're testing their skill and the merits Of
their weapons upon Baldur, who was
unscathed by them.
Jay, ay," Frigga made answer,
Thought can hurt Baldur. j have eX-
acted an oath from all things, to do him
no harm.
"What :" exclaimed the deceiver,
"have all things really sworn to spare
Baldur ?"
IAN things" returned Frigga, " ex-
cept an insignificant plant that grows
near Walhalla, called 'mistletoe Z; any
thing so weak could do him no HARM"
Hastily Loh left the presence OF
Frigga, and, resuming his own shape,
searched for and found the frail plant.
Appearing amidst the gods with branch
OF mistletoe, be directed it with aim so
sure that Baldur was pierced through
the heart and expired instantly.
A legend of the crucihxion, full of
pathos and beauty, tells the origin Of the
mistletoe in Its concluding words as fol-
lows
Ever since that day the tree from
which the cross was hewn has never been
suffered to grow III tree, but only exists
as a parasite on other trees.
cit Is neither fruit nor flower, but
bears clusters of waxy white berries and
saps the life OF any tree to which II at
taches itself. 1t is called the mistletoe. F"