The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-12-24
lHrou the Ss. York Lsdssr-l
Legends Of the AGistletOe.


~ V1e> tuE -S&ss
10 England and France. the ChriCmas \
festivities ere made beautiful by the Law /
ish decorations Of various evergrsens. \
Dosolate must be the hesrthstOne tbst \
has not its brsDch Of the much-Ioved.
time e-honored mistleios With cIustsvs OIL
pearls eet Ia dark, thick Iusteriess lesves.
lor Of holly hung with berries Of vivid !,
scarlet mid ~ polished Ioavcs.
I like the splsndor Of heavsn's sua-
4 light. these leaves. storied with romance
and history. ere heirlooms alike 10 the
hesrts OF prince and peassnt. mixing
bright and beautiful the humble roof
tree and cleaning amid the bsnners,
shields and trophies Of long ago, in the
great bsrouisl halls that centuries have
eged. In our own continent. America.
the favored, u Wsywasd child Of old
England. st this holy festival binds herI
brow with her ogn beautiful gFeensl
tWined with those worn BY her honoredI
mother.
1 Apart from ils waxen beauty. the mis-
ltIetoe IL dear 70 our hearts from child
hoods associations that hang around
the legendary ba.isd, The Aistsetoe
Boueh," sung on Christmas Evss Of
Lang Syne.
Many legends, poetic and mythical.
have made classic this beautiful psrssite.
ia wss regarded q sacred BY the Druids,
!, who, ON one Of their festsvsis Of the full
moon. sougbt tor . growth Of !: ON an
nsk- tree. tree also held sscred BY thia
order. IL wss then. - nov. rarely
found growing upon an oak. but when
lite beautiful berries giisteued upon this
- m ~ -
Irious virtues. and its discovery celebrated
with festivities and solemn religious
ceremonies.
The turf beneath the sacsed, vide
spreading branches became ~ Cnce the
site Ct sacri6riai rites and teaeting- a
: large space wss incircled by etoBea ol
enormous size. The crOmlech, or altar
formed Of one imsuense stone raised
/" upon other stones on end, occupied ths
q center Of The space. Two young mi'x
= white bulls. tetheref for the hrst time
wsre bound by the horns to the sscrs<
!" oak. The arch Druid il priestly vest
y ments. ascendcd the tree. sud with
y golden eickl- severed the my stic mistle
toe. which was caught In the snowl
= robes OF hir scoIyies The victims wer'
% slain amid ssjoicings end pray ere 70 thei
y. deity tist The gin might be propiious 4
.thoss upon whom he had besto u.
'e' An infusion % The precious leaves i
. water va regarded By them - % anti
D siose 70 ell poisons and : cure for al dis
/. eases The plant. according 20 P!iDy
" wss called By them = name which. 4
.. their language. eigni6ed "hesl-sIl.' II
- wonderful twigs suspended n front Q
% shti huts exempted the fortunate Own
70 ere from the frowns OF the syivau deitis
- and from the wrath Of the eisments.
"A charm against al bad and evil,
A spell 70 keep away the devil"
81 The scandinavian legends warn U
IL that the mistIetoe hss fatal properties
OF I'll who touch the sap In plucking i
Its punches. Far away In the North. upo
. lonely mountains top, there d dWeIt . fe'
pesssnt fsmilies- An inmate Of one (
| the lowly dwellings wss . young giE
y. lovely. loving. beloved by and betrOshe
!. 10 her next neighbor. . ssOrdy peasaI
N lad. The young girl fell sick. To y
q. ssore her 10 health her lover s0ugit Des
and tar Tor the precious mistletoe grow
ing upon sn oak Az length HE sesrc
=, was re- ewarded. Upon . snow-clad o.
. the coveted bunches hung in generoG
~ profnsion. With eager. reckless hast
= forResfuI Of HE own danger. he clinbe
The osk, seized the fe-giving or destl
dealing plant - handled, and tell lifeIe
10 the ground.
n. The mythology Of the North unfoIs
n to us the fatal power o. The mistlesoe
the charming myth Of Bs'dur, The youn
god of orasory and poetry.
Baldur the Good wae the favorite %
- !. OF Odin. and beloved Of sll the gods .
~ pecially Tor his marvellous beauty eu
I; courage. From . succession ofterrib
,dresms he believed himseIf doomed
death. and selsted the hideous vision
tho assembled gods. Who wish one .
'ce cord determined "a avert from him Z
nis danger. and 20 this end coDjured {
y. shings. Ffigga, his mother, exsct'
on from she elements and from al Things
RE- nature. animate and iusnimste. . 70
eT- under uo circumstsnces 10 do him bari
Tor Thu protected, Baidur, % Of yOre, Il
y" the chsse and courted danger In prote'
er. form. giving bimself . . target for Z
80 other gods' sTrows. battle-axee and oth
o. weapons. whr> believing that to do wh
they would they could do bin no bu
thus sported with HE val0r, deeming
IlI.. On honor paid 10 Baldur.
'u- Loki. the desractor Of ihe gods and |
on author OF I'll their missortuDes, anger
,ev- that no harm could bessll Bsldur. q
zen 6lled with envv and Jealousy q I
de- tribute thus psid 10 him by The oh
g. gods, resorsed 20 strategy 70 find col
hey way 20 work him evil. Assuming
aid. disRuise of : woman, he sought
= Z abode of rriggs. who questioned her
not shs knew how the gods we're employ
She replied 20 the question and 20
lost passionate love and pride Of the mOtl
sell foe her darling. gifted son, that q
were tsstIng their skiIl and the meriss
Ithsie weapons upon BsIdur, who
lunscasbed by them.
.Ay, ay,~ Frigga made aOsw
p0a spoueht can hurt Baldur- have
bic acted % oath from al things, 70 do |
are no harm"
vear sWha,w exclaimed the deceit