Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-04-18
MlSTLEToE TRADITIONS.
Time Honored Myths OF tho Famous Plant.
Emblem Of Love.

Time Honored Myths OF the Famous Plant
Emblem Of Love.
Tho ancient British Druids attached
much Importance 10 the plarts, trees and
vines which they employed as Christmas
decorations for their temples The mistle-
toe especially they invested with pecul-
iarly hAllowed and mystic character.
They regarded IL as an emblem OF love
and believed that 1t typified tho benefocnt
feelings Of their gods toward mankind.
II is doubtless 10 this old Druidical 1850
ciation Of the mistietoe with love that the
English custom, which still obtains, Of
enforcing the forfeit Of kiss from any
woman who is caught under branch or
II at Christmas time IL traccable.
In the old Scandinavian mythology
there is told d characteristic fable OF this
famous Christmas bOugh, the mistietoe.
Baldsr, the god OF poetry and eloquenoe
and the son Of Odin and Friga, one day
told his mother that dream had oonVino'
ed him he should die by violence. To
avert this destiny Friga Invoked all the
powers Of nAture-earth, air, fiFe, water,
plants and AnlmAls-and made them swear
10 her an oath that they would not harm
her son, who then fearlessly took bis place
among tho gods and In all their cOmbats
fought unhArinod amid q shower of ar
rows. But hs had bitter enemy Ina the
person Of god called Loki, who, conyino'
sd that Baders life was protected ny some
charm, resolved 10 fathOn II, DiAguising
himself a. al old woman, he visited fTiea
and IN the course VI their oOnyorsation
casually asked how II was that her sou
Baldsr Invariably came forth uDsosthsd
Dom all ths AsTcest battles of the gods
RnRa told him how she had invoked tho
powsTs u nature Ia BaldSr's behalf, bot
sddad that 6be had neglected the mistle'
tos, which she regarded a. BOO insignia.
eant 10 harm hlm. Leaving hrTI Lohi
stTaiRhtway mads frOm mistlstoe boueh
an arrow, with wbioh baldeF was slaia
by . blind goo eailsd iieolA
Thags 10 superstition CONTESTED nith
The InistlstOe that u 10 uDluehy ~ fail AZ
Oak 0n which n grows, end tho sutD"f "
y nHaRnA Britannia" assonbas Kfest
Sood Belonging % tbs aTcbbisboD " tho
HundTad VI CF0yisnd, ssid " have oon'
slsiad wholly u oaks, ADd among 'hsis
sAs 0Bs tilai boTg Iaistietos, which sotiis
persons sen ~ haFdy aE " out down iof
Us gallo " sslllps u ~ ths spotlssosslss
N IslllaeB, issgins branch ~ " " spr'us
sui, but ul0y proved pnfestphAts sftst ~
t9T ons " theip fall iai0s, Hne otlsfs ls.t
sn 90 A. isnHib, w ibs yssf 1907, =
enrain mHH, noisithstsAelhn ~ Hss
warned asainHi u vpYg ibs account "
yhat tls .ihss hsd sufssoa, safsnlpIsd
to sut tLs iIss aoNR, ssd hs soos afssg
kfVte bis ~ ...
~ fpll lals bed long beea esi'siaefsa
fatal, Hne sueb a. hslisYs y prages ll's
llnsisn0s - tls tsn " Hinebslssa. "hs'
lLs,lnR fsllhd . fugaOus KfpFs ~ esks, 500,
sl,sg ionna ~ COUNTESS deed ~ bsi l.a
suddenly. snq Mo eldssi s9t, is''a hssa
Ii0lf. nas pirsssllT tiils9 W ssssss
ball
A ssu,ds u esRtufiss ssg, si,a s'asI
lLundfads a ynsgs pfp flguf, misiisi'ss va
l,.aafaed a. islnH . nedlalbs " bssh
ltsIns ie spilnpilf sHp'ti1ns. bot i'i',lsss
sienss ~ ilsl go Fspilsi',sn 40 gsss
dad msilans in ihess asis ss's "''s
: lisksn