Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-23
1 STUDY OF THE
KISSING BERRY.
n. uistletoe Has Been Regarded
With veneration for Ages and
Geuer1tionS Gone Have Kissed
Under its BOughs

came parts Of the ceremonies are
,Ssns hest left undescribed, but the
Pnaa'ng account. as given by Pliny
lVs,nsciently minute and not uninter-
'' '.TSs pruIds held nothing more sa-
.,.d than the mistletoe and the tree
S,t bears It. supposlng always that
80 10 be the robur, according TO
w w "The mistletoe, however is but
.,.slv found upon the robur and when
.%a.ni Is gathered with rites replete
I'm religious awe. Having
- VA All due preparation for the sac
.ssSs and banquet beneath the trees,
- hiring hither two white bulls, the
s ~ Of which are bound then for the
~, time. Clad In a white robe. the
s,isst ascends the tree and cuts the
rIste,oe with a golden sickle, which
4. received by others In q white cloak.
nav then immediate the victims. Offer
' 49, nm their prayers that God viii rem
-, His gift OF his propitious to those
"a whom He has 50 granted IT.
/, was also supposed to be the en-
AaSlment Of lightning, probably be-
,sase the branches are forked, and was
,..ouently IN times far later than those
gbe Druids, planted near homesteads
"a protect them from fire. SO precious,
,8sed sacred. were the oak and the
-Is,letoe considered to be, that dire
mi ealamltles are described by several
vrlters as overtaking those who reok-
sssly destroyed them.
IN that quaint old book, Evelyn's
esylyan dated 1879, there is charm
ne tale which deserves to be quoted
sfll length. lie writes that | am
lol Of the disasters which hapen'd TO
M two Men who mot long since) fell d
Eooiy Oak near Croydon, upon which
branch Of Misselto grew, which they
,aId. The one losing soon after his Eye,
M other breaking his Leg, as II the
Hsmadryads had reveng'd the indlg-
tiy.'
Then. again, another authority, "Au'
hays Natural History and Antiquities
q Surrey" informs US that: TO cut
csSwood Is unfortunate. There was at
Norwood one oak that had mistletoe
timber tree. which was felled about
1871. Some persons cut this mistletoe
lor some apothecaries In London, and
,od them quantity for ten shillings
tach time. and left only one branch re-
raining for more 20 sprout out. one
IN lame shortly after; soon after each
q The others lost an eye, and he that
filed the tree, though warned OF these
nlsiortunes Of the other men, would,
retwithstandlng, adventure TO do II,
md shortly afterward broke his leg; as
4 the Hamadryads had resolved TO take
N ample revenge for the injury done
10 their venerable and sacred oak.
This Is a depression. Let US on TO
De woods again, and study our mistle-
os We find that there are different
varieties Of Il; some pendent, some
Gec, In habit; some with narrow, 9TH
en- with wider leaves. An instance has
tesn known OF two varieties, one up
fght, the other dropping In habit, be-
ltg found on the same part OF the same
branch, and the effect was most pc
tulIar.
There Is a tragic legend about our
pant, a Teutonic myth which tells how
ealder, demi.god. was almost per-
ieCt In learning and all virtues, being
rtsed 50 pure that no unclean thing
vas allowed TO come into his presence.
Hs mother, Freya, hearing that II was
fiophesled that he should die, made all
things on earth, such as fire, water,
teasts metals. trees and sickness, vow
nat they would not injure her son.
Becoming thus apparently invulnerable,
be- was the object OF envy with all his
ohemporaries. one Of whom. the
slcked Lote. grudging him his exemp-
ten, ascertained by subtlety that no
vow had been taken from the mistle-
" since that plant grew on other
rets and not upon the earth, and was,
noTeoyer, too slender and young TO
ike an oath. Therefore the wicked
Ale aimed at Balder q dart made Of
rststoe wood and slew him, to the
sfsat grief OF Freya, who In her de-
talf requested his delivery from Ha-
ss Her petition was granted on con-
auon that everything on earth would
tsseht to IT, Everything on earth did
tsent with the exception Of one old
,,snan, who was supposed to have been
Aie In Disguise"
ron Balder to Pliny seems a start
.ns transition, but the latter author
~ something 10 tell us about our plant
decidedly tinged with fable that his
Ems the proper place TO recount It.
.us writer has been discoursing about
as oox.tree, and declares that ION the
Urn side II produces mistletoe; on the
ssm hyphear." Hyphear. be II under
w., Is TO be considered as a some
'.s' similar parasite.
regards the mlstletoe. Pliny has
Is YET more astonishing Statements
nAke In the course OF his observa-
, Ils upon II he remarks that that
ln grows upon trees which lose their
!. 80, loses It's leaves as we'll: while.
49, ue other hand. that which grows
lu evefgreens always retains its
les IN whatever way the seed NAV
NV, ~. oeen sown. IL will never come 10
lung unless II has been first swal-
hrl.oy birds, the wood-pigeon more
w~.uVularly, and the thrush; such being
~, nature OF the plant that II win no;
s.as 70 anything unless the seed is
n" pshed In the crop OF the bird"
M Ivy r laIler notion, that birds are often
h, nhs OF dispensing and propagat-
tro,s le seed, Is no doubt correct
IA, out Of course, their interyen-
ts,,.s, ny no means absolutely indis-
i,,aoe' as anyone whose garden con-
M III apple tree can prove for him
i,rsssssefns rather hard on these "smale
,be's 70 read the next instant that
az same berries on which they feed
i, most NJ matter 10 make lime
pr, snuap and catch birds withall."
ma. y believed In the medicinal yir-
N vi me fruits, which, he said, were
Gerard against all poison: while
Ions ~ though mentioning the gluti-
"a, ssI,afaeler Of the preparation. adds
n.. hath been most credible re-
NJ, unto me. that fewe OF the ber-
hN VI Mlsseltoe bruised and strained
IA ~ ana drunken, hath presently
rIlst ~ 'hWlth rid grievous and sore
t1sS,.o ANGUS In fable, projected by Hama.
u, esteemed by chirurgeons, used
sno, sseooration-the mlstletoe bough
uAp unimportant as II might seem
q, "a glance. Its history stretches
HI BACK, and Is lost In obscurity.
hnaIs orange, quaint plant, and as we
Nssr. y To-day, hanging II up per-
q, ~. m similar manner. but with
sklcsS .ner significance TO that with
n A. vur remote ancestors handled H.
Eor,s not wonder that curious legends