The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-01

onely by the mewting of birds. espc- cially of the stookedeue or ouoist. and the Biackbird. which feed thereupon. and let it passe through their body. And this is the nature of 1t. vnlesse It bee mortified. altered and disested in the stomache and belly of birds, 1t will neuer grow. It exceedeth not at any time a cubit in heighth. notwithstand- ing 1t be alwaies greene and full of branches. The male beareth a certaine graine or berry; the female Is barren and fruitlesse. But sometimes neither the one nor he other beareth at ail."
 Among the Druids.
 The Druidicai devotion--both theol- ogic and therapeutic--to the mistletoo is discussed by the same author. in the following terms:
 And forasmuch as we are entred into discourse as touching Misselto, cannot ouerpasse one strange thing thereof vsed in France; The Druidae (for so they call their Diuiders. Wise men, and the state of their Clergy) es- teeme nothing more sacred in the world than Misselto. and the tree Now. this you must take by the way. these priests or Clergy men chose of purpose such groues for their diuine seruice, as stood only vpon Okes: nay. they solemnise no sacrifice. nor per- form any sacred ceremonies without branches and ieaues thereof, so as they may seem we'll enough to be named thereupon Dryadae in Greek. which signiheth as much as the Oke priests. Certes to say truth. whatsoever they find growing vpon that tree ouer and besides the own fruit. be 1t Misselto or anything else. they esteem 1t as 0 gift sent from heuen. and sure signe by which that very god whom they serue giueth them to understand. that he hath chosen that peculiar tree. And no maruei, for in worry deed, Misselto is passing geason and hard to be found vpon the oke: but when they meet with 1t. they gather 1t very de- uoutly and with many ceremonies; for pally, that the Moon be juts six daies old tfor vpon that day they begin their months and new years, yea and their seueral ages. which haue their revo- iutions query thirty yeres) because she is thought then to be of great power and force sufficient. and Is not yet come to her halfe light and the end of her first quarter. They call 1t in their language All-Heale tror they haue an opinion of it, that 1t eureth all mala- dies whatsoeuer), and when they are 6OOAb tO SaNhoA ths d4bCA thGy HAupS well & duly prepared their sacrifices and festiual cheare vnder the said tree. they bring thither two yong bullocks. milk white, such as neuer drew in yoke at plough or vain and whose heads were then and not before bound by the horn: which done, the priest araied in a surplesse white vesture. climbeth vp into the tree, and with golden hooke or bill cutteth 1t off. and they beneath reeeiue 1t in a white soldiers cassock or coat of armes: then fall they to kill the beasts aforesaid for sacrifice, mumbiing many oraisons & praying deuoutly; that 1t would please God to blesse this gift of his to the good and benefit of all those to whom He had vouchsafed to glue it. Now this persuasion they have of Mis- seito thus gathered. that what liuinE creatures soeuer Otherwise barren) do drink of it. will presently become fruitful thereupon: also. that 1t is a soueraign countrepoison or singular remedie against all vermine. So vain and superstitious are many nations in the world, and oftentlmes in such friu- Ious and foolish things as these."
 Scandinavian Mythology.
 But our present knowledge of the mythology of a later date and of re- moter nations shows that the religious veneration for the mistletoe was cul- tivated by other priesthoods and by peoples of far different theologic con captions. The lore of the strange plant Is prominently in evidence in the Vo- luspa and other Scandinavian Sagas. It was with a mistletoe branch--or an arrow prepared therefrom-that the blind and heavy headed deity Holder aimed his deadly blow at Balder. the god of light or benevolent principle Of northern mythology. The inspiration of the use of the missile was, of