The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-21

What one OF us has not waited pa I
tiently under the mistletoe?
For centuries bachelors and spin
sters-yes, and married folks, too
have stood under H. and for centuries
10 come. let us hope, they viii continue
10 do so--and not I'm vain.
The custom goes far back TO the
olden days when Thor and Odin and
an the other gods OF the noFthland
walked and talked with men.
+ II all came about in this manner:
Baldur. the son of Odin and Frigga,
tie Apollo of scandinavian mythology,
the haxen- haired god of sunshine and
its attendant blessings. was loved by
all earthly and heavenly beings save
one-Loki. the god of earthly fire ana
It's attendant evils. Naturally lod
would hate him; for in the spring,
when Baldur came forth with ms
1 bright and warm sunlight, the worlds
people deserted LokPs hearth fires and
did not return to them until the golden
faced god chose TO depart in the tal.
But Baldur. with his happy nature,
cared little for the others jealousy,
and In the love OF his wife, Mamma
n (blossom), lived for years joyous
existence. At length. however he be-
gan to have troublesome dreams-vis-
ions of disaster and of death. What
could Il mean? Ii was all so new 10
him, this lover Of light and pleasure.
He consulted his mother, Frigga, and
she, i'm her distress, sent word 10 Odin
Now indeed. there was trouble in val
halla! Long Grigga thought. and ther
: she devised a plan: she sent messen-
gers far and wide through the universe
and had every creature, animate or IN
D animaee, swear TO her son no harm
Willingly all promised; for did not al
e love the sunlight god? No, the SURF!
G mistletoe refused To swear, and tina
was the cause of great future sorrow
i But what injury could a bit of mistle
. toe do? Frigga was all JOY; her dar
ling was safe from anything sprun
$ from earth, air. fire or water!
r Meanwhile Odin. in his anxiety, ha
= iourneyed far down into the regions q
Internal darkness and gloom, an
lie there had found a feast prepared 10
: an expected guest-and the guest wa
n 10 be Baldur! But had not all thing
except the harmless mistletoe, prom
Used safety?
III Now. as the years passed and ii
y gods learned how absolutely safe ia
IL dur was from any wound whateve
they frequently amused themselves
using him as a target for all sorts
a missiles-stones, clubs, weapons Oh
day. as they were playing thus an
shouting with laughter at their tai
ures. Frigga, sitting at her spinnin'
wheel. asked an old woman VINO WI
ut passing what was the cause of all q
ge merriment.
n THE gods" answered the old W
n man. ARE amusing themselves tryll
to hurt your SON."
"Ah." said Frigga, with boastl
at smile. they can never do it; Tor
&C. things have promised not to han
n him."
p "An things?" inquired the old W
man. =.
Eyes, all things, except the 1T
lpe mistletoe, who. of course, is TOO
as significant to trouble anyone. The
ire woman was Loki in disguise!
err fastening away, the evil god W.
n. straight to the mistletoe that grew
the oak outside the gates Of Nalha
TO and. breaking off a piece, turned
es. bv magic, into a hard, sharp d'
ms Then. hurrying back, he found the 8
his still playing the game-al except Z
100 durs blind brother, Hodur, VINO lea.
AZ eloomily against a tree and listened
silence to the laughter.
for "Why do you not play, Hodur!
A. Oh