The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-12
THE LEGEND OF
THE MIsTlEToE.

vites the usual tour across the
- mystic. musty pages Of the
past. This branch of the holidays
decoration treasures within II sweets
that to the young people are most
tempting. Ii was the same ten centu-
rtes ago. and SD II will be for centuries
to come.
While their iadyships were waiting
And their lordships were debating
There were other genufsctions going on.
II Is hardly worth while stating
That acoustic osculating
Baptized that British Christmas before
dawn.
The sacredness of the mistletoe has
always been respected, particularly by
the britons and the Scandinayians Ii
was part OF the religion Of the
druids, and they regarded IL with the
utmost yeneration. but restricted their
worship of It to the plant when found
growing on the oak The oak was the
favorite tree Of their divinity. Tulane.
which the books say appears Ia have
been the same as the Phoenlcian god
Baal, or the sun, was prayed to under
different names by the early pagans,
AT the period OF the winter solstice.
which was about Christmas time. a
great festival was celebrated In honor
Of Tulane. When this anniversary ar
rived the Britons. accompanied by
their priests. the druids, went forth
With glorious pomp and jollity to gath
er the mlstletoe. which they believed
to possess wonderful curative powers,
With them they took two white bulls
and sometimes human beings to be-
sacrificed.
Upon finding the oak with the mis-
tleioe clinging To IL the chief druid,
clad In white. the emblem of purity.
assembled the tree and with IA golden
knife cut the vine. As II fell II was
caught in the folds or the robe of an
other priest. Then the bulls and some.
times the humans were offered TO Tu-
tame. and various festivities followed.
The mlstletoe thus gathered was cut
into small portions and distributed
among the people. who hung IL over
the entrances To their dwellings to
notify the sylvan deities that they
We're welcome To shelter during the
season Of frost and cold.
These rites We're retained throughout
the Roman dominion I'm Britain and
for a long while under the Jules, Sax
Ons and Angles.
The most beautiful legend regarding
the mistletoe and the one from which
1t derives its mystic powers Is Of Scan
dinavian origin. -Balder. the god OF
poetry and eloquence and second son
OF Odin and Freja. had dream In
which 1t was minated that he would
this dream to his mother, who was
very fond Of him. and She to protect
him. invoked the powers OF nature-fre
earth. air and water-as well as ami
mails and plants and obtained an oath
from them that they would do Bladder
no hurt With his invulnerability AS
sured, as he thought. he entered the
combats OF the gods and was very sue
cessful in Staying all who came for
ward 10 engage him They struck him
with their arrows. but he plucked them
out and derided his antagonists az
they fell MORALLY wounded before him.
Ii was about time for Loke. his arch
enemy. To challenge him or suffer the
isnominy OF cowsrdYe. but I.oke was
a schemer
He disguised himself as an old wo-
man and. determining 10 discover the
secret Of Balder's immunity from
death, called upon Freja He address
ell The mother with complimentary re
marks upon the yalor and good fortune
or her son. and the goddess replied
that her son was safe from harm. as
all the productions OF the world had
sworn not to injure him. I.oke was
very much discouraged and was about
to go away when Freja added that
there was one plant she did not con
jure because of its insignifcance.
With we'll feigned Indifference Loke
inquired the name OF il. and Freja said
1t was the mistletoe.
The designing Loke procured shoot
OF the mistletoe. made an arrow of II
and tinn Sought the assembly OF the
gods. There he met the blind Heda
and concluded that the humiliation of
Baider's family would he more com
piete II Balder should be killed BY "a
sightless god. So he asked Heda.
why do you not contend with the ar
rows OF Balder?" Heda replied that
Ire was blind and unsupplIed with ar.
rows, whereupon Loke gave him the
mistletoe arrow and said. Bladder Is Ia
front OF thee Heda shot. and Balder
fell pierced and slain. Cincinnati I'm.
quirer.