The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-12-20
The LEGEND or
The MISTLETOE:,

THE hanging of the rustletoe at
this coming Christmastide in
vites the usual tour across the
mystic, musty pages of the
| past. This branch of the holidays
decoration treasures within it sweets
that to the young people are most
| tempting. 1t was the same ten centu-
ries ago, and so it will be for centuries
to come.
! While their ladyships were waiting
| And their lordships were debating
There were other genunectons going on,
! 1t 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 Scandinavians. It
was a part of the religion of the
druids, and they regarded it with the
utmost veneration, 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 to have
been the same as the Phoenician 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 iOllity to gath
| er the mistletoe, 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-
tletoe clinging to it the chief druid,
clad in white, the emblem of purity,
ascended the tree and with golden
! knife cut the vine. As it fell it was
caught in the folds of the robe of an
other priest. Then the bulls and some
times the humans We're offered to Tu.
tame, and various festivities followed.
The mistletOe thus gathered was cut
into small portions and distributed
among the people, who hung it over
the entrances to their dwellings to
notify the sylvan deities that they
were welcome to shelter during the
season of frost and cold.
These rites were retained throughout
the Roman dominion in Britain and
for long while under the Jules, Sax
ons and Angles.
The most beautiful legend regarding
the mistletOe and the one from which
it derives its mystic powers is of Scan
dinavian origin. Balder, the god of
poetry and eloquence and second son
OF Odin and Freja, had a dream in
which 1t was intimated that he would
be killed in battle. He communicated
this dream to his mother, who was
very fond of him, and she, TO protecr
him, invoked the powers Of nature-fire
earth, air and water-as well as ami.
mails and plants and obtained an oath
| from them that they would do Balder
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 to engage him. They struck him
with their arrows, but he plucked them
out and derided his antagonists as
they fell mortally wounded before him
1t was about time for Loke, his arch
enemy, to challenge him or suffer The
| ignOminy Of cowardice, but Loke was
a schemer.
He disguised himself as an old wo-
man and, determining to discover the
secret of Balder's immunity from
death. called upon Freja. lie address
ed the mother with complimentary re.
marks upon the valor and good fortune
| of her son, and the goddess replied
that her son was safe from harm, as
all the productions of the world had
sworn not to lnjure him. Loke 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 inslgnlfcance.
With well feigned Indifference Loke
| inquired the name of II, and Freja said
II was the mistletoe.
The designing Loke procured a shoot
Of the mistletoe, made an arrow of II
and then sought the assembly of the
| gods. There he met the blind Heda
"AH NNhNiuNSN 'h"t tho uuhllloliol VI
| balder's family would be more com.
plete If Balder should be killed by a
sightless god So he asked Heda.
"Why do you not contend with the ar
rows of BalderT Heda replied that
he was blind and unsupplled with ar
rows, whereupon LOke gave him the
mistletoe arrow and said. Bladder is ln
front of thee" Heda shot, and Balder
feu pierced and slain.-Cinclnnatl EnA
| Quirer.