The river press., 1912-12-18
the LEGEND OF
The MIS1LETOE.

'hH HNuSluS VI INC uulSLitlOc az
this coming Christmastide in
vites the usual tour across the
n 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 Iordships were debating
There We're other genuflections 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 1t
| was 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,
great festival was celebrated in honor
of Tulane. When this anniversary ar
rived the Rritons. accompanied by
their priests. the druids. went forth
with glorious p"mp and jollity 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 a 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 a long while under the Jules. Sax,
ons and Angles.
The most beautiful legend regarding
the mistletoe and the one from which
it derives it's 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 it was inhmated that he would
be killed in battle. He communicated
this dream to his mother, who was
very fond Of him. and she, to protect
him. invoked the powers Of nature-tire
, earth. air and water-as we'll as ami
| mails and plants and obtained an oath
J 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 I.oke. his arch
enemy. to challenge him or suffer the
; ignominy Of cowardice. but Loke was
schemer.
He disguised himself as an old wo.
man and, determining to discover the
! secret of Balder's immunity from
death. called upon Freja. He address
D ed the mother with complimentary re.
t marks upon the valor and good fortune
2 Of her son. and the goddess replied
I that her son was safe from harm, as
I all the productions Of the world had
r sworn not to injure him. Loke was
y very much discouraged and was about
to go away when Freja added that
i, there was one plant she did not con.
u jure because of its insignifcance.
With we'll feigned Indifference Loke
inquired the name Of it. and Freja said
1t was the mistletoe.
The designing Loke procured a shoe,
Of the mistletoe. made an arrow of il
and then sought the assembly of the
gods. There he met the blind Heda
and concluded that the humiliation OF
Balder's family would be more com
plete If Ralder should be killed by a
sightless god So he asked Heda
"Why do you not contend with the nr.
rows Of Balder?" Heda replied thn,
he was blind and unsupplied with ar
rows. whereupop Loke gave him the
mistletoe arrow and said "Rald is in
front of thee" Heda shot. and RaIdel
fell pierced and slain Cincinnati En-
Quirer.