Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-12-17
THE LEGEND OF
THE MISTLET0E,

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i mystic, musty pages Of the
past. This branch Of the holidays
decoration treasures within 1t sweets
that to the young people are most
tempting. It was the same ten centu-
ries ago, and 80 1t will be for centuries
to come.
While their ladyships were waiting
And their lordships were debating
There were other genuhections going on.
It 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 1t 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 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, q
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 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 cnnging to 1t the chief druid,
clad In white. the emblem Of purity,
assembled 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 were offered to Tu-
tame, and various festivities followed.
The mistletoe thus gathered was cut
into small portions and distributed
among the people, who hung 1t 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 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 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 MORALLY wounded before him.
It was about time for Loke, bis arch
enemy, to challenge him or suffer the
ignominy Of cowardice. but Loke was
q 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
cd 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 injure him. Loke was
very much discouraged Ind was about
to go away when Freja added that
there was one plant she did not con-
lure because of its insigniflcance.
With we'll feigned Indifference Loke
inquired the name Of II, and Freja said
It was the mistletoe.
The designing Loke procured shoot
Of the mlstletoe, made an arrow Of 1t
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 II Balder should be killed by a
sightless god, 30 he asked Heda.
"Why do you not contend with the ar
rows Of Balderr Heda replied that
he was blind and unsupplied with az
rows, whereupon Loks gave him the
mistletoe arrow and said, Bladder Is r.
front of thee" Heda shot, and Baldef
fell pierced and slain Cincinnati En-
Uy1ir,ne