Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1914-12-22
THE LEGEND OF
The MISTLETOE,

THE hanging of the mistletoe 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 il will be for centuries
to come.
While their ladyships were waiting
And their lordships were debating
There were other genufections 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 veueration, 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,
assembled the tree and with a golden
knife cut the vine AS it fell 1t 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 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
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 it 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 mortally wounded before him.
1t was about time for I4oke, 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 Balders immunity from
death. called upon Freja. He 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 injurc him. LOke was
very much discouraged and was about
to go away when Freia added that
there was one plant she did not con-
| lure because of its insignificance.
With we'll feigned Indifference Loke
inquired the name Of it, and Freja said
it was the mistletoe.
The designing Loke procured shoot
of the mistIetoe, made an arrow of II
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 Bladder 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
he was blind and unsuppled with ar
rows, whereupon LOke gave him the
mistletoe arrow and said Bladder is In
front Of thee" Heda shot, and Balder
fell pierced and slain.-Cincinnati En-
Quirer.