The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1914-12-17
Gathering Of Plant Sacred Rite
in 0ruidlcal Religious
Festivals.
ALSO Considered a Potent Remedy for
Ills. a Belief Which stlli Exists In
Some Of the Remote Places
Of Europe.

- girls are kissed under Il and
great deal OF fun and nonsense Is
carried on apropos OF II. but no one
stops 10 think OF how ancient dec
grafton Il Ia or how sacred II was
once thought to be
Almost everybody has a vague
knowledge that the Druids OF old had
something TO do with the gathering OF
mistletoe. but just what that some
thiag vas IL not clear TO the average
mind
The fact IN that the ancient Celts IN
their dFaidical religion had two great
festivals. one In June and the other IN
December the latter being equivalent
10 our Christmas In both Of these
great festivals the gathering OF the
mistletoe was a sacred rite.
Piiny In his Natural History" de
scribes the ceremony Speaking Of the
Druids' worship OF the oak. he says
They believe that whatever grows on
these trees Ia sen, from heaven and Ia
a sign that the tree has been chosen
by the god himself Tho mistletoe h
very rarely to be- met with but when
II IL found they gather Il with solemn
ceremony This they do especially on
the sixth day Of the moon. because by
the sixth day the moon has plenty Of
viEor aud has not run half its course.
after the preparations have been
made for sacrifice and feast under
the tree they hail 4, as the universal
healer and bring to the spo, two white
bulls whose horns have never been
bound before A priest clad In a white
robe climbs the tree and with a golden
sickle cuts the mistletoe. which II
caught In a white cloth Then they
sacrifice the victims praying that God
may make his own gift to prosper
with those upon whom he has be-
slowed Il
They believe that a potion pre-
pared from mistloioe will increase
their nocks and that the plant 10 a
remedy against all poison"
II was believed to be a remedy for
many Ills. and this belief is s,ill to BE-
found In many remote places In Eu.
rope In Holsteln. for example. the
mistletoe IL regarded as a healing
remedy for wounds. and in Lacaune.
France. II IL always administered by
the native people as an Ahtidoto for
poison.
In the northeast OF Scotland people
used to cut withss Of miEtletoe al tho
March full moon: these they bent In
circles and kept for n year TO cure hec.
tic fevers and other troubles In some
parts OF Germany tho mistletoe IL es-
pecially esteemed as q remedy for tho
ailments OF children. who sometimes
wear II hung around the neck AZ an
amulet
In Sweden on Midsummer eve mis-.
uetoe Is diligently sought after. tho
people believing Il 10 be possessed OF
many mystic qualities. and that II a
sprig OF II 10 attached 10 the ceiling
Of the dwelling house. the horses stall
or the cows crib. the trolls will then
be powerless TO iniure either man or
beast Branches OF the plant are com.
monty seen In farm houses hanging
from the ceiling TO protect the dwell.
ingA from all harm. but especially from
ire. and persons afflicted with the fall.
ing sickness think they can ward OF
all attacks Of the mAlady by carrying
about with them a knife which has a
handle Of mistlctoe
Like their Swedish neighbora. many
German peasants consider the mistle.
toe powerful charm against evil spir.
its. A similar belief seems 20 have
fingered among the Romans. whose re-
ligion at a very early date was some.
what similar TO that OF the Druids
When Aeneas descended into Hades he
gathered TO protect himself from the
internal powers a branch OF mistletoe
which vergil calls the golden bough.