Gilpin observer., 1917-12-20


mistletoe in order that any standing
beneath 1t might be kissed by the
nrst person who caught her there.
Few If any growing things are the
subject of as many ancient legends,
customs and beliefs as the mistletoe.
The fact that the ancient Celts in their
druidical religion had two great festi-
vals. one in June and the other In De-
cember. the latter being equivalent to
our Christmas. In both of these great
festivals the gathering Of the mistle-
toe was a sacred rite.
Pliny 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 is sent from
heaven and is sign that the tree has
been chosen by the God himself. The
mistletoe is very rarely to be met
with, but when 1t Is found they gather
1t with solemn ceremony. This they
do especially on the sixth day of the
moon, because by the sixth day the
moon has plenty Of vigor and has not
run half its course.
After the preparations have been
made for a sacrifice and feast under
the tree they hail 1t as the universal
healer and bring to the spot two white
bulls whose horns have never been
bound before. A priest, clad in .
white robe, climbs the tree and with
golden sickle cuts the mistletoe,
which is caught In white cloth. Then
they sacrifice the victims, praying that
God may make his own gift to prosper
with those upon whom he has
bestowed 1t.
'They believe that potion pre-
pared from mistletOe will increase
their flocks and that the plant is .
remedy against all poison"
1t was believed to be a remedy for
many ills and this belief is still to be
found in many remote places in Eu-
rope. In HOlstein, for example, the
mistletOe Is regarded as a healing rem.
edy for wounds and in Lacaune.
France, 1t is always administered by
the native people as an antidote for
poison. They apply the plant to the
stomach Of the patient and give him
solution Of 1t to drink as well. The
Gaelic word for mistletoe Is IAN t'nil
ioc," which means "all healer" and
this Is probably what the Druids
called it in ancient times.
In the northeast of Scotland people
used to cut withes of mistletoe at the
March full moon; these they bent in
circles and kept for year to cure hec.
tic fevers and other troubles. In
or<c oP
is especially esteemed as a remedy for
the ailments Of children, who some.
times wear 1t hung around the neck
as an amulet.
In Sweden on midsummer eve mis-.
tletoe is diligently sought after, the
people believing 1t to be possessed Of
many mystic qualities. and that II q
sprig of 1t Is attached to the ceiling Of
the dwelling house, the horses stall
or cows crib, the trolls" or evil spirits
will then be powerless to injure either
man or beast. Branches Of the plant
are commonly seen In farmhouses
hanging from the ceiling to protect
the dwellings from all harm. but e.
pecially from fire, and persons afhict
ed with the falling sickness think they
can ward Off all attacks Of the malady
by carrying about with them knife
which has handle Of. mistletoe.
A Swedish remedy for other COM
plants Is to hang sprig of mistletos
round the sufferers neck or to make
him wear on his finger a ring made
from the plant. Moreover they fash.
lon divining rods Of mistletoe or Of
four different kinds Of wood, one o4
which must be mistletoe. The treas.
ure seeker places the rod on the
ground after sundown and when Il
rests directly over the treasure the
rod begins to move as II It were alive
Like their Swedish neighbors. many
German peasants consider the mistle.
toe q powerful charm against evil spir.
its.