78 
groas, " herb of the cross/* and that the Breton peasants put a bunch 
of it in their pockets when they start on a carousal. In Normandy 
at the present day a branch of this " sacred plant " serves as a sign 
for the drinking-houses (cabai'eti), and " with an apple placed 
amongst its golden branches it announces ' new cider/ " In the de- 
partment of the Aube it is called enseigne de cabaretier. 
Vert de povimier (the "greenness of the apple-tree ") is Norman, 
perhaps connected with verquet, another name in provincial French. 
Connected with it in idea is the Breton dotir-dero ox deur-derv^ "water 
(or juice) of the oak," and the Erse sugh-darach, *' sap (or juice) of 
the oak," In German the common name for the parasite is a ff alter. 
This is also applied to the guelder rose. It is spelt, when applied to 
the mistleto, a//^//^r ^///^///^r, and in old High German the corres- 
ponding words are affoltera and apholtera. The word is exactly 
equivalent to the English "apple-tree." 
Brou, a name in use in the Department de I'Aube, really means 
the cuttings of hedges, which are given to goats, and has been ap- 
plied by extension to the mistleto, of which those animals are very 
fond. 
Marentachen (German) and 7?iaarenzacken (Dutch) are names 
sometimes applied to the mistleto. They mean, literally, "spectre's 
twig." The first half of the name corresponds to the latter half of 
the word " nightmare." It need hardly be said that neither has any 
connection with horses, the word *' nightmare" meaning simply 
*' night spectre," or "ghost." A twig of mistleto held in the hand 
was formerly supposed to give the power of seeing ghosts and com- 
pelling them to speak. In the Netherlands it is believed that a 
branch of it hung at the bed*s head will prevent the nightmare. .In 
some parts of England the mistleto is still believed in as a protection 
against witchcraft. These facts are sufficient to show that the name 
marentacken is not meaningless, but they do not explain how the 
name or the ideas arose. 
Kinster^ kenster, kilnslcr^ genster^ kunst^ and kinst are the various 
forms of a German name which, like most of the names of the mis- 
tleto in that language, has been confused with the title of a totally 
different plant. The name genstcr is also given to the genista,^ 
broom, and there seems to be some organic connection between the 
German and the Latin. The German kenster and its other forms are 
probably related to the Walloon canista (Champenais dialect), 
/i^nistai\ henistrai^ Jiinistai^ himstrai, and hennesa (Ambleve 'dialect). 
It is probable, but not certain, that these words have the same origin. 
They seem to be connected Avith the Latin and Low Latin camstelm 
and canistrellus, "a little basket." "The metaphor is easily under- 
stood, for the mistleto looks like a basket of flowers suspended from 
a branch. The German kitistcr may even be the Latin <^?"^^*^/' 
Two German names, Muster and klcister, seem related m idea 
d heilige kreiizJioh, " wood of 
kinsier. 
Kreu 
an 
the holy cross," are German names corresponding to the //^^^^ 
sancti cruets, said by Minsheu to be an Italian name for the pia • 
and with the Breton louzou^ar-graas ** herb of the cross. A" 
