THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 159 



and juniper and niisilcltKj were enijiloyctl to form a witch's 

 chain, each hnk being finished with an acorn. In those times, 

 and even to tliis day in some parts of rural England, it was 

 considered unlucky to bring holly into the house before Christ- 

 mas eve. it was also considered very unlucky not to have tJie 

 holly taken (l(»wn before Candlemas eve. The maids :d)<)Ut 

 the house who were so careless as to forget this task were 

 certain to be terrified by mischievous sprites and unsightly hob- 

 goblins. 



Mistletoe was long supposed to have magic power. Cer- 

 tainly the w'ithered spinster who found herself bussed beneath 

 its white berries must have believed devoutly in its magic — a 

 magic rite which has been passed down through the centuries. 

 According to the old Norse legend, it was a spear tipped with 

 mistletoe that was used to kill Balder, the sun god. It had 

 been sworn that notliing "that springs from fire, air, earth 

 or water" should hurt tliis celestial favorite. ' So the wicked 

 and ingenious Loki, hating this Appollo of the North, made 

 an arrow of mistletoe which he gave to blind Hoder to test, 

 the god of darkness shot the arow and killed Balder. At the 

 urgent pleading of all the gods and goddesses Balder was soon 

 restored to life, and mistletoe was thereafter given into the 

 keeping of the goddess of Love to prove that its berries were 

 the emblem of love and not death. 



From such a background of beneficence it was not un- 

 natural later to find mistletoe considered a sovereign remedy 

 for all diseases. It was employed for epilepsy and convul- 

 sions. Holly was also believed to have great medicinal 

 powers, although there may be found no authentic record of 

 any remarkable cures it effected. It is not employed in mod- 

 ern times, unless the good cheer it brings be considered medi- 

 cine. — Mary M. French, in Parnt and Garden. 



