THE MISTLETOE 



WIIvIvIAM K. HIGI,e:y. 



FROM very early times plants, 

 animals, and even minerals 

 have played an important part 

 in the expression of religious 

 ideas and in the execution of religious 

 rites. Among the plants, sacred, and 

 closely allied to the mystic life of a 

 portion of the human race, there is 

 none more interesting and rich in leg- 

 end than the mistletoe. This was as- 

 sociated with religious observances be- 

 fore the time of Christ and was mem- 

 tioned by our earliest historians. 



There are over seventy species of 

 this peculiar plant. Both the American 

 variety (Phoradendron Havescens) and 

 the European, or true mistletoe (Vis- 

 cuni album), belong to a family of par- 

 asites, so called because they derive 

 their nourishment entirely or in part 

 from some other plant instead of taking 

 it directly from the soil. Owing to the 

 presence of the green coloring matter 

 (Chlorophil), in the stems and leaves, 

 the mistletoe is not entirely parasitic, 

 but is to a certain extent self-support- 

 ing, drawing but a portion of its nour- 

 ishment from the tree on which it 

 grows. 



It is found both on deciduous and on 

 evergreen trees. In some locations in 

 Europe it is especially abundant on the 

 apple tree and, if in the right cHmate, 

 there are few tree species which are 

 exempt from serving as its host. 



The mistletoe is an evergreen shrubby 

 plant of slow growth, attaining a length 

 of about four feet and its duration of 

 life is practically that of the tree on 

 which it grows. The leathery leaves 

 and rugged stems are yellowish green 

 in color and, in the axils of the leaves, 

 are the small and insignificant flowers, 

 which ripen about Christmas-tide into 

 pearly white translucent berries. The 

 seeds are probably distributed through 

 the agency of fruit-eating birds which, 

 after eating, wipe their beaks on the 

 trunks and limbs of trees, leaving the 



seeds snugly planted in the cervices of 

 the bark. 



In Scandinavian mythology we find 

 the mistletoe used to cause the death 

 of one of the favorite gods of the 

 Norsemen, Baldur,, the god typifying 

 the beautiful, the good, and the wise. 

 In this myth other friendly gods, fear- 

 ing Baldur's death, with his mother, 

 exacted an oath from animals, plants 

 and minerals that they would not in- 

 jure him. Unfortunately, however, the 

 mistletoe was forgotten and Loki, the 

 god of evil, knowing this fact and jeal- 

 ous of Baldur's beauty, gathered a 

 branch, and taking it to Hodur, the blind 

 god of brute strength, directed him 

 how to aim it. Baldur was pierced by the 

 mistletoe, and fell to the ground, dead. 



But it was in "Merrie England" that 

 the mistletoe was held most sacred, 

 most revered. The Druids, the early 

 priests of the Gauls and Britons, were 

 accustomed to retreat to the oak 

 groves for their mystic rites. The 

 mistletoe was not often found upon the 

 oak, but when discovered, was the oc- 

 casion of special rejoicing and peculiar 

 ceremonies, being cut with a golden 

 hook, and white bulls were sacrificed 

 under the favored tree. We are told 

 by some authorities that as the oak 

 was the symbol of God, the All-power- 

 ful, so the mistletoe became the sym- 

 bol of man, receiving his life and sus- 

 tenance from God. There are other 

 interesting myths : and, in -fact, the 

 mistletoe is closely woven with many 

 beliefs and rites of the Druids. 



At Christmas-tide the mistletoe is 

 largely used for decorative purposes, 

 especially in England, where the cus- 

 tom is ancient,, and also in our own 

 land, where each holiday season finds 

 more and more of this unique plant 

 gracing chandelier and window, until 

 we, too, may some day find our maids 

 all kissed — 



"Under the mistletoe bough." 



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