I absolutely adore the spirit of Christmas. The livelihood of children awakens. Honestly, 'tis the season I prefer all year long! Wallowing in the glow of the wonder of miracles. This "tree" is 9 feet tall - the largest tree we've ever had and the aroma it entails is a miracle itself - not to mention the mistletoe - the parasite with all the many myths - the myth of the kiss, the myth of protection from evil spirits, the myth of healing, the myth of good luck! Christmas - yes, very much a season of giving and receiving.
Back to the mistletoe, a myth may it be, yet, I do have it hanging in my home and over my door which leads into my office at work. Myth? Perhaps it's whatever you believe! Thus far, the reactions to the mistletoe have been: "Let me get out of here before you hang it" said by a married therapist; my supervisor stopping dead in her tracks and not entering my office; kisses blown to me by a nurse; and the many, many tales of the myths of the mistletoe being told repeatedly!
Ok, this post is wishing to continue with the myths of the mistletoe. A co-worker brought me a gift, "Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs" written by Claire Kowalchik & William H. Hylton. Lo and below there it was - "Mistletoe". "The phase of the moon has signaled the beginning of a new year. White-robed figures trude through a winter oak woods in ancient England, ever peering upward. A cry rings out, and all turn to see a clump of green dangling from a gnarled branch. An older figure - the priest - is called forth, and to him passes a golden sickle. The others meanwhile ring the tree, joyously but ceremoniously singing, "Hey, derry down, down, down, derry". A mantle is spread below, and the priest, bearing his golden sickle, ascends the tree."
"What plant could possibly occasion such solemn and mysterious ceremony and such song? The mistletoe, of course. And those white-robed ones who pursued it were none other than ancient Celtic Druids. They claimed that visions had been sent to instruct them to find the pretty parasite, and that if they failed to heed the visions and mistletoe fell to the ground, all manner of misfortune would occur. Once they had gathered it, the Druids used mistletoe in medicine and in fertility rites, and they hung it in their homes to ward off evil."
"Many of the legends of mistletoe involve mystery, intrigue, and awe. One legend, for example, explains the French name of the plant, herbe de la croix, by saying that when once a tree, mistletoe had been used to make Christ's cross and that afterward it was cursed and denied a place on the earth and so became a parasite. It was an herb of the underworld in Greek and Roman mythology."
"The Scandinavians tell that Balder, the god of Peace, was slain with an arrow made of mistletoe. The other gods and goddesses became quite saddened by this and asked that Balder's life be restored. When he returned to life, mistletoe was given to the goddess of love, who decreed that anyone who passed under the plant receive a kiss to show that mistletoe was a symbol of love. How this tradition became associated with the Christmas season goes back to the Druids, who it is said welcomed the new year with branches of mistletoe."
By 1682, mistletoe had moved out of legend and into practical use as a medicinal herb. In France herbalists prescribed mistletoe remedies for epilepsy, nervous disorders, and St. Vitus' dance. Elsewhere it was used for apoplexy and giddiness, to stimulate glandular activity, to serve as a heart tonic, and to aid digestion. Meanwhile in North America, the American Indians were using Phoradendron serotinum (known as American mistletoe; Viscum album is known as European mistletoe) to stimulate contractions during childbirth. They also used American mistletoe as an abortifacient."
Ok, there you have it! The many myths of mistletoe!
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