Mistletoe -- myth history and information

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Mistletoe --

myth history and information

 

The word " Mistletoe " is derived from the Old

English words, " mistel " (dung) and " tan " (twig). The plant

is thought to be named after bird droppings on a branch

 

 

 

The word " mistletoe " is derived from the

Anglo-Saxon words, " mistel " (dung) and " tan " (twig) --

misteltan is the Old English version of mistletoe. It's thought that the plant

is named after bird droppings on a branch

 

 

 

One of the beliefs in the early centuries was that

mistletoe grew from birds People used to believe that, rather than just

passing through birds in the form of seeds, the mistletoe plant was an inherent

result of birds landing in the branches of trees

 

 

 

Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens or Viscum album) is a

parasitic plant that grows on trees, particularly hardwood trees like oak and

apple. A parasite is a plant or animal that needs another plant or animal to

survive.

As mistletoe grows on a tree and uses its roots to invade

a tree's bark, which allows mistletoe to absorb the tree's nutrients.

Sometimes, mistletoe can harm a tree and cause deformities in a tree's

branches, but usually it doesn't kill its host. If the host dies, the mistletoe

dies.

 

 

 

Mistletoe produces its own food by photosynthesis, and is

able to live on its own, although it is mostly found in trees. It's common for

a mistletoe plant to grow on top of another mistletoe plant.

 

 

 

Mistletoe is easy to spot in the winter because its leaves

stay green all year long. In the United States, it grows in tropical and

subtropical regions (from New Jersey to Florida). Mistletoe has pointy, green,

leathery leaves, with waxy berries that are either red or white. The plant's

flowers can be a wide variety of colors, from bright red to yellow to green.

 

 

 

Ingesting mistletoe can cause severe stomach cramps and

diarrhea, and in some cases can be fatal. If you have mistletoe in your house

this holiday season, be sure that it is in a place where children and pets

won't be able to get to it.

 

 

 

 

 

Spreading the Seed

 

The red-and-white berries that grow on mistletoe are

eaten by birds that eventually leave their droppings at their favorite hang-out

spot -- on a tree branch. The droppings contain seeds that sprout roots into

the tree branch. The birds also help spread the seed by wiping their beaks on

the tree bark to clean off the sticky seeds after they've eaten. The seeds are

sticky because of the juice inside the berry. This stickiness helps the seeds stay

in the tree rather than falling to the ground. Within six weeks, the mistletoe

plant begins growing, although it takes five years to flower.

 

 

 

 

 

In the next section, we'll look at the history behind

mistletoe and find out what ancient Druids used it for.

 

 

 

There are a lot of myths surrounding mistletoe. Vikings

dating back to the eighth century believed that mistletoe had the power to

raise humans from the dead, relating to the resurrection of Balder, the god of

the summer sun.

 

 

 

 

Balder had a dream that he was going to die. His mother,

Frigga, the goddess of love and beauty, was frantic about his dream and said

that if he died, everything on Earth would die. To ensure her son's safety,

Frigga went to all of the elements -- air, fire, water and earth, as well as to

all of the animals and plants -- and asked them not to kill Balder. In the same

way a child would be heckled these days if his mother asked kids not to pick on

her child, Balder was teased and had things thrown at him. It was thought that,

because of his mother's power, he was immune to harm

 

 

 

Balder's only enemy, Loki, found a loophole in Frigga's

request for her son s safety -- mistletoe. Mistletoe grows on the tree it

attaches itself to, and therefore has no roots of its own and could not be

affected by Frigga's request. Loki made a poisoned dart with mistletoe, and

tricked the blind brother of Balder, Hoder, into shooting the arrow that killed

Balder.

 

 

 

For three days, all the elements tried their hardest to

bring Balder back to life, but failed. Finally, the tears that Frigga cried for

her dead son changed the red mistletoe berries to white, raising Balder from

the dead.

Frigga then reversed mistletoe's bad reputation, and

kissed everyone who walked underneath it out of gratitude for getting her son

back

 

 

 

The Miracle Worker

 

Another myth in mistletoe's past comes from Britain. In

the first century, the Druids in Britain believed that mistletoe could perform

miracles, from providing fertility to humans and animals to healing diseases

and protecting people from witchcraft.

 

 

 

The Druids would cut mistletoe off oak trees in a special

ceremony five days after the new moon following the winter solstice. The Druids

believed that the mistletoe would become contaminated if it touched the ground,

so they used a special white cloth to catch it. The Druids then sacrificed two

white bulls while prayers were said, and priests gave out the mistletoe sprigs

to the people, who believed they would then be kept safe from evil spirits and

storms

 

 

 

Mistletoe is also said to be a sexual symbol, because of

the consistency and color of the berry juice as well as the belief that it is

an aphrodisiac, the “soul” of the oak from which it grows. The

origin of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is vague. However, the

tradition may have stemmed from either the Viking association of the plant with

Frigga (the goddess of love) or from the ancient belief that mistletoe was

related to fertility. Another explanation for the tradition is that it is

derived from the festival of Saturnalia, a popular mid-December celebration in

ancient Rome

 

 

 

The correct mistletoe etiquette is for the man to remove

one berry when he kisses a woman. When all the berries are gone, there's no

more kissing permitted underneath that plant.

 

 

 

One legend states that a couple who kisses underneath

mistletoe will have good luck, but a couple neglecting to perform the ritual

will have bad luck.

Specifically, it is believed that a couple kissing under

the mistletoe ensure themselves of marriage and a long, happy life, while an unmarried

woman not kissed under the mistletoe will remain single for another year.

 

 

 

Maidens may place a sprig of the plant under their pillow

at night in the same manner a child places his or her lost tooth in

anticipation of a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Instead of exchanging teeth for

money, however, the sprig of Mistletoe allows women to dream of their Prince

Charming. Burning a mistletoe plant is also thought to foretell a woman’s

marital bliss, or lack thereof. A mistletoe that burns steadily prophesies a

healthy marriage, while fickle flames may doom a woman to an ill-suited

partner.

 

 

 

While mistletoe is widely viewed as a symbol of love and

fertility, it's also representative of peace. Ancient tales tell of enemies who

encounter each other underneath trees bearing mistletoe. The enemies lay down

their arms, embrace, and agree to a truce until the next day. This act of

goodwill is yet another possibility for why we kiss under mistletoe: abstaining

from violence and exchanging greetings under the plant may have prompted the

custom of kissing.

 

" Emancipate yourself

from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds "

-Bob Marley

 

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