Mistletoe, the creamy white berry with rich green foliage is a hemi parasite or partial parasite usually found growing on the branches of trees and shrubs. Mistletoe relies on its host for water and minerals as it has no root system of its own although it is able to photosynthesise and thus produce its own food. Mistletoe will grow on many types of trees, including oak, apple, willow and poplar.
Mistletoe and the Legends of Kissing Under the Mistletoe
Mistletoe has been a part of tradition, folklore, legend and superstition for thousands of years. It was regarded as sacred and it was forbidden to fight in the presence of the plant. The Celts thought the plant possessed healing powers, curing disease, making poisons harmless and offering protection against the evil of witchcraft.
In Nordic tradition, Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, the Norse goddess of love. The tradition describes how her son, Balder, god of the summer sun dreamt that he died and with his death all life on earth came to an end. Frigga sought a pledge from the elements of air, fire, earth and water as well as every living plant and animal that no harm would come to her son.
Balder had one enemy, Loki, god of evil who was aware of one plant that Frigga had missed and that was the humble mistletoe. Loki made an arrow tip from the plant but didn’t complete the evil deed himself, instead he convinced the blind god of winter, Hoder, to fire the deadly arrow.
For three days the elements tried to revive Balder but to no avail, Frigga was distraught. The legend tells how the rivers of tears she wept restored her son to life, at the same time her teardrops turned into the white berries that now adorn the mistletoe. Overcome with joy at her son’s revival, she kissed everyone that passed beneath the tree on which the mistletoe grew.
To the Druids of Britain, mistletoe was regarded as a sacred plant. When it was discovered growing on a tree the Druids would use a golden knife to cut the mistletoe. Care was taken to ensure that the plant didn’t touch the ground in an attempt to preserve its powers. After harvesting the mistletoe, a white ox was slaughtered as a sacrifice.
History of Mistletoe in Victorian Britain
In eighteenth century England it was fashionable to have a mistletoe kissing ball as part of the Christmas decorations.
A ball of mistletoe was hung in a room, and any young girl standing beneath the decorative ball could not refuse to be kissed. After each kiss one of the berries was removed from the ball and when all the berries had been plucked the kissing was supposed to come to an end.
Over the years, this tradition had changed slightly in as much as anyone standing under a sprig of mistletoe might expect to be kissed.
Mistletoe in Britain Today
With changes in orchard management, the sight of mistletoe parasitically growing on trees is no longer a regular occurrence. Today, most of the mistletoe grown in Britain comes from the counties of Shropshire, Hertfordshireand Worcestershire.
Efforts are being made to establish conservation projects to ensure that mistletoe will available for years to come.
Sources:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Culture.fr/culture/noel/ang/gui
coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/mistletoe
christmas.howstuffworks.com
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