The sacred mistletoe is a hemiparasite, partial parasite that grows on branches or trunks of trees and has roots that penetrate into the tree for food. The American plant grows on trees while the European mistletoe can also be a green shrub with small yellow flowers and white berries. The plant contains toxins that can cause physical reactions including gastrointestinal disturbances and a slowed heartbeat.
Mistletoe Sacred to Celtic Druids
The plant has qualities including the power of healing, rendering poisons harmless, good luck, great blessings, bestowing fertility on humans and animals, protection from witchcraft and banishing evil spirits. Enemies who met Druids under the forest mistletoe laid down their weapons, exchanged friendly greetings and kept a truce until the next day. The Celts suspended mistletoe over doorways or in rooms as a symbol of good will and peace to all who visited.
Druid Mistletoe Ceremony
The plant is a fertility symbol and the soul of the oak tree. Belief was that the mistletoe could come to the oak tree during a lightning flash. Mistletoe was gathered at mid-summer and winter solstices. The plant, when it grew on the venerated oak tree, was especially sacred to the Celts. On the sixth night of the full moon after Yule, white-robed Druid priests gathered oak mistletoe by cutting the plant with golden sickles. Two white bulls were sacrificed with prayers that the recipients of mistletoe would prosper.
Mistletoe Sacred to Goddess Frigga
The Germanic/Norse deity is the Goddess of Love and the mother of Balder, God of the Summer Sun. Frigga was distressed when Balder dreamt of his death because all life on earth would die with him. She went to air, fire, water, earth and all animals and plants seeking their promise that no harm would come to her son. They gave her their promise. Balder couldn’t be hurt by anything on or under the earth.
He had one enemy, Loki, God of Evil who knew there was one plant Frigga overlooked. It grew on apple and oak trees, not on or under the earth. It was the mistletoe. He made an arrow tip from the plant and gave to Hoder, the blind God of Winter, who shot it, killing Balder. The sky turned pale and all on earth and in heaven wept. Each element tried to bring Balder back to life for three days to no avail. Frigga finally succeeded. Tears she shed for her son turned into pearly berries on the mistletoe. Joyously, Frigga kissed everyone who passed under the tree on which it grew. From that time on, a kiss, not harm, will come to those who stand under the mistletoe.
Saturnalia, Scandinavia and the Mistletoe
Kissing under the mistletoe was associated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia and ancient marriage ceremonies. The plant was believed to bestow fertility and have life-giving power. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was a plant of peace under which enemies could declare truces and quarreling spouses can kiss, making peace.
Mistletoe and Christmas
After Celtic Pagans were converted to Christianity, Catholic bishops, with one exception, didn’t allow the mistletoe to be used in churches because it was one of the major symbols of Paganism. Before the Reformation, a priest at the Cathedral of York brought a bundle of mistletoe into the sanctuary each year during Christmastide and put it on the altar as symbolic of Jesus being the Divine Healer of nations.
The English used mistletoe as a Christmas decoration for their homes. In Medieval times, branches of mistletoe were hung from ceilings and put over houses and barn doors to repel evil spirits. People believed the plant could extinguish flames. Although much of the Pagan symbolism was forgotten, the plant represented good will, happiness, good fortune and friendship.
Articles Related to Mistletoe Symbolism
People who enjoyed this article might want to read Christmas Tree – Symbol of Eternity, Yule Presents Ideas for Pagans and How to Create Symbolic Pagan Yule Wreaths.
Source:
When Santa was a Shaman, Tony van Renterghem, (Llewellyn Publications, 1995).
Jill Stefko - I'd rather deal with the paranormal than human abnormal - having dealt extensively with both.
