One of the primary clues that Yule is approaching once again is the vast array of displays of greenery which appear during the holiday season. Trees of pine, fir, and spruce get set up in living room corners, garlands of evergreens get draped on fences and staircases, and wreaths appear on doors.
Oftentimes such decor will incorporate one or more of the following plants: holly, ivy, or mistletoe. This is hardly surprising, considering that these are the three sacred plants of Yule.
So what makes mistletoe so magickal?
Since ancient times mistletoe has been regarded as one of the most sacred and yet mysterious plants in European folklore. Stories of its magickal powers can be found in ancient Scandinavian, Celtic, and Roman cultures. It was thought to bestow fertility, protect against poison, and heighten the sex drive.
Mistletoe was considered sacred to the Celtic Druids, who gathered it in a special ceremony vividly described by the Roman author Pliny:
The Druids…held nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and the tree that bears it, always supposing that tree to be the oak. But they choose groves formed of oaks for the tree alone, and they never perform any of their rites except in the presence of a branch of it… In fact they think everything that grows on it has been sent from heaven and is a proof that the tree chosen by the god himself. The mistletoe, however, is found but rarely upon the oak; and when found, is gathered with due religious ceremony, if possible on the sixth day of the moon…They choose this day because the moon, though not yet in the middle of her course, has already considerable influence. They call the mistletoe by a name meaning, in their own language, the all-healing. Having made preparation for sacrifice and a banquet beneath the trees, they bring thither two white bulls, whose horns are bound then for the first time. Clad in a white robe, the priest ascends the tree and cuts the mistletoe with a golden sickle, and it is received by the others in a white cloak. Then they kill the victims (i.e. the cattle), praying that God will render this gift of his propitious to those to whom he has granted it. They believe the mistletoe, taken in drink, imparts fecundity to barren animals, and that it is an antidote for all poisons.
~ Historia Naturalis Book XVI
Mistletoe continues to be known by names which reflect these ancient views: in Wales it is known as “sap of the oak” or druidh his – “Druids’ Weed” while in Brittany it is called dour dero -“vigor of the mistletoe.” The plant continues to be studied and utilized for its healing properties, particularly in the area of cancer treatment. And of course, we all know its popular usage for encouraging expressions of affection during the holiday season.
Shakespeare referred to “baleful mistletoe”… no doubt alluding to an old Scandinavian tale of the Norse god Balder. According to the legend, Balder was the son of the king of the gods, Odin, and Odin’s wife Frigg. Balder was considered the most handsome of the gods and the most beloved by his father. But Balder began to have nightmares where he saw his own death. Fearing for her son’s safety, Frigg requested all of nature – plants, animals, etc. – to promise they would not harm Balder. However, she did not demand such an oath from the mistletoe, thinking it too young to understand the situation.
As a result of the promise made, the other gods would tease Balder by throwing objects at him, knowing that nothing could happen to him, since he had been made practically invulnerable as a result of nature’s oath.
The god Loki was jealous of Balder, and devised a plan to destroy him. After finding out that the mistletoe had not made a “harm-none” promise, Loki fashioned a makeshift spear out of a branch of the mistletoe, and then went to Balder’s blind brother Hodur. When asked why he was not joining the others to tease his brother, Hodur replied that he had nothing to throw, and couldn’t see his brother anyway. Loki then gave Hodur the mistletoe spear, and guided his hand so the mistletoe would be aimed at Balder. The mistletoe spear flow through the air and pierced Balder in the heart, killing him instantly.
One version of the legend states that while mourning the death of her son, Frigg’s tears were turned into the white berries found on the mistletoe. In addition, upon the resurrection of Balder back to life after death, Frigg then proclaimed the mistletoe as sacred, representing love rather than death… and that all who pass under the mistletoe shall express that love with a kiss.
But regardless of what story you chose to believe, there is no doubt that mistletoe enjoys a long history of myth and magick. It features prominently in Virgil’s “Aeneid,” one of the most famous books of classic Latin literature:
…from which shone a flickering gleam of gold. As in the woods in the cold winter the mistletoe — which puts out seed foreign to its tree — stays green with fresh leaves and twines its yellow fruit about the boles; so the leafy gold seemed upon the shady oak, so this gold rustled in the gentle breeze.
~ “Aeneid” VI, 204-209
Interestingly, in Celtic literature the mistletoe was often referred to as the “Silver Branch” – not only sacred to the Druids, especially when found hanging on oak trees; but also cut from apple trees and used both as a protection for the spirit and a means of crossing into the Otherworld.
So how does mistletoe go from being a Silver Branch honoring the silver of the moon and the Goddess, to becoming the Golden Bough representing the sun and thus the God?
Perhaps it has to do with the botany of the plant: when still green in the midst of winter, some species of mistletoe have a bit of a silvery shimmer, enhanced by the white berries. Other species have a more golden tone to them, and once harvested, this golden hue becomes even more pronounced. The perception of goldenness in the dried leaves of mistletoe plants was probably influenced by the fact that, in the folklore of Europe, it was thought that mistletoe plants in some cases are brought to earth when lightning strikes a tree in a blaze of gold.
Today many people often include a few sprigs of mistletoe in their holiday decorating. But perhaps now we have a better understanding and greater appreciation for its symbolism -its link to the various elements of nature, to life and death, to love and peace… and we can hang up the mistletoe as a token of of the continuance of the wheel of the seasons, and the joy of the wondrous birth of a new year.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
Good article. I heard that Mistletoe was of special significance because when it grows on Oak trees the berries were thought to be the God’s sperm.
Either way, I bring some in every year for Yule and then we keep it all year as my boyfriend tells me it’s bad luck to take it down otherwise. I’d not heard of that before, but now it’s a tradition in our house.
Thank you for the kind words Saranga.
I too have heard of the belief that the berries of mistletoe, when crushed, do take on the resemblance of human semen, so this undoubtedly has added on to the whole fertility aspect of the plant.
There are so much folklore surrounding mistletoe that I had to stop somewhere, or this post would never end! (As it is, I will be putting up a second post about mistletoe, so be looking for it).
It is true that there is an old custom which states that a bough of mistletoe should be brought into the house and remain all year… or at least a portion of it. It is then ceremoniously burned – some Pagans do this during a Samhain bonfire, others during a Solstice bonfire or perhaps the closest Full Moon Esbat before Solstice. Whenever one choses, it should definitely be not before Samhain at the earliest. After the old bough is burned, then a new bough is brought into the house and hung up, to honor the continuance of life and the neverending turning of the Wheel.
This is beautiful, Osh – thank you so much. I have a basket of dried mistletoe, now quite golden, outside the doorway of my office. Every time I pass it, it’s an invitation to remember the simple beauties around us – but it also has another symbolism to me.
During this time of year in some oak trees of California, the leaves have fallen and the mistletoe, often hidden at other times of the year by the lush foliage of the oak, stands out dramatically.
Inspired by Loki’s trickery in taking advantage of Hodur’s blindness, here’s a meditation I use about what we allow ourselves to be blind to – what is so challenging that we ignore its presence. It’s a moment to remember the power of recognizing the challenges that we feel too overwhelmed by to act on them – to let the mistletoe inspire us to make some small act that we think might go unnoticed, for the sake of strengthening our capacity to envision (and create) another reality.
What a beautiful post! Thank you 🙂
Do you make wreaths with lots of mistletoe on them for sale? The one at the top of the page was unique and I liked it a lot. I love the holidays because they are so deliciously pagan and I like to make it clear that I am not a christian. Oh, and it can be faux mistletoe; it is too expensive to buy a new one ebery year.
Sincerely,
Lee Picton
I’m sorry, I don’t make wreaths for sale – the picture you see above is not one of my own wreaths. My suggestion would be to try making one of your own – Hobby Lobby or Michael’s would likely have artificial mistletoe that you could use for such a wreath.