During the winter months Mistletoe growing on soft wood trees is easy to find as it grows on deciduous trees. The berries are nutritious and are eaten by bird such as the Mistletoe Thrush, Robin, Black birds. but the seed of the plant is hard and will pass through a birds digestive tract very quickly and then deposited in droppings on a branch of the Tree. The seed will have the perfect growing medium and position on the tree branch. Within six weeks the seeds will have germinated, however It takes five years for the Mistletoe to flower.
Numerous myths have grown up about Mistletoe, my favourite myth is an old Norse myth of Buldar son of The goddess Frigga. When her son was born she made all plants, trees animals and inanimate object promise never to harm Buldar. But hidden away in the leafy canopy of the apple tree the mistletoe was forgotten and was not called to make the promise.
The God Loki who is a malicious entity.tricks one of the other Gods into throwing a spear at Buldar to prove that he could not be killed.. The spear was hewn from the mistletoe and killed Buldar. His spirit sinks into Helhiem where all the dead go unless killed in battle.
Grief stricken Frigga sends her son Hermode The Bold into Helhiem to offer a ransom to Hela Goddess of this dark dank realm of the dead. She listens to his request in silence and stares at Hermode coldly. He begged her to allow him to take Buldar back to the world of the living where Buldar, the God of the summer sun, is sorely missed and loved. Eventually Hela agrees to consider his request over night. Hela is seething with jealous anger, she has been banished to this dark world by Odin and no one has begged for her return to the living.
In the morning she consents to release Buldar if all things living and dead weep for him So loved is Buldar that all the living and dead weep for him except one giant crone who refuses to shed even one tear for Buldar. This evil crone is none other than the God Loki, Hela's father. Once again Loki plays a malevolent trick on Frigga.
Frigga holding a bough of mistletoe weeps for her precious son now lost to her. As she weeps the mistletoe berries turn from red to white. From that time forward the mistletoe promised it would bring only love and peace to the world.
It was decreed that when two people passed under The mistletoe they must give each other a kiss of love and peace and there should be harmony between them. A tradition still carried on today.
Wishing you all Love and Peace
Merry B
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