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The Interesting History of Mistletoe
By C.R. Donovan

Ah, the holidays: twinkling lights, the smell of balsam, and sprigs of mistletoe, dark green leaves with clusters of white berries, tied up in ribbon. An ordinary looking bit of greenery, but with amazing properties. For any person passing underneath mistletoe cannot refuse a kiss. For hundreds, even thousands of years, people have hung mistletoe in doorways, and to this day we are compelled to pucker up when we walk under it. Ever wonder how this custom got started?

Mistletoe is a small plant that attracted attention because of the way it grows. It’s an evergreen that grows on other trees, its roots burrowing under bark to draw nutrients and water from the host tree. In Europe mistletoe is usually found on apple trees, more rarely on oak.

Ancient cultures believed Mistletoe had sacred properties. The Roman writer, Pliny the Elder, described the Celts in writings on Natural History. He wrote that Celtic priests, called Druids, believed mistletoe was sacred, especially the rare mistletoe, called the soul of oak. White clad Druids carefully gathered mistletoe following the winter solstice. They made sure it didn’t touch the ground, believing that would reduce its power. Then with prayers and sacrifice Druids distilled a drink from mistletoe berries. This drink was believed to enhance fertility for any who had it. It was also used on animals and crops. Druids believed mistletoe guarded against evil spirits and even death. They were not alone in that belief. In the epic poem The Aeneid, written by the classical Roman poet Virgil, the hero gathered mistletoe from a sacred wood, using it to travel safely through the land of death.

This belief in the power of mistletoe to guide one through death and back was illustrated most famously in a Viking myth. This myth is probably the one responsible for the kissing custom we have today. It is the myth of fair Balder, son of Odin, king of all gods. When Balder had a dream that foretold his death, his mother, Frigg, god of love, beseeched the four elements: wind, fire, earth and air; as well as all the plants and animals, not to kill her son. But the Mischievous God, the trickster Loki, realized Frigg had omitted one plant. Because mistletoe had no roots in the ground nor under it, Frigg inadvertently left it out. Loki fashioned a poisonous dart made from mistletoe and tricked Balder’s blind brother into firing it at Balder, killing him. Frigg cried so hard for three days that the mistletoe’s berries turned white. Balder was restored to life, with the help of the gods. Thankful Frigg decreed that mistletoe would always be honored as a sacred plant connected to love, not death.

If Vikings forever connected mistletoe with love and life, their Anglo Saxon descendents gave mistletoe its name. The word probably comes from the Anglo Saxon mistel meaning dung, and tan, meaning twig. Mistletoe literally means poop on a twig. It was so named because people thought mistletoe sprang forth magically from the tree. Observant people noticed that it often grew where there had been bird droppings. In fact they were right; birds ate mistletoe berries, and spread seeds through droppings to other branches.

In Europe during the Middle Ages the belief in the mystical and healing properties of mistletoe remained strong. It continued to be used for fertility, and the tradition of snatching a kiss underneath it continued strong. Also, people believed that mistletoe protected them against evil spirits, hanging mistletoe over their doorway to prevent witches from entering the house.

Modern science cannot address mistletoe’s possible sacred properties. But scientists have found that the old wives tales were correct about the medicinal value of mistletoe. Studies indicate it may be a promising new treatment for certain cancers

So when next you stand under that ordinary looking evergreen sprig, remember: mistletoe is a very powerful plant. Now how about that kiss?

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Written by: C.R. Donovan
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