Mistletoe

‘Under the mistletoe, pearly and green, mans were familiar with both species of Mistle-
Meet the kind lips of the young and the old; toe. However, common Mistletoe was by far the
Under the mistletoe hearts may be seen most important ritual plant in Antiquity.
Glowing as though
they had never been cold...’ Description
1
Poem, Eliza Cook (1818-1889) The Mistletoe is a woody, evergreen bush, living
as a half-parasite on a host-tree. The tall, green
Latin: Viscum album L. stem has thickly crowed, forking branches with
thick and leathery yellowish-green, oval to lance-
English: Mistletoe; All-heal, European Mistle- shaped, very shortly petiolate leaves (c. 5 cm)
2
toe , Masslinn, Misceldin, Mistle, Misceltine, which are arranged in pairs, each opposite the
Myscelto, White Mistletoe. other on the branch. The very inconspicuous, al-
French: Gui Blanc; Bois de la Sainte Croix most sessile flowers (the four petals are similar
(when growing on an Oak), Bouchon, Brou, Gui to the sepals) are more yellowy than the leaves;
Commun, Haumustai, Herbe de la Croix (Brit- they appear in the late winter and soon give rise
tany), Herbe du Serpent, Lignum Sanctae Cru- to white berries (6-10 mm), which when ripe are
cis (Brittany), Verguet, Vide Pommier. filled with a sticky, semitransparent pulp. It
German: Mistel; Donnerbesen, Hexe(n)besen, used to be thought that the seeds would only
Kluster, Kreuzholz, Leimmistel, Mistel, Vogel- germinate after they had passed through a
leim, Weisse Mistel, Wintergrün. bird’s stomach. However, they do germinate if
Dutch: Maretak; Boomkruid, Duivelsgras, Dui- they are first really well attached to their host
velsnest, Haamspeen, Hamschel, Hamspoen, tree. Height: 0.2-1.1 m. (Fig. 77; Pls. 99-101)
Heksennest, Holster, Hulster, Kersterhout,
Lijmkruid, Mattekruid, Mistel(tak), Priemst, Mistletoe in rituals,
Raam, Slangentong, Vogellijm. mythology and worship
Mistletoe played an important part in the rituals
Habitat of Celtic tribes. In his 37-volume encyclopaedia,
Mistletoe is found throughout Europe (except Pliny the Elder (77 AD) wrote the following
3
the north ) and as far as North-West Africa, the about the Mistletoe cult among the Gauls (trans-
Middle East, the Himalayas, Burma, Vietnam, lation): ‘The Druids – that is what they call their
4
China, Korea and Japan. It is a half-parasitic magicians – hold nothing more sacred than mistle-
plant that grows mainly on the branches of Ap- toe and a tree on which it is growing, provided it is a
ple Trees (which explains its popular French Valonia Oak. Groves of Valonias are chosen even
name Vide Pommier: ‘emptier of Apple Trees’) for their own sake, and the magicians perform no
and Poplars, but also Hawthorns, Pears, rites without using foliage of those trees, so that it
5
Robinias, Rowans and, very rarely , Oaks too. may be supposed that it is from this custom that
The Oak Mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus they get their name Druids, from the Greek word
Jacq.), with its yellow berries and falling leaves, meaning ‘oak’; but, further, anything growing on
appears in South-Eastern Europe: as far as Italy oak trees they think to have been sent down from
6
in the west, Eastern Germany in the north and heaven, and to be a sign that the particular tree has
in Asia Minor. So the ancient Greeks and Ro- been chosen by God himself. Mistletoe is, however,

411
 Fig. 77. Mistletoe. 1 = male plant; 2 = female plant with fruits (berries); 3 = seed.

412
rather seldom found on Valonia Oak, and when it
is discovered it is gathered with great ceremony, and
particularly on the sixth day of the moon (which for
these tribes constitutes the beginning of the months
and the years), and after every thirty years of a new
generation, because it is then rising in strength and
not one half of its full size. Hailing the moon in a
native word means ‘healing all things’, they prepare
a ritual sacrifice and banquet beneath a tree and
bring up two white bulls, whose horns are bound for
the first time on this occasion. A priest arrayed in
white vestments climbs the tree and with a golden
sickle cuts down the mistletoe, which is caught in a
white cloak. Then finally they kill the victims, pray-
ing to God to render his gift propitious to those on Fig. 78. Romantic picture of Gallic druids chopping Mistletoe
whom he had bestowed it. They believe that mistle- o¤ an Oak, on which it rarely grows.
toe given in drink will impart fertility to any animal
that is barren, and that it is an antidote for all poi-
sons. So powerful is the superstition in regard to course point to the winter. There are thus no
trifling matters that frequently prevails among the clear arguments for the Celtic ritual of picking
7
races of mankind.’ (Fig. 78) the Mistletoe being part of a winter solstice festi-
Despite the fact that knowledge of this val. The origin of the old custom of hanging up
Druidic ritual is extremely sketchy, it has led to sprigs of Mistletoe round Christmas and New
imaginative views which are reproduced as evi- Year may therefore equally well originate from
8
dent in numerous books. Many authors claim, other traditions (see below) in connection with
for example, that this was a typical winter sol- this plant. It is also quite possible that the ritual
9
stice or New Year ritual , and believe they can took place during every lunar cycle. Pliny does
prove this by pointing to the ancient tradition of not describe what else the Druids did with the
13
hanging up Mistletoe round Christmas and picked plant in their rituals. It is known that it
10 11
New Year (though this has only recently be- was usual to sacrifice bulls for the enthrone-
come the first day of the year). However, one can ment of kings. This seems to indicate that pick-
just as easily say that Mistletoe is a typically mid- ing the plant was not a ritual in its own right, but
summer plant which is ritually cut (1950) on the only a part of a larger rite still unknown to us.
th
eve of St John the Baptist (24 June), especially Pliny’s story of the cutting of the Mistletoe was
in the originally Celtic and Scandinavian re- probably so special and was so widely accepted
gions. In Wales, Sweden and France, special among the Greeks and Romans that it was prob-
14
properties were for a long time attributed to ably taken out of its context. The presence of
Mistletoe cut on that day. In Scandinavia in par- Mistletoe in the stomach of ‘Lindow Man’, a
ticular, the legend of Balder still survives in the body from the third century BC preserved in
15
form of picking this plant and lighting fires of peat, may point to the ritual use of the plant.
joy on the longest day of the year. Some authors
therefore make the connection with the Druids’ The mythology involving Mistletoe also existed
12 16
midsummer festival. In any case, Pliny the El- in Germanic regions. In Scandinavian and
der does not mention any particular period of Germanic mythology, Mistletoe was dedicated
17 18
the year, nor does he write that the Mistletoe the to Balder’s mother, Frigg , and to Donar /
Druids cut down bore berries, which would of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The bush ap-

413
pears in the Balder myth (see below), whose used in churches on the European continent,
19 33
main source is the Snorra-Edda and which not even during the Christmas period. It was
20
should be seen as a myth from the Viking era. not even allowed inside some English churches,
21
However, some authors think that the venera- as in Bath (Somerset, 1813), Teddington (Mid-
tion of Mistletoe is a typically Celtic custom and dlesex) and Otterbourne (Hampshire, 1892) but
that the part it plays in Germanic mythology this was certainly not common in Great Britain
34
ought to be seen as a reflection of the Celtic tra- (1909).
22
dition. Others are of the opinion that it was
not only the Celts that believed in the plant’s ex- Mistletoe in symbolism
35
ceptional powers, but that this was very In winter this golden-green plant appears
widespread and probably linked to the area in from between the leafless branches of its host
which Mistletoe grew. But among the Slavs the tree as a triumphant green, spherical bush with
belief in Mistletoe did not appear at all, or only white berries. It is as if this half-parasite united
23
sporadically. all the life between heaven and earth. This phe-
nomenon probably made a deep impression on
It appears that Mistletoe was not important to ancient cultures. It therefore comes as no sur-
the ancient Greeks and Romans, as can be de- prise that among the Celts and Germans,
duced from the writings of Theophrastus (c. Mistletoe was heavily charged with the symbol-
24
370-285 BC) and Dioscorides (c. 50 AD). In ism of the triumph of life over death, of the life
36
both Greek and Roman mythological tales, force and rebirth (Pl. 101).
Mistletoe is the means by which one enters The plant’s symbolism is enhanced even
Hell, but more especially by means of which more when it is associated with that of the Oak,
25
one can depart the Underworld. Perse- monarch of the vegetable kingdom and symbol
phone/Proserpina, for example, used Mistletoe of ‘strength’. The alliance of Mistletoe and Oak
37
to open the gates of Hell. For nine months she thereby became a symbol of ‘wisdom, knowl-
lived on earth beside her mother, Demeter/ edge, light and strength’. This symbolic alliance
Ceres. In the winter she lived in the Underworld is aptly rendered in the name of the Celts’
38
with her uncle and husband, Hades/Pluto. So priests: ‘Druids’ (wisdom/oak or wisdom/
Persephone was able to open the gates of the strength).
Underworld in order to be reborn in this Although the Greek/Roman tradition was
26 27
world. The ‘golden twig’ which Aeneas used unfamiliar with the symbolism of Mistletoe, the
as a protective token for a safe journey when he typically Celtic theme of Oak/Mistletoe was La-
39
descended into the Underworld to look for his tinized under the influence of the Celts who
father Anchises, was poetically described as lived in the Po Valley for several centuries. Both
28
Mistletoe. The writer, Virgil (70-19 BC), may Persephone and Aeneas were able to go in and
29
have meant an Oak Mistletoe with its yellow out of the Underworld thanks to the Mistletoe,
40
leaves, or perhaps common Mistletoe with the symbol of light and rebirth.
30 31
young, yellow shoots?
Mistletoe as an emblem
After Christianization, Mistletoe was gradually Together with the Pine, Spruce and Holly, the
replaced in some European regions by the Box evergreen Mistletoe is one of the best-known
41
Shrub (box sprig), a Christianized, heathen- emblems of Christmas and winter.
magical plant, which took over the role of pro-
tector against all manner of evil and replaced the Mistletoe in heraldry
true Palm Tree (see under: Date Palm) in Chris- Mistletoe appears only rarely in heraldry (in the
32 42
tian ritual. Mistletoe appears not to have been Walbert family arms, for example).

414
Mistletoe in the language of flowers on a tree together with a swallow’s wing, all the
As a consequence of the Balder myth, in the lan- birds from within a radius of two and a half
52
guage of flowers, Mistletoe means: ‘I overcome miles would gather in the tree.
43
all obstacles.’ Mistletoe is also given as a pre-
sent in its meaning of sweet kisses: ‘I send you a Mistletoe as a preventive measure
44
flood of kisses.’ In Antiquity, an infusion of Mistletoe in wine
53
was poured into cattle’s nostrils. Pliny the El-
54
Mistletoe in magic der (77 AD) wrote that the Celtic Druids be-
and popular beliefs lieved that Mistletoe could make infertile ani-
Mistletoe as a plant of witches and devils mals pregnant if it was given to them as a drink.
Since Mistletoe was so closely associated with This old Celtic belief apparently continued to
heathen beliefs, it was not Christianized, but make an impression on many farmers for a long
put in a bad light: it evolved from a sacred plant time. In Worcestershire, Yorkshire and Wales
45
to a witch’s plant. This negative aspect is in (1909), for example, it was the custom to pluck
fact still present in the Flemish/Dutch names Mistletoe and give it to the first cow to calve after
for the plant, including Maretak. This name New Year. This was believed to bring good
46
refers to mare , originally a white elf of the air, health to the herd. ‘No Mistletoe, no luck’ was the
55
a she-elf, whose magical power was later trans- dairyman’s view. In Flanders too, the plant
ferred to the devil and his female assistants, the was seen as an excellent means of keeping the
56
witches. The mare was imagined as a living be- indoor-fed cattle pure, or free from witchcraft.
ing, usually a woman, who was able to appear in The German popular name for Mistletoe, He-
all manner of forms (cat, wolf, goblin, etc.). In xenbesen (witches’ broom), also refers to this.
Flanders, Germany, Austria and elsewhere, A sprig of the plant was also hung in the
these she-elves were able to jump onto people’s house or stable to keep out the she-elves, or else
47
chests, or failing that, ride on plants and ani- it was stuck under the roof to prevent misfor-
mals too. This explains the saying ‘to be ridden by tune. This sort of popular belief was found in
48 57
the mare.’ In 1930 this sort of story was still be- Germany (Pomerania, Bavaria), England ,
58 59
lieved in Europe. People also believed that Sweden , France (Brittany, mainly Morbi-
Mistletoe arose on those parts of the tree where han) and Belgium, in the areas round, among
60
a mare or elf had sat; this explains the reference, other places, Aalst and Ninove , Veurne-Am-
61 62
in Germany, to die Mahr and den Alp des Bau- bacht and Wallonia. In England this custom
mes, Hexenbesen (witches’ broom) and Alfran- was in fact still noted in Addingham Moorside
ken, and in Flanders and the Netherlands to at the end of the twentieth century (1993). It tells
Duivelsgras (devil’s grass), Duivelsnest (devil’s us that a sprig was kept hanging on the beam
49 63
nest) and Heksennest (witches’ nest). People until next Christmas to keep the witches out.
were convinced that it was possible to hold o¤ In the Tyrol (1930), Mistletoe was a protec-
the she-elves or keep them out of the stables by tion against witches, especially when it grew on
64
means of a branch of Mistletoe. In some re- an Oak on which a crucifix hung. This is a fine
gions, this heathen use of the plant was replaced example of the convergence of heathen and
50
by the Box (see under: Box). Christian beliefs. It is interesting to note here
65
So all manner of magical properties are at- that a bewitched plant was used to combat
tributed to Mistletoe. In Holstein, Germany, for witches or their evil deeds. In 1909, for exam-
example, the country-people called this plant ple, Mistletoe was used to prevent ‘nightmares’.
(translation) ‘ghost stick’: anyone who held it In seventeenth and eighteenth-century England
51
could see and talk to ghosts. In remote parts of and Germany, young children wore Mistletoe as
66
France it was believed that if one hung Mistletoe an amulet to protect them from witchcraft.

415
 67
Farmers in the Ozarks (USA) hung Mistletoe number. One finds the Mistletoe as a plant of
in their smoke houses to keep the witches o¤ good fortune in all manner of marriage customs
the meat. In Normandy it deflead feather beds. (Siebenbürgen = Transilvania, Romania; Swit-
A sprig in a cradle protected the infant from the zerland), in which it probably also functioned as
68
dangers of being snatched by fairies. Rosaries a rod of life. This aspect also includes the old
82
were also made out of mistletoe wood and the English custom that at Christmas a girl allows
berries were kept in silver boxes that were then herself to be kissed (indoors) by a man under a
69 83
carried on the person. In seventeenth-century sprig of Mistletoe. In Conisborough (Don-
herbals this custom was labelled as a popular caster), a belief had been noticed in 1963 that a
70
belief. piece of Mistletoe must be kept from one year to
the next, because while Mistletoe stays in the
84
Mistletoe as a protector from lightning and fire house love also stays.
Pliny the Elder (77 AD) wrote that Mistletoe,
71
eggs and vinegar were used to put out fire. In Kissing under the Mistletoe
72 73
Sweden , Norway , France, England and Ger- In the age of chivalry in England, Mistletoe was
74
many , this ancient Italian custom survived already ceremoniously gathered on Christmas
until the end of the nineteenth century. German Eve and hung from the ceiling of the great hall;
farmers hung Oak-mistletoe from the ceilings every girl who passed underneath it could be
of their rooms to prevent disaster and especially kissed. In Great Britain the plant is still used as
75
fire. In France (Département de la Nièvre ) peo- a Christmas and New Year decoration, from the
ple threw mistletoe berries in the fire when it ceiling, the ceiling lamp and on the front door.
76
thundered. In Germany (rarely) and Switzer- The custom of kissing beneath hanging Mistle-
land there was also the belief that trees on which toe is said to be unique in Britain, or at least, to
85
Mistletoe grew were not struck by lightning. have originated in Britain, but in France too ,
Since the plant itself was seen as the product of wishes are exchanged under a bunch of Mistle-
lightning (the consequence of arguments be- toe at midnight. There is a great deal of popular
tween witches or evil spirits), they were also able belief concerning this custom. For example, for
77
to keep lightning away. It is also believed each kiss the man picked o¤ one berry (Der-
around Chudleigh district, Devon, that Mistle- byshire). This tradition was described by
toe will protect the house from lightning if it is Charles Dickens (1812-1870) in his Pickwick Pa-
78
kept hanging till the next Christmas. pers (XXVIII) in 1837. The Mistletoe had to be
86
burnt (1932) , otherwise all the couples who
Mistletoe as a plant of good fortune had kissed under it would become enemies by
The belief that Mistletoe brings good fortune to the end of the year, or would never get married.
the house is popular in Germany (the Anyone who is not kissed will not get married in
Palatinate) but more especially in England, the coming year; so it is the men’s duty to safe-
79
Wales and France. Sometimes the Mistletoe guard the girls from this danger by kissing
87
with its white berries was allowed to hang in the them. ‘Kissing under the Mistletoe’, a lively
house until it was replaced by a similar sprig the survival, was once a fertility rite. Sometimes a
following Christmas. This was still done until girl must steal a berry, swallow it, then prick her
1968 at the brewery of W.H. Brakspear and lover’s initials on a leaf and stitch it to her
80
Sons Ltd. in Henley-on-Thames. Italian wom- clothes near the heart. While the leaf remains in
en carried a twig of Mistletoe to induce concep- place, the lover will remain ‘attached’. In
81
tion. In Upper Brittany , a piece of the plant Worcestershire, kissing bunches swung from
was stuck onto a Hawthorn the night before a the ceiling all year round until replaced by new
drawing of lots in order to ensure a winning ones, when the old were burned. Then a steady

416
flame indicated a faithful husband, spluttering only the gateway to Hell, but also opened any
92
an irritable one. In Austria, a sprig at the bed- door.
88
room door gave a couple sweet dreams.
Mistletoe as a divining rod
Mistletoe as a bringer of misfortune A divining rod made from a twig of Mistletoe
In Great Britain there are certain periods when shaped like a two-pronged fork could be used to
one must not have any Christmas greenery (see search for hidden treasures. In Sweden, the
also under: Holly and Ivy) in the house. It is be- evening before midsummer night (the summer
st
lieved there that if one keeps it in the house solstice, 21 June) was the best time to acquire
longer than Twelfth Night, it will bring misfor- this sort of rod (slag ruta). The seeker of fortune
th
tune or death (19 century, 1923). So to avoid then went out to find hidden treasure at sunset.
misery, one must burn the Christmas greenery The divining rod was laid on the ground in abso-
on Twelfth Night. This belief was noted as late lute silence; if it started to jump, it lay over a
as 1982 from a teenager in Yorkshire and in treasure. In the Tyrol, Mistletoe that had grown
1986 from a sixty-three year old woman in on a Hazel (Corylus sp.) was used for this pur-
93
Chichester (Sussex). Sometimes this greenery pose.
was burnt (1883) on another day, such as Can-
st
dlemas Eve (1 February), e.g. in Little Wen- Mistletoe in magical healing
89
lock . According to Pliny the Elder (77 AD), the Druids
94
called Mistletoe ‘that which cures everything.’
It is perfectly possible that this popular belief is One of the English popular names for the plant
a consequence of the negative reputation built is still ‘All-Heal’. Pliny wrote that according to
up with regard to Mistletoe and other heathen some superstitious people the Mistletoe would
plants such as Holly and Ivy during Christian- have a more powerful e¤ect if it was picked
ization. Since it was diªcult to completely elim- from an Oak at full moon, without using iron
inate an old custom entirely, the pre-Christian and without touching the ground; gathered in
sacred plants were still ‘tolerated’ during the this way, the plant was said to cure epilepsy and
‘Christian’ festive periods (which were them- help women to become pregnant if they wore an
selves once heathen feasts!), but after that they amulet made from the plant. Mistletoe like this,
95
once again became plants of evil. chewed, was said to heal wounds very quickly.
It was believed that anyone who consumed the
Mistletoe in predictions plant also absorbed the strength of the tree on
Predictions were made about whom a girl would which it had grown, because it was assumed
marry, using the leaves and berries of the that all the tree’s life juices also flowed through
Mistletoe under which she had been kissed the Mistletoe. If the host tree was an Oak, its
(1898). If an unmarried woman put a sprig of Mistletoe was considered exceptionally power-
96
the plant taken from the parish church under ful. Virgil (70-19 BC) and Ovid (43-18 BC) two
her pillow (1909), she would dream of her fu- other classical writers, also refer to the magical
97
ture husband. It was believed that one could de- properties of Mistletoe. In the ‘modern’ Celtic
duce the temperament of the future husband of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Brittany, the
from the flames of a burning Christmas Mistle- plant is in fact still known as ‘All-Heal’ (it once
90
toe. It was also thought that treasures could be had a similar name in the South of France too).
91 98
found and locks opened using Mistletoe. This The old custom of creating fertility using
popular belief probably derives from the classi- Mistletoe still existed in England in 1950. Pliny
99
cal saga of Aeneas, to which in the Middle Ages the Elder wrote that for the Celts the plant was
had been added that a twig of the plant was not a remedy against all poisons; a belief which in

417
 100 109
Flanders (Belgium) , for example, was still Mistletoe’). In Yeovil in Somerset, Mistletoe
noted as late as 1930. It was also used against from a Hawthorn Bush was used (1975) against
101 110
other illnesses, such as chest complaints , measles; it was made into tea for the purpose.
cramps, shingles, etc. But the most important A small bag of Christmas Mistletoe round an
was its use as a remedy against epilepsy and ap- infant’s neck, or a berry necklace, was believed
parently related problems, such as convulsions, to be a certain remedy for every childish com-
fainting and dizziness. The plant’s supposed plaint, the Midlands Weekly News Supplement of
th
medicinal powers were based largely on its 30 December 1893 was pleased to empha-
111
mythological Celtic and Old Italian past: just as size.
Mistletoe cannot (and must not) fall to the
ground, nor will the epileptic fall as long as he Mistletoe in legends,
carries a twig of Mistletoe with him or has sagas and fairytales
102 112
drunk an infusion of the plant. Mistletoe Mistletoe appears in the Balder myth, the
113
(sometimes from the Oak) is mentioned as a main source of which is the Snorra-Edda. Ac-
remedy against epilepsy in numerous cording to this story, at a certain moment
103 114
herbals. This belief survived in one form or Frigg wished to protect her son Balder, the
another in many European countries including helpful, eloquent and radiant, but somewhat
Sweden, Germany, England, the Netherlands naive god of light, by making all the elements,
and France. In the Netherlands the plant was plants and animals swear they would never hurt
until recently (1949) used in an infusion in red him. However, Frigg forgot to ask it of the
104
wine. In 1912 it was still said of an epileptic young mistletoe shoot that was growing in the
115
boy in Herefordshire in England: ‘What a pity east of Valhalla . Balder’s jealous brother Loki
his mother did not give him any Mistletoe tea.’ discovered this and made subtle play on this for-
It is mainly the Mistletoe that grows on getfulness: he asked his blind brother Höder to
105
Oaks , and often that on Apple, Pear and shoot an arrow whose point was made of the
Hazel Trees, to which exceptional curative pow- wood of this Mistletoe. Höder, who was un-
ers are attributed. The healing method is always aware of any evil intent, did as he was asked and
interwoven with acts of magic. For example, the fatally wounded Balder. The gods, struck by per-
Mistletoe has to be shot o¤ (Switzerland) or plexity and sorrow, were unable to bring Balder
knocked o¤ with a stone (Wales) in order to re- back to life. But they decided to organise a cere-
main e¤ective, or must be gathered at Christ- monious funeral for him. They built a pyre on a
106
mas. Near Isigny-le-Buat (Manche ) in France ship (Hringhorne) and Thor, the god of light-
is a renowned ‘Mistletoe-Oak’ to which epilep- ning and consecration, dedicated it with his
107
tics went (1935) to be cured of their disease. hammer. Finally, the gods laid Balder’s body on
Mistletoe was used to prepare a drink that was the pyre together with that of Nanna, his wife,
e¤ective against every ailment, poison or magic. who died of sorrow, his horse and his ring, and
Bewitched people were cured using an oint- set everything alight. From this time onward,
108
ment made from Hazel-mistletoe. Mistletoe Balder stayed in the Kingdom of the Dead,
is likewise an aphrodisiac and a plant of fertility, called ‘Hell’, and the world no longer experi-
hence perhaps the Welsh Border custom of kiss- enced any real joy, justice or beauty, but degen-
ing beneath Mistletoe boughs decked with rib- erated until the fatal moment of its disintegra-
bons, nuts and apples (both symbols of fertili- tion. However, after the great burning of the
ty!). After each kiss, the lady concerned should world, Balder would appear once more in a re-
pluck a berry and throw it over her left shoulder; newed, harmonious world. Loki was later pun-
116
and when the berries come to an end, so should ished for his o¤ence. In the Balder myth,
the kissing (see above, under ‘Kissing under the Mistletoe is the symbol of an instrument which

418
is itself innocent, but which becomes fateful by like ulcers; in combination with resin and wax it
117 123
evil magic, and the same applies to Höder. softened external abscesses.
In the West of England there is the story that In 1554, the Flemish herbalist Rembert Do-
the Cross was made of the wood of the Mistle- doens (Dodonaeus) wrote extensively in his
toe, which in fact until then had been a tree in herbal about the medicinal e¤ect of Mistletoe:
124
its own right, but from that moment was especially for ulcers and epilepsy. In John
118
doomed to live a parasitic life. Several popular Gerard’s Herball (1636), Mistletoe was not men-
French names for Mistletoe refer to this legend: tioned, however. In his Complete Herbal (1653),
Herbe de la Croix (Cross herb), Lignum Sanctae Nicholas Culpeper attributes to it the same
Crucis (wood of the Holy Cross) and Bois de la properties as Dodonaeus. Here is an extract: ‘…
Sainte Croix (wood of the Holy Cross), and also Both the leaves and the berries of Misselto do heat
the German Kreuzholz (wood of the Cross). The and dry, and are of subtle parts; the birdlime doth
French Herbe du Serpent (serpent’s herb) and molify hard knots, tumours, and imposthumes;
the Flemish Slangentong (serpent’s tongue) also ripens and discusses them, and draws forth thick as
put the plant in a bad light. All this points to a well as thin humours from the remote parts of the
Christianized version of a heathen story. This body, digesting and separating them. And being
125
legend may explain why Mistletoe is rarely per- mixed with equal parts of rozin and wax, doth
mitted in church decorations in Britain. Howev- molify the hardness of the spleen, and helps old ul-
er, Mistletoe usually finds a ready sale for deco- cers and sores. … Some have so highly esteemed it for
rating homes at Christmas. In 1979 Mistletoe the virtues thereof, that they have called it Lignum
was available at greengrocers at Christmas at Santiae Crucis, wood of the Holy Cross, believing it
10p a sprig. Mr Peter Heyes, of the fruit and veg- helps the falling sickness, apoplexy and palsy very
etable wholesalers ‘The House of Heyes’, says speedily, not only to be inwardly taken, but to be
126
the best Mistletoe comes from Belgium, where hung at their neck…’
the foliage is deeper green and the berries larger Earlier medical notions were based more on
119
and more numerous. Mistletoe also appears myth, inspired by the parasitic life of Mistletoe
120
occasionally in sagas about treasures. and by the symbolism of the triumph of life over
127
Legend stated that the Hay family of Errol death (evergreen), than on reality.
(Perthshire) would prosper only as long as the Doctors’ opinions of the medicinal proper-
‘Mistletoe-Oak’ on their land near the Falcon ties of Mistletoe have in the meantime changed
Stone flourished. It protected the family against radically. In present-day herbal medicine,
witchcraft and its infants from becoming Mistletoe is used to ease cramps, lower blood
changelings. When the estate finally passed out pressure, as a purgative and to expel urine. In
128
of the family it was said that the Oak had been large doses the plant becomes poisonous.
121
felled shortly before. However, this depends very much on the host
tree: for example, Mistletoe growing on a Poplar
Mistletoe in herbalism is more poisonous than one growing on an Ap-
and medicine ple. The leaves should never be blanched or
Mistletoe was already considered an important cooked and the fruit should certainly never be
129 130
medicine in Antiquity. Hippocrates (c. 460-377 eaten. The anthroposophical medicine
131
BC) valued the plant and Dioscorides (c. 50 AD) sees it as a means of curing cancer.
recommended it for the treatment of, among
122
other things, old boils and swellings. Pliny Mistletoe in industry,
the Elder (77 AD) wrote that birdlime made agriculture and crafts
from mistletoe berries had a soothing e¤ect, Since time immemorial, Mistletoe has been
made tumours disintegrate and dried out gland- used to make a sort of glue for catching birds,

419
 which explains the popular Dutch names Vogel- Mistletoe in the home,
lijm (birdlime) and Lijmkruid (lime herb), and garden and kitchen
the German Leimmistel (lime mistle) and Vo- These berry-laden plants are o¤ered as Christ-
gelleim (birdlime) (Fig. 79). Pliny the Elder (77 mas greenery (together with Holly and Ivy) dur-
134
AD) was already able to note down a recipe for ing the Christmas period.
making this lime. The berries of the Mistletoe
are picked while they are still unripe; they are Did you know?
dried and crushed and then put in some water. In France (particularly Brittany) it was the cus-
After about twelve days the rotting berries are tom on New Year’s Day for children to ring at
135
taken out, crushed and laid in running water. the door and shout ‘Au gui l’an neuf’ or
136
This rids the berries of their skin and they be- ‘Guilané’. They then usually received a little
come very viscous. When kneaded with oil, this something. Some people see a link between this
sticky substance becomes birdlime. According and the old Gallic custom of giving presents and
to Pliny, Mistletoe that grows on Oaks makes handing out consecrated Mistletoe to the people
132 137
the best quality. In another recipe one has to on the first day of the year. Others think this
138
dry the unripe green berries and then allow French cry is not linked to Mistletoe.
them to ferment for twelve days in water. One The name ‘Mistletoe’ was also given (1949)
then boils the pressed juice to make a sticky to a rental token (godspenning or ‘god’s token’) in
pulp; to increase its adhesiveness one adds a lit- Genk (Belgium). So the name of the plant that
tle oil or turpentine. Modern birdlime (1918) is had a magical e¤ect when entering into an
made without Mistletoe, however. It is a mix- agreement or contract was transferred to the
139
ture of seven parts of spruce resin and three coin that confirmed the agreement.
133
parts linseed oil. Mistletoe that grew on Oaks was highly
prized by alchemists; they used it in their experi-
140
ments.

Fig. 79. The berries of the Mistletoe were once used as bird-
lime, which explains its popular Flemish name of Vogellijm
(birdlime).

420
1 As mentioned in Ingram (s.d.): p. 312. part 7, vol. 2, pp. 86-87.
2 In the USA, ‘Mistletoe’ is any one of several 13 Though one does occasionally read such stories
American parasitic shrubs, including Phoraden- as ‘God was asked to bless the plant, after which the
dron serotinum (Raf.) M. C. Johnst., that resides high priest dipped it in water and blessed it again,
on various species of deciduous trees in Pennsyl- and then it was handed out to the people in the
vania woods (www.cal.nbc.upenn.edu). form of an amulet.’ (Ingram, J., s.d., pp. 310-312;
3 Between 6500 and 500 BC, the northern bound- Collin de Plancy, M., 1826, vol. 3, p. 212; De
ary of Mistletoe growth in North-Western Europe Gubernatis, A., 1882, p. 72). Pliny (77 AD) did
lay further north than it does now. This is mainly describe the fact that the Druids considered
a matter of climate, which was warmer than it is Mistletoe to be an all-heal, and regarded the
now. In addition, the fact that the soil was less plant as an amulet (see under: Magical healing).
leached and therefore richer in lime will also have 14 Markdale, J. (1985): pp. 161-162.
played a part (Weeda, E., 1985, p. 133). 15 Green, M. (1997): pp. 28 and 128. This young
4 It sucks water and minerals out of the host tree, man was first cut down with an axe, then strangl-
but no sugars or other products made by the ed with a strangling iron, then finally his throat
tree; this is why Mistletoe is a half-parasite. was cut. These acts and the fact that the victim
5 Among other places in the Bois de Chitré was naked point to a ritual slaughter. The body
(Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, France), where fifty years was found in the foetus position in a shallow
ago an enclosed space with several ruins could pool dug at Lindow Moss (near Wilmslow,
be found, surrounded by deep ditches (Mineau, Cheshire), possibly to win the favour of water or
R. & L. Racinoux, 1995, pp. 115-116). earth gods. The fact that the man was not from
6 The plant is rarely found in Germany (in Prina, the countryside is suggested by his well-mani-
Saxony), but in Austria it grows in several places. cured fingernails and his neatly cut moustache
Now and again the people consider Mistletoe as (as found in Celtic iconography and literature).
an outgrowth of a tree (Lower Rhine, Sankt-Gal- Ritual peat burials from the Stone Age are also
len) (VDVV, 1934-1935, vol. VI, pp. 381-382). known elsewhere, including Denmark (Green,
7 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book M., 1997, p. 128).
XVI, chap. XCV. 16 Hovorka, von, D. & U. Kronfeld (1908): p. 306;
8 Including Ingram, J. (s.d.): pp. 310-312; Collin de Anonymous (1970-1975); Anonymous (1989c):
Plancy, M. (1826): vol. 3, p. 212; De Gubernatis, A. pp. 382-383; Brosse, J. (1989): p. 105.
(1882): p. 72; Chevalier, J. & A. Gheerbrant 17 Ingram, J. (s.d.): pp. 310-312. In Southern Ger-
(1973b): p. 397; Pelt, J. (1988): pp. 39-64; Brosse, many she is called Frija.
J. (1990): 234-235; Mineau, R. & L. Racinoux 18 In Germany the plant is called Donnerbesen
(1995): pp. 115-116. (Donar’s berries).
9 The Celtic Samhain festival started on 1st Novem- 19 For more information on the Eddas, see under:
ber; it was a soul festival, and probably a New Ash; ‘Rituals, mythology and worship’.
Year festival too (James, S., 1993, p. 155). 20 VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. 382-383.
10 Mistletoe can also feature in the New Year tradi- 21 Including Hehn.
tion of Burning the Bush – the bush is a globe, 22 Including Neckel.
made usually of Hawthorn, but sometimes also 23 VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. 384-385.
of Mistletoe, which is burned in the fields 24 Marzell, H. (1938): p. 82.
(www.web.ukonline.co.uk/conker/archive/ 25 Pelt, J. (1988): pp. 39-64.
christmas-newyear.htm#Christmasfood). 26 Baumann, H. (1986): p. 69; Pelt, J. (1988): pp. 39-
11 In Catholic countries in Europe mostly associat- 64.
ed with the Gregorian calendar reform of 1582. 27 Virga aurea.
12 Anonymous (1950): pp. 731-732; Frazer, J. (1951): 28 Virgil came from the Po Valley, which was for

421
 several centuries inhabited by Celts (Pelt, J., (Frazer, J., 1951, pt. 7, vol. 2, p. 76, note 1; Cheva-
1988, pp. 39-64). lier J. & A. Gheerbrant, 1973a, p. 348). Others say
29 The Oak Mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus Jacq.) is that ‘Druid’ is derived from dru and vid, which
deciduous, has yellow berries, and grows mainly mean ‘strength’ and ‘knowledge’, as represented
on evergreen Oaks. This is the opposite of the by the Oak and Mistletoe. In fact some historians
common Mistletoe, which is evergreen and put Druids on the same level as shamans, who
grows on deciduous trees (Pelt, J., 1988, pp. 39- also draw their knowledge from a cosmic tree
64). (Brosse, J., 1989, pp. 98-108).
30 In the winter the Mistletoe sometimes grows 39 The Latins adopted much of this belief, but also
small new leaves because the plant receives attributed to the plant the property of being invul-
more light, and this sometimes gives it a golden nerable to fire (Brosse, J., 1989, p. 105).
gleam. In addition, when it is dried, the plant 40 Chevalier, J. & A. Gheerbrant (1974b): pp. 80-81;
takes on a fine golden-yellow colour, and so be- Pelt, J.M. (1988): pp. 60 ¤.
comes a ‘golden branch’. Until only a few years 41 Vlaanderen, A. (1946): p. 58; Biedermann, H.
ago, the Bretons hung bunches of this plant in (1992): pp. 243-244.
their stables (Pelt, J., 1988, pp. 39-64). 42 Kenk, V. (1963): The importance of plants in
31 Virgil: Aeneid (70-19 BC), vol. 6, p. 136 ¤., as men- heraldry. In: Econ. Bot., p. 175.
tioned in VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. 382-383; 43 Ingram, J. (s.d.): p. 359; Powell, C. (1977): pp. 101-
Frazer, J. (1951): pt. 7, vol. 2, pp. 280, 292 and 315- 102.
320; Pelt, J. (1988): pp. 39-64. 44 Conway, D. (1974): p. 92. This meaning in fact
32 Celis, G. (1930b): p. 14. points rather to a connection with the atmo-
33 Pelt, J.M. (1988): pp. 39-64. sphere of the end of the year.
34 Opie, I. & M. Tatem (1989): p. 255. 45 Teirlinck, I. (1924): p. 26; Pelt, J. (1988): pp. 39-
35 The leaves stay green for a long time after pick- 64.
ing, the stems and the wood are green, regard- 46 cf. the English ‘nightmare’.
less of their age. The sucking organ and the 47 This is said of plants whose fruit, stems or
minute flowers are also green. Like most fruit the branches have grown flat, as if they were pressed
berries are green at first; they stay like that for between something (De Bo/Samyn, 1888, p. 77).
about seven months and inside the embryo is 48 ‘To be ridden by the mare’ was said of someone
green. With so many green leaves, Mistletoe is who almost su¤ocated in his/her sleep, su¤ers a
essentially a plant with an exceptional capacity to constriction, or started to sweat heavily. This ex-
absorb solar and light energy. Jean-Hubert pression (‘door de mare bereden zijn’) is still used
Guéguen observed that the whole plant was per- today in East and West Flanders (De Cleene, M.
meated with light (Pelt, J.M., 1988, pp. 39-64). & M. Cl. Lejeune, 1997, personal observation).
36 Peters, H. (1918): pp. 106-109; Cirlot, J. (1962): All kinds of tricks were thought up to keep the
p. 202; Chevalier, J. & A. Gheerbrant (1974b): she-elf (mare) out of the house, such as crossing
pp. 80-81. the shoes at the end of the bed. When grain was
37 René Guénon pointed to the analogy between damaged by Ergot (a fungus), it was explained as
this symbol and the Egyptian sphinx with its the place where the she-elf had settled.
human head and lion’s body, symbols of ‘wis- 49 De Cock, A. (1909): Spreekwoorden, zegswijzen en
dom and strength’. uitdrukkingen op volksgeloof berustend. In: Volks-
38 Pliny the Elder thought that ‘Druid’ was derived kunde 20, p. 49; Biekorf, 1921, as mentioned in
from the Greek drus, meaning ‘oak, tree’ and the Vandenbussche, L. (1955): p. 589; Celis, J.,
Indo-Germanic vis/wid/id, meaning ‘wisdom, (1930b): pp. 13-14 and 32 (with notes by Prof. De
knowledge’. He apparently did not know that one Keyser); VDVV (1934-1935): vol. 6, pp. 385-386.
of the Celtic words for Oak was also daur or dervo 50 Celis, G. (1930b): p. 14.

422
51 Ingram, J. (s.d.): p. 311; Vandenbussche, L. wrote that the ordinary man in West Gotland be-
(1995): p. 589. lieved that houses in which Mistletoe was pre-
52 Collin de Plancy, M. (1826): vol. 3, p. 212. sent were protected against fire (Linnaeus, 1765,
53 Columella: De re rustica, vol. 6, 5, as mentioned in Reisen durch Westgotland, p. 39).
VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, p. 385. 73 Schübeler, P. (1875): Pflanzenwelt Norwegens,
54 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book p. 288.
XVI, chap. XCV. 74 Mistletoe hung up in the living room during the
55 Thiselton-Dyer, T. (1884): p. 11; Anonymous Christmas period protected the house from light-
(1950): p. 732; Opie, I. & M. Tatem (1989): p. 254; ning (Sta¤ordshire).
Baker, M. (1996): pp. 101. 75 Rolland, E. (1896-1913): vol. 6, p. 236; Sébillot, P.
56 Celis, G. (1930b): p. 31. (1906): vol. 3, p. 382.
57 Frazer (1951): pt. 7, volume 2, p. 86. 76 VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, p. 389; Frazer, J. (1951):
58 Ibid. pt. 7, vol. 2, pp. 84-86.
59 Sébillot, P. (1906): vol. 3, p. 385; Rolland, E. 77 Frazer, J. (1951): pt. 7, vol. 2, pp. 84-86.
(1896-1913): vol. 6, p. 235. 78 Vickery, R. (1997): p. 242.
60 Rolland, E. (1896-1913): vol. 6, p. 235. 79 ‘No Mistletoe, no luck’ (Frazer, J., 1951, pt. 7, vol. 2,
61 Biekorf 13, p. 72 and Biekorf 10, p. 330, as men- p. 86).
tioned in De Cock, A. (1909): Spreekwoorden, 80 Baker, M. (1996): p. 101.
zegswijzen en uitdrukkingen op volksgeloof berus- 81 Sébillot, P. (1906): vol. 3, p. 388.
tend. In: Volkskunde 20, p. 49. 82 The use of Mistletoe as a Christmas decoration,
62 De Cock, A. (1909): Spreekwoorden, zegswijzen en which increased in Germany at the end of the last
uitdrukkingen op volksgeloof berustend. In: Volks- century (mainly in the towns), is not a truly Ger-
kunde 20, p. 49. man popular custom, but a fashion imported
63 Vickery, R. (1997): p. 243. from England.
64 Teirlinck, I. (1930): pp. 317-318. 83 VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. 387-388; Bau-
65 For example, a branch of Alder that the she-elf mann, H. (1986): p. 69; Opie, I. & M. Tatem
has ridden is laid in bed too. In Denderbelle (1989): pp. 253-254.
(1909) one finds in many houses and stables a 84 Vickery, R. (1997): p. 243.
‘ridden’ beet root or beet stem (De Cock, A., 85 Brosse, J. (1989): pp. 98-108.
1909, Spreekwoorden, zegswijzen en uitdrukkingen 86 In certain parts of England Mistletoe was burnt
op volksgeloof berustend. In: Volkskunde 20, p. 50). on Twelfth Night (the eve of Epiphany) for fear
66 De Cock, A. (1909): Spreekwoorden, zegswijzen en that the boys and girls who had not kissed under-
uitdrukkingen op volksgeloof berustend. In: Volks- neath it would not find a marriage partner. In
kunde 20, p. 50; VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. Sta¤ordshire the Christmas bunch of Mistletoe
385-386; Vlaanderen, A. (1946): p. 58; Opie, I. & was kept throughout the year and only burnt the
M. Tatem (1989): pp. 253-254. next Christmas Day (Anonymous, 1950, p. 732;
67 Heavily forested group of highlands in the South- Baker, M., 1996, pp. 101).
Central USA, extending south-westward from St 87 Ingram, J. (s.d.): pp. 310-312; Peters, H. (1918):
Louis, Mo., to the River Arkansas (Anonymous, pp. 110-112; Anonymous (1950): p. 732; Bieder-
1989b). mann, H. (1992): pp. 243-244.
68 Baker, M. (1996): p. 100. 88 Baker, M. (1996): p. 101.
69 Dierbach, J. (1833): p. 151. 89 Opie, I. & M. Tatem (1989): pp. 75-77.
70 Peters, H. (1918): pp. 110-112. 90 Opie, I. & M. Tatem (1989): pp. 255-256.
71 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book 91 Ter Laan, K. (1949): p. 232; Cirlot, J. (1962):
XXXIII, chap. XXX. p. 202.
72 The renowned Swedish botanist Linnaeus also 92 Teirlinck, I. (1904): pp. 56-65.

423
 93 Anonymous (1950): p. 732; Frazer, J. (1951): pt. 7, 107 Hovorka, von, D. & U. Kronfeld (1908): p. 306;
vol. 2, p. 69. Peters, H. (1918): pp. 106-109; VDVV (1934-
94 ‘Omnia sanantem’. 1935): vol. VI, pp. 389-392; Anonymous (1950):
95 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book p. 732; Frazer, J. (1951): pt. 7, vol. 2, pp. 80-83;
XXIV, chap. VI. Kleijn, H. (1957): p. 101; Opie, I. & M. Tatem
96 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book (1989): pp. 254-255.
XVI, chap. XCV. 108 Teirlinck, I. (1930): pp. 317-318.
97 Ingram, J. (s.d.): pp. 310-312. 109 Kightly, C. (1994): December 14.
98 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book 110 Vickery, R. (1997): p. 242.
XVI, chap. XCV. The explanation for this may be 111 Baker, M. (1996): p. 101.
found in a form of analogy between the berries 112 Mistletoe is here incorrectly represented as a
and humans: the slimy content of the berry looks bush rooted in the ground; an error that can
like sperm, the berries take nine months to ripen probably be attributed to the fact that the plant
(like a human foetus) (Pelt, J.M., 1988, p. 61). The does not occur in Iceland.
syrupy juice of the berries is seen as oak sperm 113 VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. 382-383.
and was considered to be a fluid with consider- 114 She was the wife of the North-German god Odin/
able powers of rejuvenation (chulos) (Bieder- Woden.
mann, H., 1992, pp. 243-244). 115 The palace of immortality, inhabited by the souls
99 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book of heroes slain in battle.
XVI, chap. XCV. 116 Anonymous (1970-1975); Anonymous (1989c):
100 Celis, G. (1930b): p. 14. Everywhere in Flanders pp. 382-383.
where Mistletoe grows, the decoction made from 117 Biedermann, H. (1992): pp. 243-244.
it is considered to be an excellent means to im- 118 Thiselton-Dyer, T. (1884): p. 34.
prove the expulsion of the afterbirth in cows and 119 Baker, M. (1996): p. 101; The Times, 11th Decem-
thereby to ‘purify’ them (De Cock, A., 1909, ber 1979, as mentioned in Vickery, R. (1997):
Spreekwoorden, zegswijzen en uitdrukkingen op pp. 241-242.
volksgeloof berustend. In: Volkskunde 20, p. 52). 120 VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, pp. 387-388.
101 Hildegard von Bingen (c. 1150): Physika, vol. 3, 121 Baker, M. (1996): p. 100.
p. 2, as mentioned in VDVV (1934-1935): vol. VI, 122 de Lobel, M. (1581): p. 776; Peters, H. (1918):
p. 391. pp. 110-112.
102 One still (recently) finds analogous views on the 123 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book
medicinal powers of Mistletoe among the Ainus XXIV, chap. VI.
(on the North Japanese island of Hokkaido), the 124 Dodoens, R. (1554).
Mabuiag (in the Torres Straits) and the Walos 125 = resin.
(Senegal & Gambia) (Frazer, J., 1951, pt. 7, vol. 2, 126 Culpeper, N. (1653): p. 168.
pp. 79-80). 127 Frazer, J. (1951): pt. 7, vol. 2, p. 84.
103 Bock (1551): Kreuterbuch, p. 358r, as mentioned in 128 The maximum safe daily dose of leaves and
VDVV (1934-1935): vol. 6, p. 391; Dodoens, R. stems is 5 grams.
(1554, 1644); Tabernaemontanus, as mentioned 129 Anonymous (1979): p. 179; Launert, E. (1982):
in Marzell H. (1938), pp. 83-84. p. 88; Pelt, J.M. (1988): pp. 60-61.
104 Ter Laan, K. (1949): p. 232. 130 It is mainly because the Austrian doctor Rudolf
105 One almost always finds the viscum quercinum Steiner (1861-1925) recommended the plant as a
(Oak-mistletoe) in the old pharmacopoeias. cancer-inhibitor that there has been such great
106 Tubeuf provides an illustration in his Monogra- renewed interest in Mistletoe. Extracts were tak-
phie der Mistel, p. 719, as mentioned in VDVV en from Mistletoe as from 1917. Each type of
(1934-1935): vol. VI, p. 391. Mistletoe (originating from di¤erent host trees)

424
 was thought to be active against a specific form
of cancer [Sallé, G., Frochot, H. & S. Andary, 1993,
Le Gui. In: La Recherche 260 (24), pp. 1,334-1,342].
131 Anonymous (1950): p. 732; Biedermann, H.
(1992): pp. 243-244. The special Swiss mistletoe
product Iscador® is said to be useful in treating
carcinoma. The tumour hardens, so that the risk
of resorptive poisoning is reduced (Van Helle-
mont, J., 1993, p. 649). The Lektinol preparation
is said to improve the quality of life of cancer
su¤erers (Mistelpräparat verbessert Lebensquälität
von Krebspatienten. Interview mit Dr. Joachim
Beck, Sinsheim, Elsenz. In: Notfall Medizin, pp.
15 ¤., Sonderdruck aus 7/97).
132 Pliny the Elder (77 AD): Naturalis historia, book
XXIV, chap. VI; Galenus, as mentioned in Mun-
ting, A. (1696): p. 250.
133 Peters, H. (1918): pp. 110-112.
134 De Cleene, M. (1989): p. 40.
135 = Mistletoe.
136 The call depended on the area, but it always led
to presents being given.
137 Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Baron de, O. (1862): p. 8;
Harou, A. (1891): Wonderbare boomen der heide-
nen. In: Ons Volksleven 3, p. 29; Pelt, J.M. (1988):
pp. 39-64.
138 De Cock, A. (1909): Spreekwoorden, zegswijzen en
uitdrukkingen op volksgeloof berustend. In: Volks-
kunde 20, p. 52.
139 Ter Laan, K. (1949): p. 232.
140 de Lobel, M. (1581): pp. 775-776.

425