"Mystical
power of mistletoe and the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe owe
itself to the legend of Goddess Frigga and her son Balder. Frigga was
the Goddess of Love and her son, Balder, was the God of the Summer Sun.
Once, Balder dreamt of his death. He was worried and told his mother
about the strange dream. Frigga was worried not only for the life of her
son but also for the life on Earth because she knew that without
Balder, all life on Earth would come to an end. Thus, she did her utmost
to avoid such a mishap and went everywhere and to every being in air,
water, fire and earth to extract a promise that they would never harm
her son. She was promised safety of her son by every animal and plant
under and above the Earth. However, Loki, the God of Evil, who was the
enemy of Balder and always had evil designs in his mind, was aware that
there was one plant that Frigga had overlooked. It grew on apple and oak
trees and was known as Mistletoe. Thus, Loki made an arrow and placed
Mistletoe at its tip. He then beguiled the blind brother of Balder known
as Hoder, the God of Winter, and made him shoot this arrow at Balder.
Balder immediately was poisoned and died. Everybody was worried as the
Earth turned cold and life became dreary. Every creature tried to bring
Balder back to life for three days but it was finally Frigga who managed
to revive her son with the help of Mistletoe. Her tears on the plant
became pearly white berries and she blessed the plant anyone who stands
under the mistletoe plant would never be harmed and would be entitled to
a kiss as a token of love."
Christmas coincides with the Winter solstice which was honored in many
ancient cultures. In ancient Rome this day was celebrated as the Dies Natalis Invicti Solis,
the birth of the Sun god. Many rituals that are associated with
Christmas today derive their origins from Pagan worship and
celebrations.
The Christmas tree is one such example. The tree represents Axis Mundi that connects heaven and earth. It
is a symbol common to all cultures of the northern Europe that
celebrated the winter solstice. It was a custom to bring evergreen trees
into the homes as a reminder that the winter will be over soon and the
crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were often carried as symbols
of good luck and were often present at weddings where they represented
fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their
sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshiping huge trees.
Wishing everyone a healthy and peaceful Christmas.
May your hearts be filled with joy!
Dominique Allmon
Comments
Post a Comment
your comments are greatly appreciated