We all know that mistletoe hanging above a doorway at Christmas means romance might be in the air. But long before it became popular at Christmas parties, mistletoe has featured in our art, music, and stories - and it isn’t all as romantic as we might like to think.
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, growing out of the branches and boughs of host trees without ever touching the earth. Most of the host trees it grows on drop their leaves in autumn, however mistletoe itself is evergreen and so stands out as a peculiar burst of life on a cold winter’s day. The vison of this fruiting plant surrounded by bare branches and dead leaves has lead cultures across the globe to incorporate the plant into mythology. Often taking centre stage in stories that deal with mortality.
It’s believed that we may have first seen mistletoe hanging in the doorway during the ancient Roman celebrations of Saturnalia, a midwinter festival where social restraint was temporarily forgotten. But it’s speculated that a lesser-known Norse story may also have started off the winter tradition.
The story starts with the Norse god Balder being plagued with nightmares about his death. Concerned for his safety, the gods in Valhalla make every plant, animal, and all the natural world promise that they will not hurt Balder. Once they knew that he was invulnerable, the gods amused themselves by striking him with swords and shooting him with arrows – but nothing could hurt him. Annoyed by this, the mischievous god Loki sought out mistletoe, the only plant that was too young to make the promise to the gods that it would not hurt Balder. Loki put a mistletoe twig in the hands of his blind brother, Hother, and encouraged him to get involved in the excitement. Not able to see the plant Loki had given him, Hother threw the twig at Balder, killing him instantly. The gods stood in stunned silence, then wept fiercely for their loss. In memory of the tragedy, the gods blessed mistletoe to only be used for usefulness, happiness, and love. This may have been the start of the tradition of sharing a kiss beneath a twig of mistletoe.
