Mistletoe
by Randi Grace Nilsberg
Title
Mistletoe
Artist
Randi Grace Nilsberg
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Mistletoe is a small parasitic shrub that grows on trees.It is winter green and gets green-white berries, and in some parts of the Oslofjord grows wild. The main population is in Horten, mostly in the apple trees in people's gardens. It thrives also on linden trees, maple, rowan and asal, etc. In Norway Mistletoe is strictly protected, in fact, the trees mistletoe live in the protected too and it is thus forbidden to pick mistletoe or remove the host tree. I was lucky and found this on the ground.
The Norse god Balder was the best loved of all the gods. His mother was Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son so much that she wanted to make sure no harm would come to him. So she went through the world, securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements--fire, water, air, and earth--that they would not harm her beloved Balder.
Loke, a sly, evil spirit, was envious of Balder. He found that the tiny mistletoe had not been taken into oath by Frigga. He made an arrow from its wood. To make the prank nastier, he took the arrow to Hod, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart, and he fell dead.
Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. In the version of the story with a happy ending, Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the offending plant--making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it.
In Victorian England, kissing under the mistletoe was serious business. If a girl refused a kiss, she shouldn't expect any marriage proposals for at least the next year, and many people would snub their noses at her, remarking that she would most likely end up an old maid.
Today, we take a much more lighthearted approach to the tradition. Although many couples simply just kiss when caught standing under it, there is actually a proper etiquette dating back to ancient times about kissing under the mistletoe. The gentleman should pluck one white berry while kissing the lady on the cheek. One kiss is allowed for each berry.
With this poster on the wall, you have as many berries as it takes!
Uploaded
March 13th, 2014
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