the golden bough-第253章

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on　without　the　use　of　iron；　and　if　when　gathered　it　was　not　allowed　to　touch　the　earth；　oak…mistletoe　thus　obtained　was　deemed　a　cure　for　epilepsy；　carried　about　by　women　it　assisted　them　to　conceive；　and　it　healed　ulcers　most　effectually；　if　only　the　sufferer　chewed　a　piece　of　the　plant　and　laid　another　piece　on　the　sore。　Yet；　again；　he　says　that　mistletoe　was　supposed；　like　vinegar　and　an　egg；　to　be　an　excellent　means　of　extinguishing　a　fire。

If　in　these　latter　passages　Pliny　refers；　as　he　apparently　does；　to　the　beliefs　current　among　his　contemporaries　in　Italy；　it　will　follow　that　the　Druids　and　the　Italians　were　to　some　extent　agreed　as　to　the　valuable　properties　possessed　by　mistletoe　which　grows　on　an　oak；　both　of　them　deemed　it　an　effectual　remedy　for　a　number　of　ailments；　and　both　of　them　ascribed　to　it　a　quickening　virtue；　the　Druids　believing　that　a　potion　prepared　from　mistletoe　would　fertilise　barren　cattle；　and　the　Italians　holding　that　a　piece　of　mistletoe　carried　about　by　a　woman　would　help　her　to　conceive　a　child。　Further；　both　peoples　thought　that　if　the　plant　were　to　exert　its　medicinal　properties　it　must　be　gathered　in　a　certain　way　and　at　a　certain　time。　It　might　not　be　cut　with　iron；　hence　the　Druids　cut　it　with　gold；　and　it　might　not　touch　the　earth；　hence　the　Druids　caught　it　in　a　white　cloth。　In　choosing　the　time　for　gathering　the　plant；　both　peoples　were　determined　by　observation　of　the　moon；　only　they　differed　as　to　the　particular　day　of　the　moon；　the　Italians　preferring　the　first；　and　the　Druids　the　sixth。

With　these　beliefs　of　the　ancient　Gauls　and　Italians　as　to　the　wonderful　medicinal　properties　of　mistletoe　we　may　compare　the　similar　beliefs　of　the　modern　Aino　of　Japan。　We　read　that　they；　like　many　nations　of　the　Northern　origin；　hold　the　mistletoe　in　peculiar　veneration。　They　look　upon　it　as　a　medicine；　good　in　almost　every　disease；　and　it　is　sometimes　taken　in　food　and　at　others　separately　as　a　decoction。　The　leaves　are　used　in　preference　to　the　berries；　the　latter　being　of　too　sticky　a　nature　for　general　purposes　。　But　many；　too；　suppose　this　plant　to　have　the　power　of　making　the　gardens　bear　plentifully。　When　used　for　this　purpose；　the　leaves　are　cut　up　into　fine　pieces；　and；　after　having　been　prayed　over；　are　sown　with　the　millet　and　other　seeds；　a　little　also　being　eaten　with　the　food。　Barren　women　have　also　been　known　to　eat　the　mistletoe；　in　order　to　be　made　to　bear　children。　That　mistletoe　which　grows　upon　the　willow　is　supposed　to　have　the　greatest　efficacy。　This　is　because　the　willow　is　looked　upon　by　them　as　being　an　especially　sacred　tree。

Thus　the　Aino　agree　with　the　Druids　in　regarding　mistletoe　as　a　cure　for　almost　every　disease；　and　they　agree　with　the　ancient　Italians　that　applied　to　women　it　helps　them　to　bear　children。　Again；　the　Druidical　notion　that　the　mistletoe　was　an　all…healer　or　panacea　may　be　compared　with　a　notion　entertained　by　the　Walos　of　Senegambia。　These　people　have　much　veneration　for　a　sort　of　mistletoe；　which　they　call　tob；　they　carry　leaves　of　it　on　their　persons　when　they　go　to　war　as　a　preservative　against　wounds；　just　as　if　the　leaves　were　real　talismans　（gris…gris）。　The　French　writer　who　records　this　practice　adds：　Is　it　not　very　curious　that　the　mistletoe　should　be　in　this　part　of　Africa　what　it　was　in　the　superstitions　of　the　Gauls？　This　prejudice；　common　to　the　two　countries；　may　have　the　same　origin；　blacks　and　whites　will　doubtless　have　seen；　each　of　them　for　themselves；　something　supernatural　in　a　plant　which　grows　and　flourishes　without　having　roots　in　the　earth。　May　they　not　have　believed；　in　fact；　that　it　was　a　plant　fallen　from　the　sky；　a　gift　of　the　divinity？

This　suggestion　as　to　the　origin　of　the　superstition　is　strongly　confirmed　by　the　Druidical　belief；　reported　by　Pliny；　that　whatever　grew　on　an　oak　was　sent　from　heaven　and　was　a　sign　that　the　tree　had　been　chosen　by　the　god　himself。　Such　a　belief　explains　why　the　Druids　cut　the　mistletoe；　not　with　a　common　knife；　but　with　a　golden　sickle；　and　why；　when　cut；　it　was　not　suffered　to　touch　the　earth；　probably　they　thought　that　the　celestial　plant　would　have　been　profaned　and　its　marvellous　virtue　lost　by　contact　with　the　ground。　With　the　ritual　observed　by　the　Druids　in　cutting　the　mistletoe　we　may　compare　the　ritual　which　in　Cambodia　is　prescribed　in　a　similar　case。　They　say　that　when　you　see　an　orchid　growing　as　a　parasite　on　a　tamarind　tree；　you　should　dress　in　white；　take　a　new　earthenware　pot；　then　climb　the　tree　at　noon；　break　off　the　plant；　put　it　in　the　pot　and　let　the　pot　fall　to　the　ground。　After　that　you　make　in　the　pot　a　decoction　which　confers　the　gift　of　invulnerability。　Thus　just　as　in　Africa　the　leaves　of　one　parasitic　plant　are　supposed　to　render　the　wearer　invulnerable；　so　in　Cambodia　a　decoction　made　from　another　parasitic　plant　is　considered　to　render　the　same　service　to　such　as　make　use　of　it；　whether　by　drinking　or　washing。　We　may　conjecture　that　in　both　places　the　notion　of　invulnerability　is　suggested　by　the　position　of　the　plant；　which；　occupying　a　place　of　comparative　security　above　the　ground；　appears　to　promise　to　its　fortunate　possessor　a　similar　security　from　some　of　the　ills　that　beset　the　life　of　man　on　earth。　We　have　already　met　with　examples　of　the　store　which　the　primitive　mind　sets　on　such　vantage　grounds。

Whatever　may　be　the　origin　of　these　beliefs　and　practices　concerning　the　mistletoe；　certain　it　is　that　some　of　them　have　their　analogies　in　the　folk…lore　of　modern　European　peasants。　For　example；　it　is　laid　down　as　a　rule　in　various　parts　of　Europe　that　mistletoe　may　not　be　cut　in　the　ordinary　way　but　must　be　shot　or　knocked　down　with　stones　from　the　tree　on　which　it　is　growing。　Thus；　in　the　Swiss　canton　of　Aargau　all　parasitic　plants　are　esteemed　in　a　certain　sense　holy　by　the　country　folk；　but　most　particularly　so　the　mistletoe　growing　on　an　oak。　They　ascribe　great　powers　to　it；　but　shrink　from　cutting　it　off　in　the　usual　manner。　Instead　of　that　they　procure　it　in　the　following　manner。　When　the　sun　is　in　Sagittarius　and　the　moon　is　on　the　wane；　on　the　first；　third；　or　fourth　day　before　the　new　moon；　one　ought　to　shoot　down　with　an　arrow　the　mistletoe　of　an　oak　and　to　catch　it　with　the　left　hand　as　it　falls。　Such　mistletoe　is　a　remedy　for　every　ailment　of　children。　Here　among　the　Swiss　peasants；　as　among　the　Druids　of　old；　special　virtue　is　ascribed　to　mistletoe　which　grows　on　an　oak：　it　may　not　be　cut　in　the　usual　way：　it　must　be　caught　as　it　falls　to　the　ground；　and　it　is　esteemed　a　panacea　for　all　diseases；　at　least　of　children。　In　Sweden；　also；　it　is　a　popular　superstition　that　if　mistletoe　is　to　possess　its　peculiar　virtue；　it　must　either　be　shot　down　out　of　the　oak　or　knocked　down　with　stones。　Similarly；　so　late　as　the　early　part　of　the　nineteenth　century；　people　in　Wales　believed　that　for　the　mistletoe　to　have　any　power；　it　must　be　shot　or　struck　down　with　stones　off　the　tree　where　it　grew。

Again；　in　respect　of　the　healing　virtues　of　mistletoe　the　opinion　of　modern　peasants；　and　even　of　the　learned；　has　to　some　extent　agreed　with　that　of　the　ancients。　The　Druids　appear　to　have　called　the　plant；　or　perhaps　the　oak　on　which　it　grew；　the　all…healer；　and　all…healer　is　said　to　be　still　a　name　of　the　mistletoe　in　the　modern　Celtic　speech　of　Brittany；　Wales；　Ireland；　and　Scotland。　On　St。　John's　morning　（Midsummer　morning）　peasants　of　Piedmont　and　Lombardy　go　out　to　search　the　oak…leaves　for　the　oil　of　St。　John；　which　is　supposed　to　heal　all　wounds　made　with　cutting　instruments。　Originally；　perhaps；　the　oil　of　St。　John　was　simply　the　mistletoe；　or　a　decoction　made　from　it。　For　in　Holstein　the　mistletoe；　especially　oak…mistletoe；　is　still　regarded　as　a　panacea　for　green　wounds　and　as　a　sure　charm　to　secure　success　in　hunting；　and　at　Lacaune；　in　the　south　of　France；　the　old　Druidical　belief　in　the　mistletoe　as　an　antidote　to　all　poisons　still　survives　among　the　peasantry；　they　apply　the　plant　to　the　stomach　of　the　sufferer　or　give　him　a　decoction　of　it　to　drink。　Again；　the　ancient　belief　that　mistletoe　is　a　cure　for　epilepsy　has　survived　in　modern　times　not　only　among　the　ignorant　but　among　the　learned。　Thus　in　Sweden　persons　afflicted　with　the　f