the golden bough-第254章

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times　not　only　among　the　ignorant　but　among　the　learned。　Thus　in　Sweden　persons　afflicted　with　the　falling　sickness　think　they　can　ward　off　attacks　of　the　malady　by　carrying　about　with　them　a　knife　which　has　a　handle　of　oak　mistletoe；　and　in　Germany　for　a　similar　purpose　pieces　of　mistletoe　used　to　be　hung　round　the　necks　of　children。　In　the　French　province　of　Bourbonnais　a　popular　remedy　for　epilepsy　is　a　decoction　of　mistletoe　which　has　been　gathered　on　an　oak　on　St。　John's　Day　and　boiled　with　rye…flour。　So　at　Bottesford　in　Lincolnshire　a　decoction　of　mistletoe　is　supposed　to　be　a　palliative　for　this　terrible　disease。　Indeed　mistletoe　was　recommended　as　a　remedy　for　the　falling　sickness　by　high　medical　authorities　in　England　and　Holland　down　to　the　eighteenth　century。

However；　the　opinion　of　the　medical　profession　as　to　the　curative　virtues　of　mistletoe　has　undergone　a　radical　alteration。　Whereas　the　Druids　thought　that　mistletoe　cured　everything；　modern　doctors　appear　to　think　that　it　cures　nothing。　If　they　are　right；　we　must　conclude　that　the　ancient　and　widespread　faith　in　the　medicinal　virtue　of　mistletoe　is　a　pure　superstition　based　on　nothing　better　than　the　fanciful　inferences　which　ignorance　has　drawn　from　the　parasitic　nature　of　the　plant；　its　position　high　up　on　the　branch　of　a　tree　seeming　to　protect　it　from　the　dangers　to　which　plants　and　animals　are　subject　on　the　surface　of　the　ground。　From　this　point　of　view　we　can　perhaps　understand　why　mistletoe　has　so　long　and　so　persistently　been　prescribed　as　a　cure　for　the　falling　sickness。　As　mistletoe　cannot　fall　to　the　ground　because　it　is　rooted　on　the　branch　of　a　tree　high　above　the　earth；　it　seems　to　follow　as　a　necessary　consequence　that　an　epileptic　patient　cannot　possibly　fall　down　in　a　fit　so　long　as　he　carries　a　piece　of　mistletoe　in　his　pocket　or　a　decoction　of　mistletoe　in　his　stomach。　Such　a　train　of　reasoning　would　probably　be　regarded　even　now　as　cogent　by　a　large　portion　of　the　human　species。

Again　the　ancient　Italian　opinion　that　mistletoe　extinguishes　fire　appears　to　be　shared　by　Swedish　peasants；　who　hang　up　bunches　of　oak…mistletoe　on　the　ceilings　of　their　rooms　as　a　protection　against　harm　in　general　and　conflagration　in　particular。　A　hint　as　to　the　way　in　which　mistletoe　comes　to　be　possessed　of　this　property　is　furnished　by　the　epithet　thunder…bosom；　which　people　of　the　Aargau　canton　in　Switzerland　apply　to　the　plant。　For　a　thunder…besom　is　a　shaggy；　bushy　excrescence　on　branches　of　trees；　which　is　popularly　believed　to　be　produced　by　a　flash　of　lightning；　hence　in　Bohemia　a　thunder…besom　burnt　in　the　fire　protects　the　house　against　being　struck　by　a　thunder…bolt。　Being　itself　a　product　of　lightning　it　naturally　serves；　on　homoeopathic　principles；　as　a　protection　against　lightning；　in　fact　as　a　kind　of　lightning…conductor。　Hence　the　fire　which　mistletoe　in　Sweden　is　designed　especially　to　avert　from　houses　may　be　fire　kindled　by　lightning；　though　no　doubt　the　plant　is　equally　effective　against　conflagration　in　general。

Again；　mistletoe　acts　as　a　master…key　as　well　as　a　lightning…conductor；　for　it　is　said　to　open　all　locks。　But　perhaps　the　most　precious　of　all　the　virtues　of　mistletoe　is　that　it　affords　efficient　protection　against　sorcery　and　witchcraft。　That；　no　doubt；　is　the　reason　why　in　Austria　a　twig　of　mistletoe　is　laid　on　the　threshold　as　a　preventive　of　nightmare；　and　it　may　be　the　reason　why　in　the　north　of　England　they　say　that　if　you　wish　your　dairy　to　thrive　you　should　give　your　bunch　of　mistletoe　to　the　first　cow　that　calves　after　New　Year's　Day；　for　it　is　well　known　that　nothing　is　so　fatal　to　milk　and　butter　as　witchcraft。　Similarly　in　Wales；　for　the　sake　of　ensuring　good　luck　to　the　dairy；　people　used　to　give　a　branch　of　mistletoe　to　the　first　cow　that　gave　birth　to　a　calf　after　the　first　hour　of　the　New　Year；　and　in　rural　districts　of　Wales；　where　mistletoe　abounded；　there　was　always　a　profusion　of　it　in　the　farmhouses。　When　mistletoe　was　scarce；　Welsh　farmers　used　to　say；　No　mistletoe；　no　luck；　but　if　there　was　a　fine　crop　of　mistletoe；　they　expected　a　fine　crop　of　corn。　In　Sweden　mistletoe　is　diligently　sought　after　on　St。　John's　Eve；　the　people　believing　it　to　be；　in　a　high　degree；　possessed　of　mystic　qualities；　and　that　if　a　sprig　of　it　be　attached　to　the　ceiling　of　the　dwelling…house；　the　horse's　stall；　or　the　cow's　crib；　the　Troll　will　then　be　powerless　to　injure　either　man　or　beast。

With　regard　to　the　time　when　the　mistletoe　should　be　gathered　opinions　have　varied。　The　Druids　gathered　it　above　all　on　the　sixth　day　of　the　moon；　the　ancient　Italians　apparently　on　the　first　day　of　the　moon。　In　modern　times　some　have　preferred　the　full　moon　of　March　and　others　the　waning　moon　of　winter　when　the　sun　is　in　Sagittarius。　But　the　favourite　time　would　seem　to　be　Midsummer　Eve　or　Midsummer　Day。　We　have　seen　that　both　in　France　and　Sweden　special　virtues　are　ascribed　to　mistletoe　gathered　at　Midsummer。　The　rule　in　Sweden　is　that　mistletoe　must　be　cut　on　the　night　of　Midsummer　Eve　when　sun　and　moon　stand　in　the　sign　of　their　might。　Again；　in　Wales　it　was　believed　that　a　sprig　of　mistletoe　gathered　on　St。　John's　Eve　（Midsummer　Eve）；　or　at　any　time　before　the　berries　appeared；　would　induce　dreams　of　omen；　both　good　and　bad；　if　it　were　placed　under　the　pillow　of　the　sleeper。　Thus　mistletoe　is　one　of　the　many　plants　whose　magical　or　medicinal　virtues　are　believed　to　culminate　with　the　culmination　of　the　sun　on　the　longest　day　of　the　year。　Hence　it　seems　reasonable　to　conjecture　that　in　the　eyes　of　the　Druids；　also；　who　revered　the　plant　so　highly；　the　sacred　mistletoe　may　have　acquired　a　double　portion　of　its　mystic　qualities　at　the　solstice　in　June；　and　that　accordingly　they　may　have　regularly　cut　it　with　solemn　ceremony　on　Midsummer　Eve。

Be　that　as　it　may；　certain　it　is　that　the　mistletoe；　the　instrument　of　Balder's　death；　has　been　regularly　gathered　for　the　sake　of　its　mystic　qualities　on　Midsummer　Eve　in　Scandinavia；　Balder's　home。　The　plant　is　found　commonly　growing　on　pear…trees；　oaks；　and　other　trees　in　thick　damp　woods　throughout　the　more　temperate　parts　of　Sweden。　Thus　one　of　the　two　main　incidents　of　Balder's　myth　is　reproduced　in　the　great　midsummer　festival　of　Scandinavia。　But　the　other　main　incident　of　the　myth；　the　burning　of　Balder's　body　on　a　pyre；　has　also　its　counterpart　in　the　bonfires　which　still　blaze；　or　blazed　till　lately；　in　Denmark；　Norway；　and　Sweden　on　Midsummer　Eve。　It　does　not　appear；　indeed；　that　any　effigy　is　burned　in　these　bonfires；　but　the　burning　of　an　effigy　is　a　feature　which　might　easily　drop　out　after　its　meaning　was　forgotten。　And　the　name　of　Balder's　balefires　（Balder's　Balar）；　by　which　these　midsummer　fires　were　formerly　known　in　Sweden；　puts　their　connexion　with　Balder　beyond　the　reach　of　doubt；　and　makes　it　probable　that　in　former　times　either　a　living　representative　or　an　effigy　of　Balder　was　annually　burned　in　them。　Midsummer　was　the　season　sacred　to　Balder；　and　the　Swedish　poet　Tegner；　in　placing　the　burning　of　Balder　at　midsummer；　may　very　well　have　followed　an　old　tradition　that　the　summer　solstice　was　the　time　when　the　good　god　came　to　his　untimely　end。

Thus　it　has　been　shown　that　the　leading　incidents　of　the　Balder　myth　have　their　counterparts　in　those　fire…festivals　of　our　European　peasantry　which　undoubtedly　date　from　a　time　long　prior　to　the　introduction　of　Christianity。　The　pretence　of　throwing　the　victim　chosen　by　lot　into　the　Beltane　fire；　and　the　similar　treatment　of　the　man；　the　future　Green　Wolf；　at　the　midsummer　bonfire　in　Normandy；　may　naturally　be　interpreted　as　traces　of　an　older　custom　of　actually　burning　human　beings　on　these　occasions；　and　the　green　dress　of　the　Green　Wolf；　coupled　with　the　leafy　envelope　of　the　young　fellow　who　trod　out　the　midsummer　fire　at　Moosheim；　seems　to　hint　that　the　persons　who　perished　at　these　festivals　did　so　in　the　character　of　tree…spirits　or　deities　of　vegetation。　From　all　this　we　may　reasonably　infer　that　in　the　Balder　myth　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　fire…festivals　and　custom　of　gathering　mistletoe　on　the　other　hand；　we　have；　as　it　were；　the　two　broken　and　dissevered　halves　of　an　original　whole。　In　other　words；　we　may　assume　with　some