the golden bough-第203部分

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uffered　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　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　i