It Must Have Been the Mistletoe

When I was hiking up the North Fork of Pine Creek in the Red Rocks of s. Nevada, I came across this juniper with mistletoe growing in it. Then, I later enlightened myself by reading about mistletoe. The word 'mistletoe' is of uncertain etymology; it may be related to German Mist, for dung and Tang for branch, but Old English mistel was also used for basil. A popular myth says that the Mistletoe was cut with a gold sickle and it lost its power if it fell and touched the ground. (I hope this doesn't happen to any SP-members, because I hate to see a loss of power.) Anyway, this is a confusion with the Holly 'holy' Tree, the most sacred tree of the druids (after the Oak) due to BOTH plants being green all year, having colorful fruits and sharing similar history of winter months. Getafix, the druid in the Asterix comics was often seen up trees collecting Mistletoe, and it was alluded to be an ingredient in his magic potion. In Romanian traditions, mistletoe is considered a source of good fortune. The medical and the supposed magical properties of the plant are stil being used. Mistletoe has sometimes been nicknamed the vampire plant because it can probe beneath the tree bark to drain water and minerals, enabling it to survive during a drought. Most mistletoe seeds are spread by birds, such as the Mistle Thrush in Europe, the Phainopepla in southwestern North America, and Dicaeum of Asia and Australia; they derive sustenance through eating the fruits (drupes). The seeds are excreted in their droppings and stick to twigs, or more commonly the bird grips the fruit in its bill, and then wipes its bill on a suitable branch. A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present, as the mistletoe ATTRACTS berry-eating birds which also eat juniper berries. Before I read this, all I knew is that according to a custom of Christmas cheer, any two people who meet under a 'hanging of mistletoe' are obliged to kiss. (This custom is Scandinavian in origin.) I think I like the Scandinavian custom most of all!! "Ho Ho, the Mistletoe, and to ALL a GOOD NIGHT! (March 2008)