The History of the Mistletoe

In Norse mythology, Frigg was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She was married to Odin, the chief of the gods, and was the mother of the god Baldur.

Baldur was a handsome and beloved god who was known for his goodness and purity. He was the god of light, joy, and innocence, and was loved by all the gods and mortals alike.

One day, Baldur had a dream in which he saw his own death. Frigg was worried about her son and went to every object in the world, asking them to swear not to harm Baldur. She was successful in getting every object to take the oath, except for one: mistletoe.

Frigg thought nothing of this at first, believing that mistletoe was too small and harmless to cause any harm to her son. But she was wrong.

The mischievous god Loki, who was jealous of Baldur’s popularity, saw an opportunity to kill the god. He fashioned a dart out of mistletoe and gave it to the blind god Höðr, who unknowingly shot it at Baldur, killing him.

Frigg was devastated by her son’s death and wept tears of gold. She searched for the person responsible and was told it was Loki who had tricked Höðr into shooting Baldur with the mistletoe dart.

Filled with anger and grief, Frigg vowed that mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon. Instead, she declared that anyone who passed beneath the mistletoe plant would be kissed as a sign of love and peace.

To this day, mistletoe is still associated with love and peace in Norse culture, and many people still exchange kisses under mistletoe during the holiday season as a reminder of the love and peace that the plant represents.


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