I have a confession to make…..I’m a mistletoe addict.
If I had my way the Xmas tree would be out, and a small bare oak tree covered in mistletoe balls would be in. Are you with me? Just think, no more pine needles to get stuck in your feet and freak out the cat. No dodgy Xmas lights you need a 30-foot stepladder to put up. No dangling baubles or tattered tinsel. Instead, we could have one of the world’s most mythical plants bringing minimalistic harmony to our tiny flat.
The roots of the Mistletoe myth
Mistletoe has been revered for centuries. In the pre-Christian era the white berries were symbols of male fertility. In Ancient Greece, the berries were called ‘oak sperm’ and were used by heroes such as Aeneas to reach the underworld. For the Druids it was central to the ‘Ritual of Oak and Mistletoe’; while the Norse gods were even more inventive and fashioned the woody twigs into arrows. A famous Norse legend has the god of winter, Hodur, killing his twin brother Baldr with a mistletoe arrow. The Norse equivalent of Kryptonite apparently.
I like the Roman view of Mistletoe the best. It was seen by the Romans as a bringer of peace, love and understanding and hung above doorways and throughout their houses. Perhaps this is where the Christian association with a kiss begins. Throughout the Middle Ages it was linked not only with fertility and vitality but also with protection from witches and ghosts.
I’d be quite happy to be visited this year by the ‘Ghost of Xmas Past’, in fact maybe all those Xmases spent with my parents on the Isle of Wight weren’t that bad after all. I wouldn’t even mind a visit from the ‘Ghost of Xmas Yet to Come’ because I know it’ll be a heck of a lot better than this one.
An ecological keystone
Mistletoe has had a bit of a reprieve in recent years. From being classed purely as a parasite it is now seen as important to the biodiversity of the planet. It not only provides nesting sites for birds but is a source of high-quality food for a wide range of forest and woodland animals.
Mistletoe, while relatively rare in the UK, can be found growing in abundance in France, including in and around Thollon, of course. Worldwide there are over 1500 different variants of the plant, and it’s even found in Australia and South America,
Apart from the decorative..
Mistletoe has also been used for medicinal purposes, treating arthritis, high blood pressure and epilepsy. In Nepal it was even used to mend broken bones. But, be careful, it’s toxic and will cause vomiting, blurred vision and seizures if eaten and can be fatal to cats and dogs. So, for goodness sake don’t eat it or there’ll likely be no more Xmas’s yet to come.
There you are, so much more interesting than a rapidly dehydrating Xmas tree that would have been much happier left in the forest, and by the way……refusing to be kissed underneath the mistletoe is considered to be bad luck 😉
So where does the wine come in? It would be rude not to have a small glass of mulled wine while putting up the mistletoe tree so here’s my favourite recipe in case you’d like to join me.
Thollon Mulled Wine
1 bottle good French red wine
½ bottle Maple Syrup
6 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
2 star anise
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
A little ground nutmeg to taste
2 or 3 slices of orange
Preparation
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well.
- Put on a medium heat and bring to a simmer. (Be careful not to let it boil or this will burn off the alcohol, and quite frankly spoil the taste)
- Turn the heat to low and leave to barely simmer for 15 minutes.
- If preparing ahead, turn off heat and leave spices to infuse for a couple of hours before reheating gently when ready to drink.
- Remove from heat and sieve out the cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, hand orange.
- Taste and add more maple syrup if necessary
- Serve warm in a heat proof mug or glass
