Pueros has been writing this saga, not only about ancient Rome, but also written in the style of Roman literature. It continues to have many interesting strands, one of which is the symbolism behind what mistletoe is which would make mistletoe the international plant of eunuchs.

Xan (imported) wrote: Mon Oct 20, 2003 9:04 am Pueros has been writing this saga, not only about ancient Rome, but also written in the style of Roman literature. It continues to have many interesting strands, one of which is the symbolism behind what mistletoe is which would make mistletoe the international plant of eunuchs.

Certainly the ancient Druids considered that the mistletoe on an oak formed divine genitalia and that its removal from the tree was the emasculation of a royal deity. Can anyone advise whether there is another plant with an even older claim to association with castration, or should mistletoe and its flower become the worthy floral symbol of eunuchism?

PUEROS

Years ago, Smithsonian magazine did an article about bog people. Among other things, the article discusses northern European earth cults. The part that caught my eye was the description of a ceremony in which young priests castrate themselves and fling their testicles at the tree of life. I was under the impression at the time that these cults were found mostly in Germanic Europe (Denmark and the northern part of modern Germany). Could mistletoe be a symbol of this?

I dont' have all of the references handy, but many cultures considered the mistletoe a divine plant. It seemed to have no roots, and could even thrive on a dead tree. Of course, this gave rise to many myths and legends about it, all of which can be found with an Internet search.

The Tree of Life, at least in Nordic mythology, was the Ash Tree. Odin himself is said to have hung upon an Ash tree for a long torturous period to learn the secret of the Ancient Runes.

Harry Potter fans will also note that mistletoe is often infested with "nargles"...whatever those are!