Jr. Patriot Report

by John Stumpner

One of the many plants we decorate with at Christmastime is mistletoe. In nature, mistletoe grows in the upper branches of other trees, getting most of its food from the tree it’s growing in. This type of plant is called a parasite. Mistletoe also was and still is a symbol of peace and friendship in many cultures.

One of the more interesting stories about mistletoe comes from the stories about the Viking gods and goddesses. Baldur was one of the sons of Odin, and was very handsome, generous and popular. However, he was afraid that the plants and animals in the world were out to get him. To make him feel better, his mother, Frigg, went around the world and got all the plants and animals to promise not to hurt Baldur. However, she forgot to get a promise from the mistletoe. Loki the trickster was jealous of Baldur’s good looks and popularity and wanted to hurt him. He made a spear of mistletoe and tricked Baldur’s blind brother Hodur into throwing it at Baldur, which killed him. Frigg felt so bad about forgetting the mistletoe, that she made it into a symbol of peace and friendship. The other gods and goddesses missed Baldur so much that they convinced the gods of the underworld to let Baldur come back to life. Because of this, Vikings would hang mistletoe in their doorways to remind themselves “don’t forget the mistletoe.” Also, if a Viking met an enemy under a mistletoe plant, they would not fight that day or the next.

ABATE of Wisconsin and freedom of the road are similar to mistletoe in that we encourage and promote fellowship among the various types of bikers in the motorcycling community. No matter what other differences ABATE members may have, it is freedom of the road that brings us together. When you see mistletoe hanging up this holiday season, remember that it is a symbol of peace and friendship. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

John