Mistletoe
|
Where are the paintings? This article is in need of more images and/or better quality pictures from Assassin's Creed: Valhalla — Dawn of Ragnarök and/or Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths in order to achieve a higher status. You can help the Assassin's Creed Wiki by uploading better images on this page. |
Mistletoe is the common name for a number of parasitic plants in the order Santalales. Its most famous species, Viscum album, is native to Europe, where it features in many myths and legends, such as in Norse mythology[1] as a symbol of hope and renewal.[2]
Mythology[edit | edit source]
In Norse myth, the goddess Frigg went about the world extracting a promise from every plant and animal that they would do her son, Baldr, no harm, accomplishing with all but the mistletoe, which made the god invulnerable to everything but the small plant.[3] In a telling of the Norse myth detailing Baldr's travels before being captured by the Muspels, he revealed his weakness to Loki,[3] who later collected the mistle-berries and baked them into a cake that he then gifted to Baldr while disguised as Eysa, princess of the Muspels. Though aware of Loki's treachery, Baldr still ate the cake and was captured by the ruler of Múspellsheimr, Surtr.[4]
History[edit | edit source]
In 9th century East Anglia, a sprig of mistletoe was part of a recipe for a charm meant to bless the harvest, called the "Charm of Crop Blóm".[5] In Ireland, mistle berries were given to the fae as offerings, alongside yarrow root and morning dew.[6]
In Eivor Varinsdottir's visions of Odin's time at Svartálfaheimr, the god and Freyja found a room in a building in Eitri which housed a table covered with mistletoe and nearby a note saying that only the plant would harm Baldr, which Odin suspected had been written by Loki.[7] Calder and Sinmara used many draughts made with the plant to torture Baldr.[2]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first mentioned)
- Wrath of the Druids (mentioned only)
- Dawn of Ragnarök (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑
Mistletoe on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarök – The Rescue
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths – Issue 2
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths – Issue 3
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Viking Expansion notes: Scroll of Potent Charms
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids – Viking Expansion notes: Letter to the Fairy
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarök – The Rescue