IWSG, Kissing Under the Misting Twig, Weird Word, Quotes, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!

This month's question is: Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader?

I don't like cliffhangers at the end of stand-alone stories or novels as that - for me - smacks of the author not being able figure out a good ending, like they painted themselves into a corner and don't know how to get out of the room. Leaving the reader with the sense that more could happen, that there's more the characters could do is one thing, but to have a story simply end with nothing resolved is very frustrating. Now, if it's at the end of a story that's going to continue with further installments (think Dickens) or trilogies and the like, I have no problem with cliffhangers. Something's gotta keep you wanting to read more.

Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.

Today's phrase is: Kissing under the mistletoe

Because it's the season, don't you know. 

Blame it on the Greeks who used it medicinally for everything from menstrual cramps to epilepsy. It is thought that during their winter festival of, Kronia, mistletoe may have played a part, including kissing under it.

The verse says:
Bridget the Cook on Christmas day,
When all was Mirth & Jollity,
Was rudely kissed, by Saucy Joe,
And that beneath the Mistletoe.

But she returned it with the Ladle,
and laid about, when he was Addle,
For Maids are not to be thus taken,
And all their Virgin Honor shaken.

However in Western European culture it was the Druids of the first century who made it somewhat sacred. Because it was green and bloomed in the deepest cold they believed it restored fertility.

It can also be found in Norse mythology. "When the god Odin’s son Baldur was prophesied to die, his mother Frigg, the goddess of love, went to all the animals and plants of the natural world to secure an oath that they would not harm him. 

But Frigg neglected to consult with the unassuming mistletoe, so the scheming god Loki made an arrow from the plant and saw that it was used to kill the otherwise invincible Baldur. According to one sunnier version of the myth, the gods were able to resurrect Baldur from the dead. Delighted, Frigg then declared mistletoe a symbol of love and vowed to plant a kiss on all those who passed beneath it."

No one knows how mistletoe went from sacred herb to holiday decoration, but to me it seems kind of obvious. It's green all winter and even blooms. We haul green trees into the house, holly with it's red berried is draped about, so why not add mistletoe to the mix? When most things a leafless, having greenery around reminds us that things aren't dead.

It's interesting to note that  mistletoe is toxic even though it was used by the ancients as an herbal balm.

There is a lot more information about it here in the Britannica.

Today's Weird Word is: Mistletoe

Now, on to it's actual etymology which made give one pause...

Mistel is Old English with a lot of variants from other languages - Old Saxon, Dutch, Old High German, German and Swedish. There was/is a bird called the missel thrush that was known to eat mistletoe seeds and then poop them out. Thus the "mist" in mistletoe, meaning "urine, dung, filth." Toe comes from the word tan which means "twig." 

So from this rather strange origin we have decided a toxic plant, whose name basically means "misting (or urinating) twig," represents love and that we kiss under it.

Humans, we are so weird.

j

Quotes of the Month

Sing hey! Sing hey!

For Christmas Day;

Twine mistletoe and holly.

For a friendship glows

In winter snows,

And so let's all be jolly!

At Christmas play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year

Thomas Tusser

So, mistletoe, in fact, symbolizes mistletoe.

Terry Pratchett

"Mistletoe," said Luna dreamily, pointing at a large clump of white berries placed almost over Harry's head. He jumped out from under it. 

"Good thinking," said Luna seriously. "It's often infested with nargles."

J. K. Rowling

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for warmth, running water, food, and electricity.

What are you thankful for? Do you like cliffhangers? Have you ever been kissed under the misting twig?