Page 40 - All About History - Issue 59-17

Mythbusting Christmas

The sTone of sCone

The controversy behind the historic symbol

The ancient Stone of Scone had been used for centuries for the coronation
of the monarchs of Scotland before it was brought to England by Edward I
in 1296. Subsequently used for the coronations of English and later British
monarchs, it was last used for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
On Christmas Day 1950, the Stone was removed from its place at
Westminster Abbey and returned to Scotland by four Scottish students and
nationalists. It was finally brought back to England in 1952 but this was
rumoured to be a fake, with the original still in Scotland. In 1996, the decision
was made by the British Government to move the Stone to Scotland until the
next coronation. It was taken to Edinburgh Castle with its return marking 700 The Stone of Scone is used at
years since it had been removed by the English. British coronations

lawBreaking Kiss me unDer The misTleToe

minCe Pies

As we know, Oliver Cromwell and Parliament The history of the festive plant
banished Christmas celebrations and made mince The Celtic Druids believed that mistletoe was a symbol of fertility because it could survive the
pies and other Christmas foods illegal, hoping that harsh winters and still bear berries. It was used in elixirs designed to cure infertility and sprigs
it would drive out the gluttony in the country. of it would also be hung over doorways as protection against evil spirits.
However, when Charles II became king in 1660, the In Norse mythology, the tale of Baldr — the son of Odin and Frigg — is associated with
ban was lifted and the law no longer exists. mistletoe. There was a prophecy that Baldr would die and so Frigg, the goddess of love, made
every creature and
plant on Earth promise
to never hurt him.
However, she failed
to ask the harmless
mistletoe and so Loki
made an arrow out of
the plant, which he
used to kill Baldr. Frigg
was devastated and it
was said that her tears
formed the mistletoe’s
white berries. In one
version of the tale,
Baldr was restored to
life and Frigg blessed
the plant as a symbol
of love, swearing
to kiss anyone who
walked under it.
founding At some point in
of the kkk the 18th century,
mistletoe became
The first Ku Klux Klan was founded ingrained in Christmas
on Christmas Eve 1865 by six tradition, although
Confederate veterans after the end it is unknown how
of the American Civil War. They used and why it became
violence, intimidation and murder
in the hope of restoring white a fixture of festive
supremacy in the South and celebrations in the Mistletoe is seen as a romantic
wore masks to hide first place. plant at Christmas
their identities.