Henri-Paul Motte depicts the druid rite of cutting mistletoe with a golden blade

The aesthetics of druid life always remind me of pictures of Ancient Rus'.

Druids Cutting the Mistletoe on the Sixth Day of the Moon. Henri-Paul Motte (1846-1922)

It is believed that sprigs of mistletoe were cut with a golden blade, after which cattle were offered in sacrifice and the mistletoe was held to have become curative. The rite is linked to one of the druids' agricultural festivals, marking the passage from the warm and light half of the year to the cold and dark one.

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Henri-Paul Motte depicts the druid rite of cutting mistletoe with a golden blade

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