Christmas mushroom?
I bought a little bauble in the shape of a mushroom for the Christmas tree. It’s the fly agaric mushroom, or Amanita muscaria and I thought it attractive. However, it’s not something I had ever associated with Christmas, so I looked into it.
Some researchers have claimed that during the winter solstice, which occurs on 21st or 22nd December, Amanita was used in the ceremonies of ancient Arctic communities.
Fly agaric grows on the ground near birch and pine trees and is a formidable hallucinogenic. It is said that the shamans collected the mushrooms and conducted a festive ceremony for the winter solstice. The toxicity of the fungus was lessened by being filtered through the digestive tracts of reindeer. The resulting urine was then able to be drunk, and its magical properties experienced.
Another way to ingest the mushrooms without harm was to allow them first to dry out on the branches of trees or stuffed inside socks over a fire.
All this seems highly speculative. There is more conjecture here. Whatever the truth of it, fly agaric is attractive, though deadly. By the shortest day of midwinter, it is not generally to be found in the woods, which rather undermines the colourful theories.
It's a pretty ornament. I wouldn't like to try eating it though, hallucinogenics aren't my thing. I like my mind the way it is.
ReplyDeleteNo hallucinogenics here, either. Life is quite exciting enough!
DeleteA lovely new ornament for your tree.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas to you and your family, Janice.
Thank you, Bev. Merry Christmas to you and yours, too, and a healthy and happy 2025.
DeleteI believe I'll pass on the reindeer urine! 😲
ReplyDeleteI imagine it's an acquired taste - or one borne of desperation for hallucination.
DeleteThat’s interesting! It’s been an amazing year for fungi, at least it has in the woods down here!
ReplyDeleteIt’s also interesting what people put on their Christmas trees! I’m a bit of a traditionalist and have a collection of vintage baubles, mixed with a few modern ones or handmade decorations, which I love. But I noticed that my son has a miniature diver’s helmet on his tree! I must ask why! I know that many of their tree decorations have a story behind them.
Wishing you a very happy Christmas ..it’s been good to ‘meet’ you and read your blog! Sal 🎄🎅⛄️🎄🎅⛄️🎄😁
It's a joy to see all the different fungi in the woods and to see that some of them have been nibbled.
DeleteI have enjoyed reading your blog, too, and hope you have a fulfilling Christmas and happy 2025.
I wonder if the hallucinogenic had any effect on the reindeer. And how would you collect the urine of a hallucinating reindeer? So many questions. But the one thing out of all of this...now I understand how Santa's reindeer get so high.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Jabblog. To you, to the Thinker and to the Entropy Gang.
Ha ha ha! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too. Make sure you have a proper break after all your hard work.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great to know that it could be ingested via reindeer piss? Supposedly, anyway. And yes, it's a cutesy ornament. Happy Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteMakes a change from egg nog, I suppose. 😉
DeleteI have just a few different shaped baubles on my tree, but I do love to have a new one each year. Merry Christmas to all your family including your four legged friends.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marlene. To you and yours, too, a happy time at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of magic mushrooms but never Christmas ones. Do they make you spontaneously burst into Carol singing? Happy Christmas to you and to yours Jabblog.
ReplyDeleteI shall never find out, I fear.
DeleteHappy Christmas to you and yours, too, and a good and prosperous 2025. Janice.
Cute ornament for sure. I'll let the reindeer have it for supper and I'll pass on the drink, lol. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't appeal to me, either! Happy Christmas - I'll raise a glass of wine to you.
DeleteVery cute ornament. The toadstool is one of the good luck charms in Germany along with a chimney sweep, 4 leaf clover, and a pig.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. Chimney sweeps and four leaf clovers are lucky for us, too.
DeleteA mushroom ornament - why not. I have no urge to try any kind of magic mushroom, but this is a pretty ornament. Merry Christmas to you and thank you for your enjoyable posts.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours, too, and thank you for commenting so regularly.
DeleteThe ornament is pretty but I think I'll give the reindeer urine cocktail a pass!
ReplyDeleteStrangely, not many people seem keen to try the reindeer cocktail. 🍸
DeleteI like the ornament very much. Merry Christmas, Janice and to all your family. May it be filled with good things.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephanie. My good wishes to you and yours for a happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy 2025.
DeleteI heard a news story about Fly agaric the other day and now it pops up on your blog! Wonder what the Universe is trying to tell me?
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's suggesting you should try it. (Please don't!)
DeleteWow! I wonder who figured out to drink the urine of reindeer who ate it... crazy...It's all new to me but your ornament is pretty. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIt can't have been chance. I mean, why would you??
ReplyDeleteIt's very cute.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas!
ReplyDelete