the golden bough-第155章

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carted　through　the　village　amid　general　laughter。　In　some　districts　of　Bavaria；　Thüringen；　and　elsewhere；　the　man　who　threshes　the　last　sheaf　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Woman　or　the　Old　Corn…woman；　he　is　tied　up　in　straw；　carried　or　carted　about　the　village；　and　set　down　at　last　on　the　dunghill；　or　taken　to　the　threshing…floor　of　a　neighbouring　farmer　who　has　not　finished　his　threshing。　In　Poland　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　called　Baba　（Old　Woman）；　he　is　wrapt　in　corn　and　wheeled　through　the　village。　Sometimes　in　Lithuania　the　last　sheaf　is　not　threshed；　but　is　fashioned　into　female　shape　and　carried　to　the　barn　of　a　neighbour　who　has　not　finished　his　threshing。

In　some　parts　of　Sweden；　when　a　stranger　woman　appears　on　the　threshing…floor；　a　flail　is　put　round　her　body；　stalks　of　corn　are　wound　round　her　neck；　a　crown　of　ears　is　placed　on　her　head；　and　the　threshers　call　out；　Behold　the　Corn…woman。　Here　the　stranger　woman；　thus　suddenly　appearing；　is　taken　to　be　the　corn…spirit　who　has　just　been　expelled　by　the　flails　from　the　corn…stalks。　In　other　cases　the　farmer's　wife　represents　the　corn…spirit。　Thus　in　the　Commune　of　Saligné　（Vendée）；　the　farmer's　wife；　along　with　the　last　sheaf；　is　tied　up　in　a　sheet；　placed　on　a　litter；　and　carried　to　the　threshing　machine；　under　which　she　is　shoved。　Then　the　woman　is　drawn　out　and　the　sheaf　is　threshed　by　itself；　but　the　woman　is　tossed　in　the　sheet；　as　if　she　were　being　winnowed。　It　would　be　impossible　to　express　more　clearly　the　identification　of　the　woman　with　the　corn　than　by　this　graphic　imitation　of　threshing　and　winnowing　her。

In　these　customs　the　spirit　of　the　ripe　corn　is　regarded　as　old；　or　at　least　as　of　mature　age。　Hence　the　names　of　Mother；　Grandmother；　Old　Woman；　and　so　forth。　But　in　other　cases　the　corn…spirit　is　conceived　as　young。　Thus　at　Saldern；　near　Wolfenbuttel；　when　the　rye　has　been　reaped；　three　sheaves　are　tied　together　with　a　rope　so　as　to　make　a　puppet　with　the　corn　ears　for　a　head。　This　puppet　is　called　the　Maiden　or　the　Corn…maiden。　Sometimes　the　corn…spirit　is　conceived　as　a　child　who　is　separated　from　its　mother　by　the　stroke　of　the　sickle。　This　last　view　appears　in　the　Polish　custom　of　calling　out　to　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　corn；　You　have　cut　the　navel…string。　In　some　districts　of　West　Prussia　the　figure　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Bastard；　and　a　boy　is　wrapt　up　in　it。　The　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　and　represents　the　Corn…mother　is　told　that　she　is　about　to　be　brought　to　bed；　she　cries　like　a　woman　in　travail；　and　an　old　woman　in　the　character　of　grandmother　acts　as　midwife。　At　last　a　cry　is　raised　that　the　child　is　born；　whereupon　the　boy　who　is　tied　up　in　the　sheaf　whimpers　and　squalls　like　an　infant。　The　grandmother　wraps　a　sack；　in　imitation　of　swaddling　bands；　round　the　pretended　baby；　who　is　carried　joyfully　to　the　barn；　lest　he　should　catch　cold　in　the　open　air。　In　other　parts　of　North　Germany　the　last　sheaf；　or　the　puppet　made　out　of　it；　is　called　the　Child；　the　Harvest…Child；　and　so　on；　and　they　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　you　are　getting　the　child。

In　some　parts　of　Scotland；　as　well　as　in　the　north　of　England；　the　last　handful　of　corn　cut　on　the　harvest…field　was　called　the　kirn；　and　the　person　who　carried　it　off　was　said　to　win　the　kirn。　It　was　then　dressed　up　like　a　child's　doll　and　went　by　the　name　of　the　kirn…baby；　the　kirn…doll；　or　the　Maiden。　In　Berwickshire　down　to　about　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　there　was　an　eager　competition　among　the　reapers　to　cut　the　last　bunch　of　standing　corn。　They　gathered　round　it　at　a　little　distance　and　threw　their　sickles　in　turn　at　it；　and　the　man　who　succeeded　in　cutting　it　through　gave　it　to　the　girl　he　preferred。　She　made　the　corn　so　cut　into　a　kirn…dolly　and　dressed　it；　and　the　doll　was　then　taken　to　the　farmhouse　and　hung　up　there　till　the　next　harvest；　when　its　place　was　taken　by　the　new　kirn…dolly。　At　Spottiswoode　in　Berwickshire　the　reaping　of　the　last　corn　at　harvest　was　called　cutting　the　Queen　almost　as　often　as　cutting　the　kirn。　The　mode　of　cutting　it　was　not　by　throwing　sickles。　One　of　the　reapers　consented　to　be　blindfolded；　and　having　been　given　a　sickle　in　his　hand　and　turned　twice　or　thrice　about　by　his　fellows；　he　was　bidden　to　go　and　cut　the　kirn。　His　groping　about　and　making　wild　strokes　in　the　air　with　his　sickle　excited　much　hilarity。　When　he　had　tired　himself　out　in　vain　and　given　up　the　task　as　hopeless；　another　reaper　was　blindfolded　and　pursued　the　quest；　and　so　on；　one　after　the　other；　till　at　last　the　kirn　was　cut。　The　successful　reaper　was　tossed　up　in　the　air　with　three　cheers　by　his　brother　harvesters。　To　decorate　the　room　in　which　the　kirn…supper　was　held　at　Spottiswoode　as　well　as　the　granary；　where　the　dancing　took　place；　two　women　made　kirn…dollies　or　Queens　every　year；　and　many　of　these　rustic　effigies　of　the　corn…spirit　might　be　seen　hanging　up　together。

In　some　parts　of　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　the　last　handful　of　corn　that　is　cut　by　the　reapers　on　any　particular　farm　is　called　the　Maiden；　or　in　Gaelic　Maidhdeanbuain；　literally；　the　shorn　Maiden。　Superstitions　attach　to　the　winning　of　the　Maiden。　If　it　is　got　by　a　young　person；　they　think　it　an　omen　that　he　or　she　will　be　married　before　another　harvest。　For　that　or　other　reasons　there　is　a　strife　between　the　reapers　as　to　who　shall　get　the　Maiden；　and　they　resort　to　various　stratagems　for　the　purpose　of　securing　it。　One　of　them；　for　example；　will　often　leave　a　handful　of　corn　uncut　and　cover　it　up　with　earth　to　hide　it　from　the　other　reapers；　till　all　the　rest　of　the　corn　on　the　field　is　cut　down。　Several　may　try　to　play　the　same　trick；　and　the　one　who　is　coolest　and　holds　out　longest　obtains　the　coveted　distinction。　When　it　has　been　cut；　the　Maiden　is　dressed　with　ribbons　into　a　sort　of　doll　and　affixed　to　a　wall　of　the　farmhouse。　In　the　north　of　Scotland　the　Maiden　is　carefully　preserved　till　Yule　morning；　when　it　is　divided　among　the　cattle　to　make　them　thrive　all　the　year　round。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Balquhidder；　Perthshire；　the　last　handful　of　corn　is　cut　by　the　youngest　girl　on　the　field；　and　is　made　into　the　rude　form　of　a　female　doll；　clad　in　a　paper　dress；　and　decked　with　ribbons。　It　is　called　the　Maiden；　and　is　kept　in　the　farmhouse；　generally　above　the　chimney；　for　a　good　while；　sometimes　till　the　Maiden　of　the　next　year　is　brought　in。　The　writer　of　this　book　witnessed　the　ceremony　of　cutting　the　Maiden　at　Balquhidder　in　September　1888。　A　lady　friend　informed　me　that　as　a　young　girl　she　cut　the　Maiden　several　times　at　the　request　of　the　reapers　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Perth。　The　name　of　the　Maiden　was　given　to　the　last　handful　of　standing　corn；　a　reaper　held　the　top　of　the　bunch　while　she　cut　it。　Afterwards　the　bunch　was　plaited；　decked　with　ribbons；　and　hung　up　in　a　conspicuous　place　on　the　wall　of　the　kitchen　till　the　next　Maiden　was　brought　in。　The　harvest…supper　in　this　neighbourhood　was　also　called　the　Maiden；　the　reapers　danced　at　it。

On　some　farms　on　the　Gareloch；　in　Dumbartonshire；　about　the　year　1830；　the　last　handful　of　standing　corn　was　called　the　Maiden。　It　was　divided　in　two；　plaited；　and　then　cut　with　the　sickle　by　a　girl；　who；　it　was　thought；　would　be　lucky　and　would　soon　be　married。　When　it　was　cut　the　reapers　gathered　together　and　threw　their　sickles　in　the　air。　The　Maiden　was　dressed　with　ribbons　and　hung　in　the　kitchen　near　the　roof；　where　it　was　kept　for　several　years　with　the　date　attached。　Sometimes　five　or　six　Maidens　might　be　seen　hanging　at　once　on　hooks。　The　harvest…supper　was　called　the　Kirn。　In　other　farms　on　the　Gareloch　the　last　handful　of　corn　was　called　the　Maidenhead　or　the　Head；　it　was　neatly　plaited；　sometimes　decked　with　ribbons；　and　hung　in　the　kitchen　for　a　year；　when　the　grain　was　given　to　the　poultry。

In　Aberdeenshire　the　last　sheaf　cut；　or　'Maiden；'　is　carried　home　in　merry　procession　by　the　harvesters。　It　is　then　presented　to　the　mistress　of　the　house；　who　dresses　it　up　to　be　preserved　till　the　first　mare　foals。　The　Maiden　is　then　taken　down　and　presented　to　the　mare　as　its　first　food。　The　neglect　of　this　would　have　untoward　effects　upon　the　foal；　and　disastrous　consequences