the golden bough-第163章

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of　Prussia；　when　the　rye　has　been　reaped；　and　the　last　sheaves　are　about　to　be　tied　up；　the　binders　stand　in　two　rows　facing　each　other；　every　woman　with　her　sheaf　and　her　straw　rope　before　her。　At　a　given　signal　they　all　tie　up　their　sheaves；　and　the　one　who　is　the　last　to　finish　is　ridiculed　by　the　rest。　Not　only　so；　but　her　sheaf　is　made　up　into　human　shape　and　called　the　Old　Man；　and　she　must　carry　it　home　to　the　farmyard；　where　the　harvesters　dance　in　a　circle　round　her　and　it。　Then　they　take　the　Old　Man　to　the　farmer　and　deliver　it　to　him　with　the　words；　We　bring　the　Old　Man　to　the　Master。　He　may　keep　him　till　he　gets　a　new　one。　After　that　the　Old　Man　is　set　up　against　a　tree；　where　he　remains　for　a　long　time；　the　butt　of　many　jests。　At　Aschbach　in　Bavaria；　when　the　reaping　is　nearly　finished；　the　reapers　say；　Now；　we　will　drive　out　the　Old　Man。　Each　of　them　sets　himself　to　reap　a　patch　of　corn　as　fast　as　he　can；　he　who　cuts　the　last　handful　or　the　last　stalk　is　greeted　by　the　rest　with　an　exulting　cry；　You　have　the　Old　Man。　Sometimes　a　black　mask　is　fastened　on　the　reaper's　face　and　he　is　dressed　in　woman's　clothes；　or　if　the　reaper　is　a　woman；　she　is　dressed　in　man's　clothes。　A　dance　follows。　At　the　supper　the　Old　Man　gets　twice　as　large　a　portion　of　the　food　as　the　others。　The　proceedings　are　similar　at　threshing；　the　person　who　gives　the　last　stroke　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Man。　At　the　supper　given　to　the　threshers　he　has　to　eat　out　of　the　cream…ladle　and　to　drink　a　great　deal。　Moreover；　he　is　quizzed　and　teased　in　all　sorts　of　ways　till　he　frees　himself　from　further　annoyance　by　treating　the　others　to　brandy　or　beer。

These　examples　illustrate　the　contests　in　reaping；　threshing；　and　binding　which　take　place　amongst　the　harvesters；　from　their　unwillingness　to　suffer　the　ridicule　and　discomfort　incurred　by　the　one　who　happens　to　finish　his　work　last。　It　will　be　remembered　that　the　person　who　is　last　at　reaping；　binding；　or　threshing；　is　regarded　as　the　representative　of　the　corn…spirit；　and　this　idea　is　more　fully　expressed　by　binding　him　or　her　in　corn…stalks。　The　latter　custom　has　been　already　illustrated；　but　a　few　more　instances　may　be　added。　At　Kloxin；　near　Stettin；　the　harvesters　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　You　have　the　Old　Man；　and　must　keep　him。　As　late　as　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　custom　was　to　tie　up　the　woman　herself　in　pease…straw；　and　bring　her　with　music　to　the　farmhouse；　where　the　harvesters　danced　with　her　till　the　pease…straw　fell　off。　In　other　villages　round　Stettin；　when　the　last　harvest…waggon　is　being　loaded；　there　is　a　regular　race　amongst　the　women；　each　striving　not　to　be　last。　For　she　who　places　the　last　sheaf　on　the　waggon　is　called　the　Old　Man；　and　is　completely　swathed　in　corn…stalks；　she　is　also　decked　with　flowers；　and　flowers　and　a　helmet　of　straw　are　placed　on　her　head。　In　solemn　procession　she　carries　the　harvest…crown　to　the　squire；　over　whose　head　she　holds　it　while　she　utters　a　string　of　good　wishes。　At　the　dance　which　follows；　the　Old　Man　has　the　right　to　choose　his；　or　rather　her；　partner；　it　is　an　honour　to　dance　with　him。　At　Gommern；　near　Magdeburg；　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　is　often　wrapt　up　in　corn…stalks　so　completely　that　it　is　hard　to　see　whether　there　is　a　man　in　the　bundle　or　not。　Thus　wrapt　up　he　is　taken　by　another　stalwart　reaper　on　his　back；　and　carried　round　the　field　amidst　the　joyous　cries　of　the　harvesters。　At　Neuhausen；　near　Merseburg；　the　person　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　wrapt　in　ears　of　oats　and　saluted　as　the　Oatsman；　whereupon　the　others　dance　round　him。　At　Brie；　Isle　de　France；　the　farmer　himself　is　tied　up　in　the　first　sheaf。　At　Dingelstedt；　in　the　district　of　Erfurt；　down　to　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century　it　was　the　custom　to　tie　up　a　man　in　the　last　sheaf。　He　was　called　the　Old　Man；　and　was　brought　home　on　the　last　waggon；　amid　huzzas　and　music。　On　reaching　the　farmyard　he　was　rolled　round　the　barn　and　drenched　with　water。　At　N？rdlingen　in　Bavaria　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　wrapt　in　straw　and　rolled　on　the　threshing…floor。　In　some　parts　of　Oberpfalz；　Bavaria；　he　is　said　to　get　the　Old　Man；　is　wrapt　in　straw；　and　carried　to　a　neighbour　who　has　not　yet　finished　his　threshing。　In　Silesia　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　has　to　submit　to　a　good　deal　of　horse…play。　She　is　pushed；　knocked　down；　and　tied　up　in　the　sheaf；　after　which　she　is　called　the　corn…puppet　（Kornpopel）。

In　all　these　cases　the　idea　is　that　the　spirit　of　the　cornthe　Old　Man　of　vegetationis　driven　out　of　the　corn　last　cut　or　last　threshed；　and　lives　in　the　barn　during　the　winter。　At　sowing…time　he　goes　out　again　to　the　fields　to　resume　his　activity　as　animating　force　among　the　sprouting　corn。

II。　Passing　to　the　second　point　of　comparison　between　the　Lityerses　story　and　European　harvest　customs；　we　have　now　to　see　that　in　the　latter　the　corn…spirit　is　often　believed　to　be　killed　at　reaping　or　threshing。　In　the　Romsdal　and　other　parts　of　Norway；　when　the　haymaking　is　over；　the　people　say　that　the　Old　Hay…man　has　been　killed。　In　some　parts　of　Bavaria　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　said　to　have　killed　the　Corn…man；　the　Oats…man；　or　the　Wheat…man；　according　to　the　crop。　In　the　Canton　of　Tillot；　in　Lorraine；　at　threshing　the　last　corn　the　men　keep　time　with　their　flails；　calling　out　as　they　thresh；　We　are　killing　the　Old　Woman！　We　are　killing　the　Old　Woman！　If　there　is　an　old　woman　in　the　house　she　is　warned　to　save　herself；　or　she　will　be　struck　dead。　Near　Ragnit；　in　Lithuania；　the　last　handful　of　corn　is　left　standing　by　itself；　with　the　words；　The　Old　Woman　（Boba）　is　sitting　in　there。　Then　a　young　reaper　whets　his　scythe　and；　with　a　strong　sweep；　cuts　down　the　handful。　It　is　now　said　of　him　that　he　has　cut　off　the　Boba's　head；　and　he　receives　a　gratuity　from　the　farmer　and　a　jugful　of　water　over　his　head　from　the　farmer's　wife。　According　to　another　account；　every　Lithuanian　reaper　makes　haste　to　finish　his　task；　for　the　Old　Rye…woman　lives　in　the　last　stalks；　and　whoever　cuts　the　last　stalks　kills　the　Old　Rye…woman；　and　by　killing　her　he　brings　trouble　on　himself。　In　Wilkischken；　in　the　district　of　Tilsit；　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　goes　by　the　name　of　the　killer　of　the　Rye…woman。　In　Lithuania；　again；　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　be　killed　at　threshing　as　well　as　at　reaping。　When　only　a　single　pile　of　corn　remains　to　be　threshed；　all　the　threshers　suddenly　step　back　a　few　paces；　as　if　at　the　word　of　command。　Then　they　fall　to　work；　plying　their　flails　with　the　utmost　rapidity　and　vehemence；　till　they　come　to　the　last　bundle。　Upon　this　they　fling　themselves　with　almost　frantic　fury；　straining　every　nerve；　and　raining　blows　on　it　till　the　word　Halt！　rings　out　sharply　from　the　leader。　The　man　whose　flail　is　the　last　to　fall　after　the　command　to　stop　has　been　given　is　immediately　surrounded　by　all　the　rest；　crying　out　that　he　has　struck　the　Old　Rye…woman　dead。　He　has　to　expiate　the　deed　by　treating　them　to　brandy；　and；　like　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn；　he　is　known　as　the　killer　of　the　Old　Rye…woman。　Sometimes　in　Lithuania　the　slain　corn…spirit　was　represented　by　a　puppet。　Thus　a　female　figure　was　made　out　of　corn…stalks；　dressed　in　clothes；　and　placed　on　the　threshing…floor；　under　the　heap　of　corn　which　was　to　be　threshed　last。　Whoever　thereafter　gave　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　struck　the　Old　Woman　dead。　We　have　already　met　with　examples　of　burning　the　figure　which　represents　the　corn…spirit。　In　the　East　Riding　of　Yorkshire　a　custom　called　burning　the　Old　Witch　is　observed　on　the　last　day　of　harvest。　A　small　sheaf　of　corn　is　burnt　on　the　field　in　a　fire　of　stubble；　peas　are　parched　at　the　fire　and　eaten　with　a　liberal　allowance　of　ale；　and　the　lads　and　lasses　romp　about　the　flames　and　amuse　themselves　by　blackening　each　other's　faces。　Sometimes；　again；　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　by　a　man；　who　lies　down　under　the　last　corn；　it　is　threshed　upon　his　body；　and　the　people　say　that　the　Old　Man　is　being　beaten　to　death。　We　saw　that　sometimes　the　farmer's　wife　is　thrust；　together　with　the　last　sheaf；　under　the　threshing…machine；　as　if　to　thresh　her；　and　that　afterwards　a　pretence　is　ma