the golden bough-第173章

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ife　and　activity　in　spring。　Again；　the　equivalence　of　the　cock　to　the　corn　is　expressed；　hardly　less　plainly；　in　the　custom　of　burying　the　bird　in　the　ground；　and　cutting　off　its　head　（like　the　ears　of　corn）　with　the　scythe。

4。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Hare。

ANOTHER　common　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit　is　the　hare。　In　Galloway　the　reaping　of　the　last　standing　corn　is　called　cutting　the　Hare。　The　mode　of　cutting　it　is　as　follows。　When　the　rest　of　the　corn　has　been　reaped；　a　handful　is　left　standing　to　form　the　Hare。　It　is　divided　into　three　parts　and　plaited；　and　the　ears　are　tied　in　a　knot。　The　reapers　then　retire　a　few　yards　and　each　throws　his　or　her　sickle　in　turn　at　the　Hare　to　cut　it　down。　It　must　be　cut　below　the　knot；　and　the　reapers　continue　to　throw　their　sickles　at　it；　one　after　the　other；　until　one　of　them　succeeds　in　severing　the　stalks　below　the　knot。　The　Hare　is　then　carried　home　and　given　to　a　maidservant　in　the　kitchen；　who　places　it　over　the　kitchen…door　on　the　inside。　Sometimes　the　Hare　used　to　be　thus　kept　till　the　next　harvest。　In　the　parish　of　Minnigaff；　when　the　Hare　was　cut；　the　unmarried　reapers　ran　home　with　all　speed；　and　the　one　who　arrived　first　was　the　first　to　be　married。　In　Germany　also　one　of　the　names　for　the　last　sheaf　is　the　Hare。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Anhalt；　when　the　corn　has　been　reaped　and　only　a　few　stalks　are　left　standing；　they　say；　The　Hare　will　soon　come；　or　the　reapers　cry　to　each　other；　Look　how　the　Hare　comes　jumping　out。　In　East　Prussia　they　say　that　the　Hare　sits　in　the　last　patch　of　standing　corn；　and　must　be　chased　out　by　the　last　reaper。　The　reapers　hurry　with　their　work；　each　being　anxious　not　to　have　to　chase　out　the　Hare；　for　the　man　who　does　so；　that　is；　who　cuts　the　last　corn；　is　much　laughed　at。　At　Aurich；　as　we　have　seen；　an　expression　for　cutting　the　last　corn　is　to　cut　off　the　Hare's　tail。　He　is　killing　the　Hare　is　commonly　said　of　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　in　Germany；　Sweden；　Holland；　France；　and　Italy。　In　Norway　the　man　who　is　thus　said　to　kill　the　Hare　must　give　hare's　blood；　in　the　form　of　brandy；　to　his　fellows　to　drink。　In　Lesbos；　when　the　reapers　are　at　work　in　two　neighbouring　fields；　each　party　tries　to　finish　first　in　order　to　drive　the　Hare　into　their　neighbour's　field；　the　reapers　who　succeed　in　doing　so　believe　that　next　year　the　crop　will　be　better。　A　small　sheaf　of　corn　is　made　up　and　kept　beside　the　holy　picture　till　next　harvest。

5。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Cat。

AGAIN；　the　corn…spirit　sometimes　takes　the　form　of　a　cat。　Near　Kiel　children　are　warned　not　to　go　into　the　corn…fields　because　the　Cat　sits　there。　In　the　Eisenach　Oberland　they　are　told　the　Corn…cat　will　come　and　fetch　you；　the　Corn…cat　goes　in　the　corn。　In　some　parts　of　Silesia　at　mowing　the　last　corn　they　say；　The　Cat　is　caught；　and　at　threshing；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　is　called　the　Cat。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Lyons　the　last　sheaf　and　the　harvest…supper　are　both　called　the　Cat。　About　Vesoul　when　they　cut　the　last　corn　they　say；　We　have　the　Cat　by　the　tail。　At　Brian？on；　in　Dauphiné；　at　the　beginning　of　reaping；　a　cat　is　decked　out　with　ribbons；　flowers；　and　ears　of　corn。　It　is　called　the　Cat　of　the　ball…skin　（le　chat　de　peau　de　balle）。　If　a　reaper　is　wounded　at　his　work；　they　make　the　cat　lick　the　wound。　At　the　close　of　the　reaping　the　cat　is　again　decked　out　with　ribbons　and　ears　of　corn；　then　they　dance　and　make　merry。　When　the　dance　is　over　the　girls　solemnly　strip　the　cat　of　its　finery。　At　Grüneberg；　in　Silesia；　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　corn　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Tom…cat。　He　is　enveloped　in　rye…stalks　and　green　withes；　and　is　furnished　with　a　long　plaited　tail。　Sometimes　as　a　companion　he　has　a　man　similarly　dressed；　who　is　called　the　（female）　Cat。　Their　duty　is　to　run　after　people　whom　they　see　and　to　beat　them　with　a　long　stick。　Near　Amiens　the　expression　for　finishing　the　harvest　is；　They　are　going　to　kill　the　Cat；　and　when　the　last　corn　is　cut　they　kill　a　cat　in　the　farmyard。　At　threshing；　in　some　parts　of　France；　a　live　cat　is　placed　under　the　last　bundle　of　corn　to　be　threshed；　and　is　struck　dead　with　the　flails。　Then　on　Sunday　it　is　roasted　and　eaten　as　a　holiday　dish。　In　the　Vosges　Mountains　the　close　of　haymaking　or　harvest　is　called　catching　the　cat；　killing　the　dog；　or　more　rarely　catching　the　hare。　The　cat；　the　dog；　or　the　hare　is　said　to　be　fat　or　lean　according　as　the　crop　is　good　or　bad。　The　man　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　hay　or　of　wheat　is　said　to　catch　the　cat　or　the　hare　or　to　kill　the　dog。

6。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Goat。

FURTHER；　the　corn…spirit　often　appears　in　the　form　of　a　goat。　In　some　parts　of　Prussia；　when　the　corn　bends　before　the　wind；　they　say；　The　Goats　are　chasing　each　other；　the　wind　is　driving　the　Goats　through　the　corn；　the　Goats　are　browsing　there；　and　they　expect　a　very　good　harvest。　Again　they　say；　The　Oats…goat　is　sitting　in　the　oats…field；　the　Corn…goat　is　sitting　in　the　rye…field。　Children　are　warned　not　to　go　into　the　corn…fields　to　pluck　the　blue　corn…flowers；　or　amongst　the　beans　to　pluck　pods；　because　the　Rye…goat；　the　Corn…goat；　the　Oats…goat；　or　the　Bean…goat　is　sitting　or　lying　there；　and　will　carry　them　away　or　kill　them。　When　a　harvester　is　taken　sick　or　lags　behind　his　fellows　at　their　work；　they　call　out；　The　Harvest…goat　has　pushed　him；　he　has　been　pushed　by　the　Corn…goat。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Braunsberg　（East　Prussia）　at　binding　the　oats　every　harvester　makes　haste　lest　the　Corn…goat　push　him。　At　Oefoten；　in　Norway；　each　reaper　has　his　allotted　patch　to　reap。　When　a　reaper　in　the　middle　has　not　finished　reaping　his　piece　after　his　neighbours　have　finished　theirs；　they　say　of　him；　He　remains　on　the　island。　And　if　the　laggard　is　a　man；　they　imitate　the　cry　with　which　they　call　a　he…goat；　if　a　woman；　the　cry　with　which　they　call　a　she…goat。　Near　Straubing；　in　Lower　Bavaria；　it　is　said　of　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　that　he　has　the　Corn…goat；　or　the　Wheat…goat；　or　the　Oats…goat；　according　to　the　crop。　Moreover；　two　horns　are　set　up　on　the　last　heap　of　corn；　and　it　is　called　the　horned　Goat。　At　Kreutzburg；　East　Prussia；　they　call　out　to　the　woman　who　is　binding　the　last　sheaf；　The　Goat　is　sitting　in　the　sheaf。　At　Gablingen；　in　Swabia；　when　the　last　field　of　oats　upon　a　farm　is　being　reaped；　the　reapers　carve　a　goat　out　of　wood。　Ears　of　oats　are　inserted　in　its　nostrils　and　mouth；　and　it　is　adorned　with　garlands　of　flowers。　It　is　set　up　on　the　field　and　called　the　Oats…goat。　When　the　reaping　approaches　an　end；　each　reaper　hastens　to　finish　his　piece　first；　he　who　is　the　last　to　finish　gets　the　Oats…goat。　Again；　the　last　sheaf　is　itself　called　the　Goat。　Thus；　in　the　valley　of　the　Wiesent；　Bavaria；　the　last　sheaf　bound　on　the　field　is　called　the　Goat；　and　they　have　a　proverb；　The　field　must　bear　a　goat。　At　Spachbrücken；　in　Hesse；　the　last　handful　of　corn　which　is　cut　is　called　the　Goat；　and　the　man　who　cuts　it　is　much　ridiculed。　At　Dürrenbüchig　and　about　Mosbach　in　Baden　the　last　sheaf　is　also　called　the　Goat。　Sometimes　the　last　sheaf　is　made　up　in　the　form　of　a　goat；　and　they　say；　The　Goat　is　sitting　in　it。　Again；　the　person　who　cuts　or　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Goat。　Thus；　in　parts　of　Mecklenburg　they　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　You　are　the　Harvest…goat。　Near　Uelzen；　in　Hanover；　the　harvest　festival　begins　with　the　bringing　of　the　Harvest…goat；　that　is；　the　woman　who　bound　the　last　sheaf　is　wrapt　in　straw；　crowned　with　a　harvest…wreath；　and　brought　in　a　wheel…barrow　to　the　village；　where　a　round　dance　takes　place。　About　Luneburg；　also；　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　corn　is　decked　with　a　crown　of　corn…ears　and　is　called　the　Corn…goat。　At　Münzesheim　in　Baden　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　corn　or　oats　is　called　the　Corn…goat　or　the　Oats…goat。　In　the　Canton　St。　Gall；　Switzerland；　the　person　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　corn　on　the　field；　or　drives　the　last　harvest…waggon　to　the　barn；　is　called　the　Corn…goat　or　the　Rye…goat；　or　simply　the　Goat。　In　the　Canton　Thurgau　he　is　called　Corn…goat；　like　a　goat　he　has　a　bell　hung　round　his　neck；　is　led　in　triumph；　and　drenched　with　liquor。　In　parts　of　Styria；　also；　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　is　called　Corn…goat；　Oats…goat；　or　the