the golden bough-第175章

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ad　cut　the　last　handful　of　corn。　The　children　ran　after　him　and　the　neighbours　turned　out　to　laugh　at　him；　till　the　farmer　took　the　Cow　from　him。　Here　again　the　confusion　between　the　human　and　the　animal　form　of　the　corn…spirit　is　apparent。　In　various　parts　of　Switzerland　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　is　called　Wheat…cow；　Corn…cow；　Oats…cow；　or　Corn…steer；　and　is　the　butt　of　many　a　joke。　On　the　other　hand；　in　the　district　of　Rosenheim；　Upper　Bavaria；　when　a　farmer　is　later　of　getting　in　his　harvest　than　his　neighbours；　they　set　up　on　his　land　a　Straw…bull；　as　it　is　called。　This　is　a　gigantic　figure　of　a　bull　made　of　stubble　on　a　framework　of　wood　and　adorned　with　flowers　and　leaves。　Attached　to　it　is　a　label　on　which　are　scrawled　doggerel　verses　in　ridicule　of　the　man　on　whose　land　the　Straw…bull　is　set　up。

Again；　the　corn…spirit　in　the　form　of　a　bull　or　ox　is　killed　on　the　harvest…field　at　the　close　of　the　reaping。　At　Pouilly；　near　Dijon；　when　the　last　ears　of　corn　are　about　to　be　cut；　an　ox　adorned　with　ribbons；　flowers；　and　ears　of　corn　is　led　all　round　the　field；　followed　by　the　whole　troop　of　reapers　dancing。　Then　a　man　disguised　as　the　Devil　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　and　immediately　slaughters　the　ox。　Part　of　the　flesh　of　the　animal　is　eaten　at　the　harvest…supper；　part　is　pickled　and　kept　till　the　first　day　of　sowing　in　spring。　At　Pont　à　Mousson　and　elsewhere　on　the　evening　of　the　last　day　of　reaping；　a　calf　adorned　with　flowers　and　ears　of　corn　is　led　thrice　round　the　farmyard；　being　allured　by　a　bait　or　driven　by　men　with　sticks；　or　conducted　by　the　farmer's　wife　with　a　rope。　The　calf　chosen　for　this　ceremony　is　the　calf　which　was　born　first　on　the　farm　in　the　spring　of　the　year。　It　is　followed　by　all　the　reapers　with　their　tools。　Then　it　is　allowed　to　run　free；　the　reapers　chase　it；　and　whoever　catches　it　is　called　King　of　the　Calf。　Lastly；　it　is　solemnly　killed；　at　Lunéville　the　man　who　acts　as　butcher　is　the　Jewish　merchant　of　the　village。

Sometimes　again　the　corn…spirit　hides　himself　amongst　the　cut　corn　in　the　barn　to　reappear　in　bull　or　cow　form　at　threshing。　Thus　at　Wurmlingen；　in　Thüringen；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　called　the　Cow；　or　rather　the　Barley…cow；　Oats…cow；　Peas…cow；　or　the　like；　according　to　the　crop。　He　is　entirely　enveloped　in　straw；　his　head　is　surmounted　by　sticks　in　imitation　of　horns；　and　two　lads　lead　him　by　ropes　to　the　well　to　drink。　On　the　way　thither　he　must　low　like　a　cow；　and　for　a　long　time　afterwards　he　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Cow。　At　Obermedlingen；　in　Swabia；　when　the　threshing　draws　near　an　end；　each　man　is　careful　to　avoid　giving　the　last　stroke。　He　who　does　give　it　gets　the　Cow；　which　is　a　straw　figure　dressed　in　an　old　ragged　petticoat；　hood；　and　stockings。　It　is　tied　on　his　back　with　a　straw…rope；　his　face　is　blackened；　and　being　bound　with　straw…ropes　to　a　wheelbarrow　he　is　wheeled　round　the　village。　Here；　again；　we　meet　with　that　confusion　between　the　human　and　animal　shape　of　the　corn…spirit　which　we　have　noted　in　other　customs。　In　Canton　Schaffhausen　the　man　who　threshes　the　last　corn　is　called　the　Cow；　in　Canton　Thurgau；　the　Corn…bull；　in　Canton　Zurich；　the　Thresher…cow。　In　the　last…mentioned　district　he　is　wrapt　in　straw　and　bound　to　one　of　the　trees　in　the　orchard。　At　Arad；　in　Hungary；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　enveloped　in　straw　and　a　cow's　hide　with　the　horns　attached　to　it。　At　Pessnitz；　in　the　district　of　Dresden；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　with　the　flail　is　called　Bull。　He　must　make　a　straw…man　and　set　it　up　before　a　neighbour's　window。　Here；　apparently；　as　in　so　many　cases；　the　corn…spirit　is　passed　on　to　a　neighbour　who　has　not　finished　threshing。　So　at　Herbrechtingen；　in　Thüringen；　the　effigy　of　a　ragged　old　woman　is　flung　into　the　barn　of　the　farmer　who　is　last　with　his　threshing。　The　man　who　throws　it　in　cries；　There　is　the　Cow　for　you。　If　the　threshers　catch　him　they　detain　him　over　night　and　punish　him　by　keeping　him　from　the　harvest…supper。　In　these　latter　customs　the　confusion　between　the　human　and　the　animal　shape　of　the　corn…spirit　meets　us　again。

Further；　the　corn…spirit　in　bull　form　is　sometimes　believed　to　be　killed　at　threshing。　At　Auxerre；　in　threshing　the　last　bundle　of　corn；　they　call　out　twelve　times；　We　are　killing　the　Bull。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Bordeaux；　where　a　butcher　kills　an　ox　on　the　field　immediately　after　the　close　of　the　reaping；　it　is　said　of　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　that　he　has　killed　the　Bull。　At　Chambéry　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　sheaf　of　the　Young　Ox；　and　a　race　takes　place　to　it　in　which　all　the　reapers　join。　When　the　last　stroke　is　given　at　threshing　they　say　that　the　Ox　is　killed；　and　immediately　thereupon　a　real　ox　is　slaughtered　by　the　reaper　who　cut　the　last　corn。　The　flesh　of　the　ox　is　eaten　by　the　threshers　at　supper。

We　have　seen　that　sometimes　the　young　corn…spirit；　whose　task　it　is　to　quicken　the　corn　of　the　coming　year；　is　believed　to　be　born　as　a　Corn…baby　on　the　harvest…field。　Similarly　in　Berry　the　young　corn…spirit　is　sometimes　supposed　to　be　born　on　the　field　in　calf　form；　for　when　a　binder　has　not　rope　enough　to　bind　all　the　corn　in　sheaves；　he　puts　aside　the　wheat　that　remains　over　and　imitates　the　lowing　of　a　cow。　The　meaning　is　that　the　sheaf　has　given　birth　to　a　calf。　In　Puy…de…D？me　when　a　binder　cannot　keep　up　with　the　reaper　whom　he　or　she　follows；　they　say　He　（or　she）　is　giving　birth　to　the　Calf。　In　some　parts　of　Prussia；　in　similar　circumstances；　they　call　out　to　the　woman；　The　Bull　is　coming；　and　imitate　the　bellowing　of　a　bull。　In　these　cases　the　woman　is　conceived　as　the　Corn…cow　or　old　corn…spirit；　while　the　supposed　calf　is　the　Corn…calf　or　young　corn…spirit。　In　some　parts　of　Austria　a　mythical　calf　（Muhk？lbchen）　is　believed　to　be　seen　amongst　the　sprouting　corn　in　spring　and　to　push　the　children；　when　the　corn　waves　in　the　wind　they　say；　The　Calf　is　going　about。　Clearly；　as　Mannhardt　observes；　this　calf　of　the　spring…time　is　the　same　animal　which　is　afterwards　believed　to　be　killed　at　reaping。

8。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Horse　or　Mare。

SOMETIMES　the　corn…spirit　appears　in　the　shape　of　a　horse　or　mare。　Between　Kalw　and　Stuttgart；　when　the　corn　bends　before　the　wind；　they　say；　There　runs　the　Horse。　At　Bohlingen；　near　Radolfzell　in　Baden；　the　last　sheaf　of　oats　is　called　the　Oats…stallion。　In　Hertfordshire；　at　the　end　of　the　reaping；　there　is　or　used　to　be　observed　a　ceremony　called　crying　the　Mare。　The　last　blades　of　corn　left　standing　on　the　field　are　tied　together　and　called　the　Mare。　The　reapers　stand　at　a　distance　and　throw　their　sickles　at　it；　he　who　cuts　it　through　has　the　prize；　with　acclamations　and　good　cheer。　After　it　is　cut　the　reapers　cry　thrice　with　a　loud　voice；　I　have　her！　Others　answer　thrice；　What　have　you？　A　Mare！　a　Mare！　a　Mare！　Whose　is　she？　is　next　asked　thrice。　A。　B。's；　naming　the　owner　thrice。　Whither　will　you　send　her？　To　C。　D。；　naming　some　neighbour　who　has　not　reaped　all　his　corn。　In　this　custom　the　corn…spirit　in　the　form　of　a　mare　is　passed　on　from　a　farm　where　the　corn　is　all　cut　to　another　farm　where　it　is　still　standing；　and　where　therefore　the　corn…spirit　may　be　supposed　naturally　to　take　refuge。　In　Shropshire　the　custom　is　similar。　The　farmer　who　finishes　his　harvest　last；　and　who　therefore　cannot　send　the　Mare　to　any　one　else；　is　said　to　keep　her　all　winter。　The　mocking　offer　of　the　Mare　to　a　laggard　neighbour　was　sometimes　responded　to　by　a　mocking　acceptance　of　her　help。　Thus　an　old　man　told　an　inquirer；　While　we　wun　at　supper；　a　mon　cumm'd　wi'　a　autar　＇halter＇　to　fatch　her　away。　At　one　place　a　real　mare　used　to　be　sent；　but　the　man　who　rode　her　was　subjected　to　some　rough　treatment　at　the　farmhouse　to　which　he　paid　his　unwelcome　visit。

In　the　neighbourhood　of　Lille　the　idea　of　the　corn…spirit　in　horse　form　in　clearly　preserved。　When　a　harvester　grows　weary　at　his　work；　it　is　said；　He　has　the　fatigue　of　the　Horse。　The　first　sheaf；　called　the　Cross　of　the　Horse；　is　placed　on　a　cross　of　boxwood　in　the　barn；　and　the　youngest　horse　on　the　farm　must　tread　on　it。　The　reapers　dance　round　the　last　blades　of　corn；　crying；　See　the　remains　of　the　Horse。　The　sheaf　made　out　o