the golden bough-第177章

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10。　On　the　Animal　Embodiments　ofthe　Corn…spirit。

SO　much　for　the　animal　embodiments　of　the　corn…spirit　as　they　are　presented　to　us　in　the　folk…customs　of　Northern　Europe。　These　customs　bring　out　clearly　the　sacramental　character　of　the　harvest…supper。　The　corn…spirit　is　conceived　as　embodied　in　an　animal；　this　divine　animal　is　slain；　and　its　flesh　and　blood　are　partaken　of　by　the　harvesters。　Thus　the　cock；　the　hare；　the　cat；　the　goat；　and　the　OX　are　eaten　sacramentally　by　the　harvester；　and　the　pig　is　eaten　sacramentally　by　ploughmen　in　spring。　Again；　as　a　substitute　for　the　real　flesh　of　the　divine　being；　bread　or　dumplings　are　made　in　his　image　and　eaten　sacramentally；　thus；　pig…shaped　dumplings　are　eaten　by　the　harvesters；　and　loaves　made　in　boar…shape　（the　Yule　Boar）　are　eaten　in　spring　by　the　ploughman　and　his　cattle。

The　reader　has　probably　remarked　the　complete　parallelism　between　the　conceptions　of　the　corn…spirit　in　human　and　in　animal　form。　The　parallel　may　be　here　briefly　resumed。　When　the　corn　waves　in　the　wind　it　is　said　either　that　the　Corn…mother　or　that　the　Corn…wolf；　etc。；　is　passing　through　the　corn。　Children　are　warned　against　straying　in　corn…fields　either　because　the　Corn…mother　or　because　the　Corn…wolf；　etc。；　is　there。　In　the　last　corn　cut　or　the　last　sheaf　threshed　either　the　Corn…mother　or　the　Corn…wolf；　etc。；　is　supposed　to　be　present。　The　last　sheaf　is　itself　called　either　the　Corn…mother　or　the　Corn…wolf；　etc。；　and　is　made　up　in　the　shape　either　of　a　woman　or　of　a　wolf；　etc。　The　person　who　cuts；　binds；　or　threshes　the　last　sheaf　is　called　either　the　Old　Woman　or　the　Wolf；　etc。；　according　to　the　name　bestowed　on　the　sheaf　itself。　As　in　some　places　a　sheaf　made　in　human　form　and　called　the　Maiden；　the　Mother　of　the　Maize；　etc。；　is　kept　from　one　harvest　to　the　next　in　order　to　secure　a　continuance　of　the　corn…spirit's　blessing；　so　in　some　places　the　Harvest…cock　and　in　others　the　flesh　of　the　goat　is　kept　for　a　similar　purpose　from　one　harvest　to　the　next。　As　in　some　places　the　grain　taken　from　the　Corn…mother　is　mixed　with　the　seed…corn　in　spring　to　make　the　crop　abundant；　so　in　some　places　the　feathers　of　the　cock；　and　in　Sweden　the　Yule　Boar；　are　kept　till　spring　and　mixed　with　the　seed…corn　for　a　like　purpose。　As　part　of　the　Corn…mother　or　Maiden　is　given　to　the　cattle　at　Christmas　or　to　the　horses　at　the　first　ploughing；　so　part　of　the　Yule　Boar　is　given　to　the　ploughing　horses　or　oxen　in　spring。　Lastly；　the　death　of　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　by　killing　or　pretending　to　kill　either　his　human　or　his　animal　representative；　and　the　worshippers　partake　sacramentally　either　of　the　actual　body　and　blood　of　the　representative　of　the　divinity；　or　of　bread　made　in　his　likeness。

Other　animal　forms　assumed　by　the　corn…spirit　are　the　fox；　stag；　roe；　sheep；　bear；　ass；　mouse；　quail；　stork；　swan；　and　kite。　If　it　is　asked　why　the　corn…spirit　should　be　thought　to　appear　in　the　form　of　an　animal　and　of　so　many　different　animals；　we　may　reply　that　to　primitive　man　the　simple　appearance　of　an　animal　or　bird　among　the　corn　is　probably　enough　to　suggest　a　mysterious　link　between　the　creature　and　the　corn；　and　when　we　remember　that　in　the　old　days；　before　fields　were　fenced　in；　all　kinds　of　animals　must　have　been　free　to　roam　over　them；　we　need　not　wonder　that　the　corn…spirit　should　have　been　identified　even　with　large　animals　like　the　horse　and　cow；　which　nowadays　could　not；　except　by　a　rare　accident；　be　found　straying　in　an　English　corn…field。　This　explanation　applies　with　peculiar　force　to　the　very　common　case　in　which　the　animal　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　lurk　in　the　last　standing　corn。　For　at　harvest　a　number　of　wild　animals；　such　as　hares；　rabbits；　and　partridges；　are　commonly　driven　by　the　progress　of　the　reaping　into　the　last　patch　of　standing　corn；　and　make　their　escape　from　it　as　it　is　being　cut　down。　So　regularly　does　this　happen　that　reapers　and　others　often　stand　round　the　last　patch　of　corn　armed　with　sticks　or　guns；　with　which　they　kill　the　animals　as　they　dart　out　of　their　last　refuge　among　the　stalks。　Now；　primitive　man；　to　whom　magical　changes　of　shape　seem　perfectly　credible；　finds　it　most　natural　that　the　spirit　of　the　corn；　driven　from　his　home　in　the　ripe　grain；　should　make　his　escape　in　the　form　of　the　animal　which　is　seen　to　rush　out　of　the　last　patch　of　corn　as　it　falls　under　the　scythe　of　the　reaper。　Thus　the　identification　of　the　corn…spirit　with　an　animal　is　analogous　to　the　identification　of　him　with　a　passing　stranger。　As　the　sudden　appearance　of　a　stranger　near　the　harvest…field　or　threshing…floor　is；　to　the　primitive　mind；　enough　to　identify　him　as　the　spirit　of　the　corn　escaping　from　the　cut　or　threshed　corn；　so　the　sudden　appearance　of　an　animal　issuing　from　the　cut　corn　is　enough　to　identify　it　with　the　corn…spirit　escaping　from　his　ruined　home。　The　two　identifications　are　so　analogous　that　they　can　hardly　be　dissociated　in　any　attempt　to　explain　them。　Those　who　look　to　some　other　principle　than　the　one　here　suggested　for　the　explanation　of　the　latter　identification　are　bound　to　show　that　their　theory　covers　the　former　identification　also。

Chapter　49。　Ancient　Deities　of　Vegetation　as　Animals。

1。　Dionysus；　the　Goat　and　the　Bull。

HOWEVER　we　may　explain　it；　the　fact　remains　that　in　peasant　folk…lore　the　corn…spirit　is　very　commonly　conceived　and　represented　in　animal　form。　May　not　this　fact　explain　the　relation　in　which　certain　animals　stood　to　the　ancient　deities　of　vegetation；　Dionysus；　Demeter；　Adonis；　Attis；　and　Osiris？

To　begin　with　Dionysus。　We　have　seen　that　he　was　represented　sometimes　as　a　goat　and　sometimes　as　a　bull。　As　a　goat　he　can　hardly　be　separated　from　the　minor　divinities；　the　Pans；　Satyrs；　and　Silenuses；　all　of　whom　are　closely　associated　with　him　and　are　represented　more　or　less　completely　in　the　form　of　goats。　Thus；　Pan　was　regularly　portrayed　in　sculpture　and　painting　with　the　face　and　legs　of　a　goat。　The　Satyrs　were　depicted　with　pointed　goat…ears；　and　sometimes　with　sprouting　horns　and　short　tails。　They　were　sometimes　spoken　of　simply　as　goats；　and　in　the　drama　their　parts　were　played　by　men　dressed　in　goatskins。　Silenus　is　represented　in　art　clad　in　a　goatskin。　Further；　the　Fauns；　the　Italian　counterpart　of　the　Greek　Pans　and　Satyrs；　are　described　as　being　half　goats；　with　goat…feet　and　goat…horns。　Again；　all　these　minor　goat…formed　divinities　partake　more　or　less　clearly　of　the　character　of　woodland　deities。　Thus；　Pan　was　called　by　the　Arcadians　the　Lord　of　the　Wood。　The　Silenuses　kept　company　with　the　tree…nymphs。　The　Fauns　are　expressly　designated　as　woodland　deities；　and　their　character　as　such　is　still　further　brought　out　by　their　association；　or　even　identification；　with　Silvanus　and　the　Silvanuses；　who；　as　their　name　of　itself　indicates；　are　spirits　of　the　woods。　Lastly；　the　association　of　the　Satyrs　with　the　Silenuses；　Fauns；　and　Silvanuses；　proves　that　the　Satyrs　also　were　woodland　deities。　These　goat…formed　spirits　of　the　woods　have　their　counterparts　in　the　folk…lore　of　Northern　Europe。　Thus；　the　Russian　wood…spirits；　called　Ljeschie　（from　ljes；　wood）；　are　believed　to　appear　partly　in　human　shape；　but　with　the　horns；　ears；　and　legs　of　goats。　The　Ljeschi　can　alter　his　stature　at　pleasure；　when　he　walks　in　the　wood　he　is　as　tall　as　the　trees；　when　he　walks　in　the　meadows　he　is　no　higher　than　the　grass。　Some　of　the　Ljeschie　are　spirits　of　the　corn　as　well　as　of　the　wood；　before　harvest　they　are　as　tall　as　the　corn…stalks；　but　after　it　they　shrink　to　the　height　of　the　stubble。　This　brings　outwhat　we　have　remarked　beforethe　close　connexion　between　tree…spirits　and　corn…spirits；　and　shows　how　easily　the　former　may　melt　into　the　latter。　Similarly　the　Fauns；　though　wood…spirits；　were　believed　to　foster　the　growth　of　the　crops。　We　have　already　seen　how　often　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　in　folk…custom　as　a　goat。　On　the　whole；　then；　as　Mannhardt　argues；　the　Pans；　Satyrs；　and　Fauns　perhaps　belong　to　a　widely　diffused　class　of　wood…spirits　conceived　in　goat…form。　The　fondness　of　goats　for　straying　in　woods　and　nibbling　the　bark　of　trees；　to　which　indeed　they　are　most　destructive；　is　an　obvious　and　perhaps　sufficient　reason　why