the golden bough-第136节

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s　of　Holstein　the　last　sheaf　is　dressed　in　woman's　clothes　and　called　the　Corn…mother。　It　is　carried　home　on　the　last　waggon；　and　then　thoroughly　drenched　with　water。　The　drenching　with　water　is　doubtless　a　rain…charm。　In　the　district　of　Bruck　in　Styria　the　last　sheaf；　called　the　Corn…mother；　is　made　up　into　the　shape　of　a　woman　by　the　oldest　married　woman　in　the　village；　of　an　age　from　fifty　to　fifty…five　years。　The　finest　ears　are　plucked　out　of　it　and　made　into　a　wreath；　which；　twined　with　flowers；　is　carried　on　her　head　by　the　prettiest　girl　of　the　village　to　the　farmer　or　squire；　while　the　Corn…mother　is　laid　down　in　the　barn　to　keep　off　the　mice。　In　other　villages　of　the　same　district　the　Corn…mother；　at　the　close　of　harvest；　is　carried　by　two　lads　at　the　top　of　a　pole。　They　march　behind　the　girl　who　wears　the　wreath　to　the　squire's　house；　and　while　he　receives　the　wreath　and　hangs　it　up　in　the　hall；　the　Corn…mother　is　placed　on　the　top　of　a　pile　of　wood；　where　she　is　the　centre　of　the　harvest　supper　and　dance。　Afterwards　she　is　hung　up　in　the　barn　and　remains　there　till　the　threshing　is　over。　The　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　called　the　son　of　the　Corn…mother；　he　is　tied　up　in　the　Corn…mother；　beaten；　and　carried　through　the　village。　The　wreath　is　dedicated　in　church　on　the　following　Sunday；　and　on　Easter　Eve　the　grain　is　rubbed　out　of　it　by　a　seven…year…old　girl　and　scattered　amongst　the　young　corn。　At　Christmas　the　straw　of　the　wreath　is　placed　in　the　manger　to　make　the　cattle　thrive。　Here　the　fertilising　power　of　the　Corn…mother　is　plainly　brought　out　by　scattering　the　seed　taken　from　her　body　（for　the　wreath　is　made　out　of　the　Corn…mother）　among　the　new　corn；　and　her　influence　over　animal　life　is　indicated　by　placing　the　straw　in　the　manger。　Amongst　the　Slavs　also　the　last　sheaf　is　known　as　the　Rye…mother；　the　Wheat…mother；　the　Oats…mother；　the　Barley…mother；　and　so　on；　according　to　the　crop。　In　the　district　of　Tarnow；　Galicia；　the　wreath　made　out　of　the　last　stalks　is　called　the　Wheat…mother；　Rye…mother；　or　Pea…mother。　It　is　placed　on　a　girl's　head　and　kept　till　spring；　when　some　of　the　grain　is　mixed　with　the　seed…corn。　Here　again　the　fertilising　power　of　the　Corn…mother　is　indicated。　In　France；　also；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Auxerre；　the　last　sheaf　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Mother　of　the　Wheat；　Mother　of　the　Barley；　Mother　of　the　Rye；　or　Mother　of　the　Oats。　They　leave　it　standing　in　the　field　till　the　last　waggon　is　about　to　wend　homewards。　Then　they　make　a　puppet　out　of　it；　dress　it　with　clothes　belonging　to　the　farmer；　and　adorn　it　with　a　crown　and　a　blue　or　white　scarf。　A　branch　of　a　tree　is　stuck　in　the　breast　of　the　puppet；　which　is　now　called　the　Ceres。　At　the　dance　in　the　evening　the　Ceres　is　set　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　and　the　reaper　who　reaped　fastest　dances　round　it　with　the　prettiest　girl　for　his　partner。　After　the　dance　a　pyre　is　made。　All　the　girls；　each　wearing　a　wreath；　strip　the　puppet；　pull　it　to　pieces；　and　place　it　on　the　pyre；　along　with　the　flowers　with　which　it　was　adorned。　Then　the　girl　who　was　the　first　to　finish　reaping　sets　fire　to　the　pile；　and　all　pray　that　Ceres　may　give　a　fruitful　year。　Here；　as　Mannhardt　observes；　the　old　custom　has　remained　intact；　though　the　name　Ceres　is　a　bit　of　schoolmaster's　learning。　In　Upper　Brittany　the　last　sheaf　is　always　made　into　human　shape；　but　if　the　farmer　is　a　married　man；　it　is　made　double　and　consists　of　a　little　corn…puppet　placed　inside　of　a　large　one。　This　is　called　the　Mother…sheaf。　It　is　delivered　to　the　farmer's　wife；　who　unties　it　and　gives　drink…money　in　return。

Sometimes　the　last　sheaf　is　called；　not　the　Corn…mother；　but　the　Harvest…mother　or　the　Great　Mother。　In　the　province　of　Osnabrück；　Hanover；　it　is　called　the　Harvest…mother；　it　is　made　up　in　female　form；　and　then　the　reapers　dance　about　with　it。　In　some　parts　of　Westphalia　the　last　sheaf　at　the　rye…harvest　is　made　especially　heavy　by　fastening　stones　in　it。　They　bring　it　home　on　the　last　waggon　and　call　it　the　Great　Mother；　though　they　do　not　fashion　it　into　any　special　shape。　In　the　district　of　Erfurt　a　very　heavy　sheaf；　not　necessarily　the　last；　is　called　the　Great　Mother；　and　is　carried　on　the　last　waggon　to　the　barn；　where　all　hands　lift　it　down　amid　a　fire　of　jokes。

Sometimes　again　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Grandmother；　and　is　adorned　with　flowers；　ribbons；　and　a　woman's　apron。　In　East　Prussia；　at　the　rye　or　wheat　harvest；　the　reapers　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　You　are　getting　the　Old　Grandmother。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Magdeburg　the　men　and　women　servants　strive　who　shall　get　the　last　sheaf；　called　the　Grandmother。　Whoever　gets　it　will　be　married　in　the　next　year；　but　his　or　her　spouse　will　be　old；　if　a　girl　gets　it；　she　will　marry　a　widower；　if　a　man　gets　it；　he　will　marry　an　old　crone。　In　Silesia　the　Grandmothera　huge　bundle　made　up　of　three　or　four　sheaves　by　the　person　who　tied　the　last　sheafwas　formerly　fashioned　into　a　rude　likeness　of　the　human　form。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Belfast　the　last　sheaf　sometimes　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Granny。　It　is　not　cut　in　the　usual　way；　but　all　the　reapers　throw　their　sickles　at　it　and　try　to　bring　it　down。　It　is　plaited　and　kept　till　the　（next？）　autumn。　Whoever　gets　it　will　marry　in　the　course　of　the　year。

Often　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Old　Woman　or　the　Old　Man。　In　Germany　it　is　frequently　shaped　and　dressed　as　a　woman；　and　the　person　who　cuts　it　or　binds　it　is　said　to　get　the　Old　Woman。　At　Altisheim；　in　Swabia；　when　all　the　corn　of　a　farm　has　been　cut　except　a　single　strip；　all　the　reapers　stand　in　a　row　before　the　strip；　each　cuts　his　share　rapidly；　and　he　who　gives　the　last　cut　has　the　Old　Woman。　When　the　sheaves　are　being　set　up　in　heaps；　the　person　who　gets　hold　of　the　Old　Woman；　which　is　the　largest　and　thickest　of　all　the　sheaves；　is　jeered　at　by　the　rest；　who　call　out　to　him；　He　has　the　Old　Woman　and　must　keep　her。　The　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　sometimes　herself　called　the　Old　Woman；　and　it　is　said　that　she　will　be　married　in　the　next　year。　In　Neusaass；　West　Prussia；　both　the　last　sheafwhich　is　dressed　up　in　jacket；　hat；　and　ribbonsand　the　woman　who　binds　it　are　called　the　Old　Woman。　Together　they　are　brought　home　on　the　last　waggon　and　are　drenched　with　water。　In　various　parts　of　North　Germany　the　last　sheaf　at　harvest　is　made　up　into　a　human　effigy　and　called　the　Old　Man；　and　the　woman　who　bound　it　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Man。

In　West　Prussia；　when　the　last　rye　is　being　raked　together；　the　women　and　girls　hurry　with　the　work；　for　none　of　them　likes　to　be　the　last　and　to　get　the　Old　Man；　that　is；　a　puppet　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf；　which　must　be　carried　before　the　other　reapers　by　the　person　who　was　the　last　to　finish。　In　Silesia　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Old　Woman　or　the　Old　Man　and　is　the　theme　of　many　jests；　it　is　made　unusually　large　and　is　sometimes　weighted　with　a　stone。　Among　the　Wends　the　man　or　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　at　wheat　harvest　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Man。　A　puppet　is　made　out　of　the　wheaten　straw　and　ears　in　the　likeness　of　a　man　and　decked　with　flowers。　The　person　who　bound　the　last　sheaf　must　carry　the　Old　Man　home；　while　the　rest　laugh　and　jeer　at　him。　The　puppet　is　hung　up　in　the　farmhouse　and　remains　till　a　new　Old　Man　is　made　at　the　next　harvest。

In　some　of　these　customs；　as　Mannhardt　has　remarked；　the　person　who　is　called　by　the　same　name　as　the　last　sheaf　and　sits　beside　it　on　the　last　waggon　is　obviously　identified　with　it；　he　or　she　represents　the　corn…spirit　which　has　been　caught　in　the　last　sheaf；　in　other　words；　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　in　duplicate；　by　a　human　being　and　by　a　sheaf。　The　identification　of　the　person　with　the　sheaf　is　made　still　clearer　by　the　custom　of　wrapping　up　in　the　last　sheaf　the　person　who　cuts　or　binds　it。　Thus　at　Hermsdorf　in　Silesia　it　used　to　be　the　regular　practice　to　tie　up　in　the　last　sheaf　the　woman　who　had　bound　it。　At　Weiden；　in　Bavaria；　it　is　the　cutter；　not　the　binder；　of　the　last　sheaf　who　is　tied　up　in　it。　Here　the　person　wrapt　up　in　the　corn　represents　the　corn…spirit；　exactly　as　a　person　wrapt　in　branches　or　leaves　represents　the　tree…spirit。

The　last　sheaf；　designated　as　the　Old　Woman；　is　often　distinguished　from　the　other　sheaves　by　its　size　and　weight。　Thus　in　some　villages　of　West　Prussia　the　Old　Woman　is　made　twice　as　long　and　thick　as　a　common　sheaf；　and　a　stone　is　fastened　in　the　middle　of　it。　Sometimes　it　is　made　so　heavy　that　a　man　can　barely　lift　it。　At　Alt…Pillau；　in　Samland；　eight　or　nine　sheaves　are　often　tied　together　to　make　the　Old　Woman；　and　the　man　who　sets　it　up　grumbles　at　its　weight。　At　Itzgrund；　in　Saxe…Coburg；　the　last　sheaf；　called　the　Old　Woman；　is　made　large　with　the　express　intention　of　thereby　securing　a　good　crop　next　year。　Thus　the　custom　of　making　the　last　sheaf　unusually　large　or　heavy　is　a　charm；　working　by　sympathetic　magic；　to　ensure　a　large　and　heavy　crop　at　the　following　harvest。

In　Scotland；　when　the　last　corn　was　cut　after　Hallowmas；　the　female　figure　made　out　of　it　was　sometimes　called　the　Carlin　or　Carline；　that　is；　the　Old　Woman。　But　if　cut　before　Hallowmas；　it　was　called　the　Maiden；　if　cut　after　sunset；　it　was　called　the　Witch；　being　sup