the golden bough-第140节

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s　is　shown　by　throwing　the　Corn…mother　into　the　river　in　order　to　secure　rain　and　dew　for　the　crops；　by　making　the　Old　Woman　heavy　in　order　to　get　a　heavy　crop　next　year；　by　strewing　grain　from　the　last　sheaf　amongst　the　young　crops　in　spring；　and　by　giving　the　last　sheaf　to　the　cattle　to　make　them　thrive。

Chapter　46。　The　Corn…Mother　in　Many　Lands。

1。　The　Corn…mother　in　America。

EUROPEAN　peoples；　ancient　and　modern；　have　not　been　singular　in　personifying　the　corn　as　a　mother　goddess。　The　same　simple　idea　has　suggested　itself　to　other　agricultural　races　in　distant　parts　of　the　world；　and　has　been　applied　by　them　to　other　indigenous　cereals　than　barley　and　wheat。　If　Europe　has　its　Wheat…mother　and　its　Barley…mother；　America　has　its　Maize…mother　and　the　East　Indies　their　Rice…mother。　These　personifications　I　will　now　illustrate；　beginning　with　the　American　personification　of　the　maize。

We　have　seen　that　among　European　peoples　it　is　a　common　custom　to　keep　the　plaited　corn…stalks　of　the　last　sheaf；　or　the　puppet　which　is　formed　out　of　them；　in　the　farm…house　from　harvest　to　harvest。　The　intention　no　doubt　is；　or　rather　originally　was；　by　preserving　the　representative　of　the　corn…spirit　to　maintain　the　spirit　itself　in　life　and　activity　throughout　the　year；　in　order　that　the　corn　may　grow　and　the　crops　be　good。　This　interpretation　of　the　custom　is　at　all　events　rendered　highly　probable　by　a　similar　custom　observed　by　the　ancient　Peruvians；　and　thus　described　by　the　old　Spanish　historian　Acosta：　They　take　a　certain　portion　of　the　most　fruitful　of　the　maize　that　grows　in　their　farms；　the　which　they　put　in　a　certain　granary　which　they　do　call　Pirua；　with　certain　ceremonies；　watching　three　nights；　they　put　this　maize　in　the　richest　garments　they　have；　and　being　thus　wrapped　and　dressed；　they　worship　this　Pirua；　and　hold　it　in　great　veneration；　saying　it　is　the　mother　of　the　maize　of　their　inheritances；　and　that　by　this　means　the　maize　augments　and　is　preserved。　In　this　month　＇the　sixth　month；　answering　to　May＇　they　make　a　particular　sacrifice；　and　the　witches　demand　of　this　Pirua　if　it　hath　strength　sufficient　to　continue　until　the　next　year；　and　if　it　answers　no；　then　they　carry　this　maize　to　the　farm　to　burn；　whence　they　brought　it；　according　to　every　man's　power；　then　they　make　another　Pirua；　with　the　same　ceremonies；　saying　that　they　renew　it；　to　the　end　the　seed　of　maize　may　not　perish；　and　if　it　answers　that　it　hath　force　sufficient　to　last　longer；　they　leave　it　until　the　next　year。　This　foolish　vanity　continueth　to　this　day；　and　it　is　very　common　amongst　the　Indians　to　have　these　Piruas。

In　this　description　of　the　custom　there　seems　to　be　some　error。　Probably　it　was　the　dressed…up　bunch　of　maize；　not　the　granary　（Pirua）；　which　was　worshipped　by　the　Peruvians　and　regarded　as　the　Mother　of　the　Maize。　This　is　confirmed　by　what　we　know　of　the　Peruvian　custom　from　another　source。　The　Peruvians；　we　are　told；　believed　all　useful　plants　to　be　animated　by　a　divine　being　who　causes　their　growth。　According　to　the　particular　plant；　these　divine　beings　were　called　the　Maize…mother　（Zara…mama）；　the　Quinoa…mother　（Quinoa…mama）；　the　Coca…mother　（Coca…mama）；　and　the　Potato…mother　（Axo…mama）。　Figures　of　these　divine　mothers　were　made　respectively　of　ears　of　maize　and　leaves　of　the　quinoa　and　coca　plants；　they　were　dressed　in　women's　clothes　and　worshipped。　Thus　the　Maize…mother　was　represented　by　a　puppet　made　of　stalks　of　maize　dressed　in　full　female　attire；　and　the　Indians　believed　that　as　mother；　it　had　the　power　of　producing　and　giving　birth　to　much　maize。　Probably；　therefore；　Acosta　misunderstood　his　informant；　and　the　Mother　of　the　Maize　which　he　describes　was　not　the　granary　（Pirua）；　but　the　bunch　of　maize　dressed　in　rich　vestments。　The　Peruvian　Mother　of　the　Maize；　like　the　harvest…Maiden　at　Balquhidder；　was　kept　for　a　year　in　order　that　by　her　means　the　corn　might　grow　and　multiply。　But　lest　her　strength　might　not　suffice　to　last　till　the　next　harvest；　she　was　asked　in　the　course　of　the　year　how　she　felt；　and　if　she　answered　that　she　felt　weak；　she　was　burned　and　a　fresh　Mother　of　the　Maize　made；　to　the　end　the　seed　of　maize　may　not　perish。　Here；　it　may　be　observed；　we　have　a　strong　confirmation　of　the　explanation　already　given　of　the　custom　of　killing　the　god；　both　periodically　and　occasionally。　The　Mother　of　the　maize　was　allowed；　as　a　rule；　to　live　through　a　year；　that　being　the　period　during　which　her　strength　might　reasonably　be　supposed　to　last　unimpaired；　but　on　any　symptom　of　her　strength　failing　she　was　put　to　death；　and　a　fresh　and　vigorous　Mother　of　the　Maize　took　her　place；　lest　the　maize　which　depended　on　her　for　its　existence　should　languish　and　decay。

2。　The　Rice…mother　in　the　East　Indies。

IF　THE　READER　still　feels　any　doubts　as　to　the　meaning　of　the　harvest　customs　which　have　been　practised　within　living　memory　by　European　peasants；　these　doubts　may　perhaps　be　dispelled　by　comparing　the　customs　observed　at　the　rice…harvest　by　the　Malays　and　Dyaks　of　the　East　Indies。　For　these　Eastern　peoples　have　not；　like　our　peasantry；　advanced　beyond　the　intellectual　stage　at　which　the　customs　originated；　their　theory　and　their　practice　are　still　in　unison；　for　them　the　quaint　rites　which　in　Europe　have　long　dwindled　into　mere　fossils；　the　pastime　of　clowns　and　the　puzzle　of　the　learned；　are　still　living　realities　of　which　they　can　render　an　intelligible　and　truthful　account。　Hence　a　study　of　their　beliefs　and　usages　concerning　the　rice　may　throw　some　light　on　the　true　meaning　of　the　ritual　of　the　corn　in　ancient　Greece　and　modern　Europe。

Now　the　whole　of　the　ritual　which　the　Malays　and　Dyaks　observe　in　connexion　with　the　rice　is　founded　on　the　simple　conception　of　the　rice　as　animated　by　a　soul　like　that　which　these　people　attribute　to　mankind。　They　explain　the　phenomena　of　reproduction；　growth；　decay；　and　death　in　the　rice　on　the　same　principles　on　which　they　explain　the　corresponding　phenomena　in　human　beings。　They　imagine　that　in　the　fibres　of　the　plant；　as　in　the　body　of　a　man；　there　is　a　certain　vital　element；　which　is　so　far　independent　of　the　plant　that　it　may　for　a　time　be　completely　separated　from　it　without　fatal　effects；　though　if　its　absence　be　prolonged　beyond　certain　limits　the　plant　will　wither　and　die。　This　vital　yet　separable　element　is　what；　for　the　want　of　a　better　word；　we　must　call　the　soul　of　a　plant；　just　as　a　similar　vital　and　separable　element　is　commonly　supposed　to　constitute　the　soul　of　man；　and　on　this　theory　or　myth　of　the　plant…soul　is　built　the　whole　worship　of　the　cereals；　just　as　on　the　theory　or　myth　of　the　human　soul　is　built　the　whole　worship　of　the　dead；a　towering　superstructure　reared　on　a　slender　and　precarious　foundation。

Believing　the　rice　to　be　animated　by　a　soul　like　that　of　a　man；　the　Indonesians　naturally　treat　it　with　the　deference　and　the　consideration　which　they　show　to　their　fellows。　Thus　they　behave　towards　the　rice　in　bloom　as　they　behave　towards　a　pregnant　woman；　they　abstain　from　firing　guns　or　making　loud　noises　in　the　field；　lest　they　should　so　frighten　the　soul　of　the　rice　that　it　would　miscarry　and　bear　no　grain；　and　for　the　same　reason　they　will　not　talk　of　corpses　or　demons　in　the　rice…fields。　Moreover；　they　feed　the　blooming　rice　with　foods　of　various　kinds　which　are　believed　to　be　wholesome　for　women　with　child；　but　when　the　rice…ears　are　just　beginning　to　form；　they　are　looked　upon　as　infants；　and　women　go　through　the　fields　feeding　them　with　rice…pap　as　if　they　were　human　babes。　In　such　natural　and　obvious　comparisons　of　the　breeding　plant　to　a　breeding　woman；　and　of　the　young　grain　to　a　young　child；　is　to　be　sought　the　origin　of　the　kindred　Greek　conception　of　the　Corn…mother　and　the　Corn…daughter；　Demeter　and　Persephone。　But　if　the　timorous　feminine　soul　of　the　rice　can　be　frightened　into　a　miscarriage　even　by　loud　noises；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　what　her　feelings　must　be　at　harvest；　when　people　are　under　the　sad　necessity　of　cutting　down　the　rice　with　the　knife。　At　so　critical　a　season　every　precaution　must　be　used　to　render　the　necessary　surgical　operation　of　reaping　as　inconspicuous　and　as　painless　as　possible。　For　that　reason　the　reaping　of　the　seed…rice　is　done　with　knives　of　a　peculiar　pattern；　such　that　the　blades　are　hidden　in　the　reapers'　hands　and　do　not　frighten　the　rice…spirit　till　the　very　last　moment；　when　her　head　is　swept　off　almost　before　she　is　aware；　and　from　a　like　delicate　motive　the　reapers　at　work　in　the　fields　employ　a　special　form　of　speech；　which　the　rice…spirit　cannot　be　expected　to　understand；　so　that　she　has　no　warning　or　inkling　of　what　is　going　forward　till　the　heads　of　rice　are　safely　deposited　in　the　basket。

Among　the　Indonesian　peoples　who　thus　personify　the　rice　we　may　take　the　Kayans　or　Bahaus　of　Central　Borneo　as　typical。　In　order　to　secure　and　detain　the　volatile　soul　of　the　rice　the　Kayans　resort　to　a　number　of　devices。　Among　the　instruments　employed　for　this　purpose　are　a　miniature　ladder；　a　spatula；　and　a　basket　containing　hooks；　thorns；　and　cords。　With　the　spatula　the　priestess　strokes　the　soul　of　the　rice　down　the　little　ladder　into　the　basket；　where　it　is　naturally　held　fast　by　the　hooks；　the　thorn；　and　the　cor