the golden bough-第152节

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st　corn　cuts　the　hare's　tail　off。　In　mowing　down　the　last　corner　of　a　field　French　reapers　sometimes　call　out；　We　have　the　cat　by　the　tail。　In　Bresse　（Bourgogne）　the　last　sheaf　represented　the　fox。　Beside　it　a　score　of　ears　were　left　standing　to　form　the　tail；　and　each　reaper；　going　back　some　paces；　threw　his　sickle　at　it。　He　who　succeeded　in　severing　it　cut　off　the　fox's　tail；　and　a　cry　of　You　cou　cou！　was　raised　in　his　honour。　These　examples　leave　no　room　to　doubt　the　meaning　of　the　Devonshire　and　Cornish　expression　the　neck；　as　applied　to　the　last　sheaf。　The　corn…spirit　is　conceived　in　human　or　animal　form；　and　the　last　standing　corn　is　part　of　its　bodyits　neck；　its　head；　or　its　tail。　Sometimes；　as　we　have　seen；　the　last　corn　is　regarded　as　the　navel…string。　Lastly；　the　Devonshire　custom　of　drenching　with　water　the　person　who　brings　in　the　neck　is　a　raincharm；　such　as　we　have　had　many　examples　of。　Its　parallel　in　the　mysteries　of　Osiris　was　the　custom　of　pouring　water　on　the　image　of　Osiris　or　on　the　person　who　represented　him。

Chapter　48。　The　Corn…Spirit　as　an　Animal。

1。　Animal　Embodiments　of　the　Corn…spirit。

IN　SOME　of　the　examples　which　I　have　cited　to　establish　the　meaning　of　the　term　neck　as　applied　to　the　last　sheaf；　the　corn…spirit　appears　in　animal　form　as　a　gander；　a　goat；　a　hare；　a　cat；　and　a　fox。　This　introduces　us　to　a　new　aspect　of　the　corn…spirit；　which　we　must　now　examine。　By　doing　so　we　shall　not　only　have　fresh　examples　of　killing　the　god；　but　may　hope　also　to　clear　up　some　points　which　remain　obscure　in　the　myths　and　worship　of　Adonis；　Attis；　Osiris；　Dionysus；　Demeter；　and　Virbius。

Amongst　the　many　animals　whose　forms　the　corn…spirit　is　supposed　to　take　are　the　wolf；　dog；　hare；　fox；　cock；　goose；　quail；　cat；　goat；　cow　（ox；　bull）；　pig；　and　horse。　In　one　or　other　of　these　shapes　the　corn…spirit　is　often　believed　to　be　present　in　the　corn；　and　to　be　caught　or　killed　in　the　last　sheaf。　As　the　corn　is　being　cut　the　animal　flees　before　the　reapers；　and　if　a　reaper　is　taken　ill　on　the　field；　he　is　supposed　to　have　stumbled　unwittingly　on　the　corn…spirit；　who　has　thus　punished　the　profane　intruder。　It　is　said　the　Rye…wolf　has　got　hold　of　him；　the　Harvest…goat　has　given　him　a　push。　The　person　who　cuts　the　last　corn　or　binds　the　last　sheaf　gets　the　name　of　the　animal；　as　the　Rye…wolf；　the　Rye…sow；　the　Oats…goat；　and　so　forth；　and　retains　the　name　sometimes　for　a　year。　Also　the　animal　is　frequently　represented　by　a　puppet　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf　or　of　wood；　flowers；　and　so　on；　which　is　carried　home　amid　rejoicings　on　the　last　harvest…waggon。　Even　where　the　last　sheaf　is　not　made　up　in　animal　shape；　it　is　often　called　the　Rye…wolf；　the　Hare；　Goat；　and　so　forth。　Generally　each　kind　of　crop　is　supposed　to　have　its　special　animal；　which　is　caught　in　the　last　sheaf；　and　called　the　Rye…wolf；　the　Barley…wolf；　the　Oats…wolf；　the　Pea…wolf；　or　the　Potato…wolf；　according　to　the　crop；　but　sometimes　the　figure　of　the　animal　is　only　made　up　once　for　all　at　getting　in　the　last　crop　of　the　whole　harvest。　Sometimes　the　creature　is　believed　to　be　killed　by　the　last　stroke　of　the　sickle　or　scythe。　But　oftener　it　is　thought　to　live　so　long　as　there　is　corn　still　unthreshed；　and　to　be　caught　in　the　last　sheaf　threshed。　Hence　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　with　the　flail　is　told　that　he　has　got　the　Corn…sow；　the　Threshing…dog；　or　the　like。　When　the　threshing　is　finished；　a　puppet　is　made　in　the　form　of　the　animal；　and　this　is　carried　by　the　thresher　of　the　last　sheaf　to　a　neighbouring　farm；　where　the　threshing　is　still　going　on。　This　again　shows　that　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　live　wherever　the　corn　is　still　being　threshed。　Sometimes　the　thresher　of　the　last　sheaf　himself　represents　the　animal；　and　if　the　people　of　the　next　farm；　who　are　still　threshing；　catch　him；　they　treat　him　like　the　animal　he　represents；　by　shutting　him　up　in　the　pig…sty；　calling　him　with　the　cries　commonly　addressed　to　pigs；　and　so　forth。　These　general　statements　will　now　be　illustrated　by　examples。

2。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Wolf　or　a　Dog。

WE　begin　with　the　corn…spirit　conceived　as　a　wolf　or　a　dog。　This　conception　is　common　in　France；　Germany；　and　Slavonic　countries。　Thus；　when　the　wind　sets　the　corn　in　wave…like　motion　the　peasants　often　say；　The　Wolf　is　going　over；　or　through；　the　corn；　the　Rye…wolf　is　rushing　over　the　field；　the　Wolf　is　in　the　corn；　the　mad　Dog　is　in　the　corn；　the　big　Dog　is　there。　When　children　wish　to　go　into　the　corn…fields　to　pluck　ears　or　gather　the　blue　corn…flowers；　they　are　warned　not　to　do　so；　for　the　big　Dog　sits　in　the　corn；　or　the　Wolf　sits　in　the　corn；　and　will　tear　you　in　pieces；　the　Wolf　will　eat　you。　The　wolf　against　whom　the　children　are　warned　is　not　a　common　wolf；　for　he　is　often　spoken　of　as　the　Corn…wolf；　Rye…wolf；　or　the　like；　thus　they　say；　The　Rye…wolf　will　come　and　eat　you　up；　children；　the　Rye…wolf　will　carry　you　off；　and　so　forth。　Still　he　has　all　the　outward　appearance　of　a　wolf。　For　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Feilenhof　（East　Prussia）；　when　a　wolf　was　seen　running　through　a　field；　the　peasants　used　to　watch　whether　he　carried　his　tail　in　the　air　or　dragged　it　on　the　ground。　If　he　dragged　it　on　the　ground；　they　went　after　him；　and　thanked　him　for　bringing　them　a　blessing；　and　even　set　tit…bits　before　him。　But　if　he　carried　his　tail　high；　they　cursed　him　and　tried　to　kill　him。　Here　the　wolf　is　the　corn…spirit　whose　fertilising　power　is　in　his　tail。

Both　dog　and　wolf　appear　as　embodiments　of　the　corn…spirit　in　harvest…customs。　Thus　in　some　parts　of　Silesia　the　person　who　cuts　or　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Wheat…dog　or　the　Peas…pug。　But　it　is　in　the　harvest…customs　of　the　north…east　of　France　that　the　idea　of　the　Corn…dog　comes　out　most　clearly。　Thus　when　a　harvester；　through　sickness；　weariness；　or　laziness；　cannot　or　will　not　keep　up　with　the　reaper　in　front　of　him；　they　say；　The　White　Dog　passed　near　him；　he　has　the　White　Bitch；　or　the　White　Bitch　has　bitten　him。　In　the　Vosges　the　Harvest…May　is　called　the　Dog　of　the　harvest；　and　the　person　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　hay　or　wheat　is　said　to　kill　the　Dog。　About　Lons…le…Saulnier；　in　the　Jura；　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Bitch。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Verdun　the　regular　expression　for　finishing　the　reaping　is；　They　are　going　to　kill　the　Dog；　and　at　Epinal　they　say；　according　to　the　crop；　We　will　kill　the　Wheat…dog；　or　the　Rye…dog；　or　the　Potato…dog。　In　Lorraine　it　is　said　of　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn；　He　is　killing　the　Dog　of　the　harvest。　At　Dux；　in　the　Tyrol；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　said　to　strike　down　the　Dog；　and　at　Ahnebergen；　near　Stade；　he　is　called；　according　to　the　crop；　Corn…pug；　Rye…pug；　Wheat…pug。

So　with　the　wolf。　In　Silesia；　when　the　reapers　gather　round　the　last　patch　of　standing　corn　to　reap　it　they　are　said　to　be　about　to　catch　the　Wolf。　In　various　parts　of　Mecklenburg；　where　the　belief　in　the　Corn…wolf　is　particularly　prevalent；　every　one　fears　to　cut　the　last　corn；　because　they　say　that　the　Wolf　is　sitting　in　it；　hence　every　reaper　exerts　himself　to　the　utmost　in　order　not　to　be　the　last；　and　every　woman　similarly　fears　to　bind　the　last　sheaf　because　the　Wolf　is　in　it。　So　both　among　the　reapers　and　the　binders　there　is　a　competition　not　to　be　the　last　to　finish。　And　in　Germany　generally　it　appears　to　be　a　common　saying　that　the　Wolf　sits　in　the　last　sheaf。　In　some　places　they　call　out　to　the　reaper；　Beware　of　the　Wolf；　or　they　say；　He　is　chasing　the　Wolf　out　of　the　corn。　In　Mecklenburg　the　last　bunch　of　standing　corn　is　itself　commonly　called　the　Wolf；　and　the　man　who　reaps　it　has　the　Wolf；　the　animal　being　described　as　the　Rye…wolf；　the　Wheat…wolf；　the　Barley…wolf；　and　so　on　according　to　the　particular　crop。　The　reaper　of　the　last　corn　is　himself　called　Wolf　or　the　Rye…wolf；　if　the　crop　is　rye；　and　in　many　parts　of　Mecklenburg　he　has　to　support　the　character　by　pretending　to　bite　the　other　harvesters　or　by　howling　like　a　wolf。　The　last　sheaf　of　corn　is　also　called　the　Wolf　or　the　Rye…wolf　or　the　Oats…wolf　according　to　the　crop；　and　of　the　woman　who　binds　it　they　say；　The　Wolf　is　biting　her；　She　has　the　Wolf；　She　must　fetch　the　Wolf　（out　of　the　corn）。　Moreover；　she　herself　is　called　Wolf；　they　cry　out　to　her；　Thou　art　the　Wolf；　and　she　has　to　bear　the　name　for　a　whole　year；　sometimes；　according　to　the　crop；　she　is　called　the　Rye…wolf　or　the　Potato…wolf。　In　the　island　of　Rügen　not　only　is　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　called　Wolf；　but　when　she　comes　home　she　bites　the　lady　of　the　house　and　the　stewardess；　for　which　she　receives　a　large　piece　of　meat。　Yet　nobody　likes　to　be　the　Wolf。　The　same　woman　may　be　Rye…wolf；　Wheat…wolf；　and　Oats…wolf；　if　she　happens　to　bind　the　last　sheaf　of　rye；　wheat；　and　oats。　At　Buir；　in　the　district　of　Cologne；　it　was　formerly　the　custom　to　give　to　the　last　sheaf　the　shape　of　a　wolf。　It　was　kept　in　the　barn　till　all　the　corn　was　threshed。　Then　it　was　brought　to　the　farmer　and　he　had　to　sprinkle　it　with　beer　or　brandy。　At　Brunshaupten　in　Mecklenburg　the　young　woman　who　bound　the　last　sheaf　of　wheat　used　to　take　a　handful　of　stalks　out　of　it　and　make　the　Wheat…wolf　with　them；　it　was　the　figure　of　a　wolf　about　two　feet　long　and　half　a　foot　high；　the　legs　of　the　animal