the golden bough-第157节

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lled　the　Rye…boar。　Somewhat　similar　customs　are　observed　in　Germany。　In　the　Salza　district；　near　Meiningen；　a　certain　bone　in　the　pig　is　called　the　Jew　on　the　winnowing…fan。　The　flesh　of　this　bone　is　boiled　on　Shrove　Tuesday；　but　the　bone　is　put　amongst　the　ashes　which　the　neighbours　exchange　as　presents　on　St。　Peter's　Day　（the　twenty…second　of　February）；　and　then　mix　with　the　seedcorn。　In　the　whole　of　Hesse；　Meiningen；　and　other　districts；　people　eat　pea…soup　with　dried　pig…ribs　on　Ash　Wednesday　or　Candlemas。　The　ribs　are　then　collected　and　hung　in　the　room　till　sowing…time；　when　they　are　inserted　in　the　sown　field　or　in　the　seed…bag　amongst　the　flax　seed。　This　is　thought　to　be　an　infallible　specific　against　earth…fleas　and　moles；　and　to　cause　the　flax　to　grow　well　and　tall。

But　the　idea　of　the　corn…spirit　as　embodied　in　pig　form　is　nowhere　more　clearly　expressed　than　in　the　Scandinavian　custom　of　the　Yule　Boar。　In　Sweden　and　Denmark　at　Yule　（Christmas）　it　is　the　custom　to　bake　a　loaf　in　the　form　of　a　boar…pig。　This　is　called　the　Yule　Boar。　The　corn　of　the　last　sheaf　is　often　used　to　make　it。　All　through　Yule　the　Yule　Boar　stands　on　the　table。　Often　it　is　kept　till　the　sowing…time　in　spring；　when　part　of　it　is　mixed　with　the　seed…corn　and　part　given　to　the　ploughman　and　plough…horses　or　ploughoxen　to　eat；　in　the　expectation　of　a　good　harvest。　In　this　custom　the　corn…spirit；　immanent　in　the　last　sheaf；　appears　at　midwinter　in　the　form　of　a　boar　made　from　the　corn　of　the　last　sheaf；　and　his　quickening　influence　on　the　corn　is　shown　by　mixing　part　of　the　Yule　Boar　with　the　seed…corn；　and　giving　part　of　it　to　the　ploughman　and　his　cattle　to　eat。　Similarly　we　saw　that　the　Corn…wolf　makes　his　appearance　at　mid…winter；　the　time　when　the　year　begins　to　verge　towards　spring。　Formerly　a　real　boar　was　sacrificed　at　Christmas；　and　apparently　also　a　man　in　the　character　of　the　Yule　Boar。　This；　at　least；　may　perhaps　be　inferred　from　a　Christmas　custom　still　observed　in　Sweden。　A　man　is　wrapt　up　in　a　skin；　and　carries　a　wisp　of　straw　in　his　mouth；　so　that　the　projecting　straws　look　like　the　bristles　of　a　boar。　A　knife　is　brought；　and　an　old　woman；　with　her　face　blackened；　pretends　to　sacrifice　him。

On　Christmas　Eve　in　some　parts　of　the　Esthonian　island　of　Oesel　they　bake　a　long　cake　with　the　two　ends　turned　up。　It　is　called　the　Christmas　Boar；　and　stands　on　the　table　till　the　morning　of　New　Year's　Day；　when　it　is　distributed　among　the　cattle。　In　other　parts　of　the　island　the　Christmas　Boar　is　not　a　cake　but　a　little　pig　born　in　March；　which　the　housewife　fattens　secretly；　often　without　the　knowledge　of　the　other　members　of　the　family。　On　Christmas　Eve　the　little　pig　is　secretly　killed；　then　roasted　in　the　oven；　and　set　on　the　table　standing　on　all　fours；　where　it　remains　in　this　posture　for　several　days。　In　other　parts　of　the　island；　again；　though　the　Christmas　cake　has　neither　the　name　nor　the　shape　of　a　boar；　it　is　kept　till　the　New　Year；　when　half　of　it　is　divided　among　all　the　members　and　all　the　quadrupeds　of　the　family。　The　other　half　of　the　cake　is　kept　till　sowing…time　comes　round；　when　it　is　similarly　distributed　in　the　morning　among　human　beings　and　beasts。　In　other　parts　of　Esthonia；　again；　the　Christmas　Boar；　as　it　is　called；　is　baked　of　the　first　rye　cut　at　harvest；　it　has　a　conical　shape　and　a　cross　is　impressed　on　it　with　a　pig's　bone　or　a　key；　or　three　dints　are　made　in　it　with　a　buckle　or　a　piece　of　charcoal。　It　stands　with　a　light　beside　it　on　the　table　all　through　the　festal　season。　On　New　Year's　Day　and　Epiphany；　before　sunrise；　a　little　of　the　cake　is　crumbled　with　salt　and　given　to　the　cattle。　The　rest　is　kept　till　the　day　when　the　cattle　are　driven　out　to　pasture　for　the　first　time　in　spring。　It　is　then　put　in　the　herdsman's　bag；　and　at　evening　is　divided　among　the　cattle　to　guard　them　from　magic　and　harm。　In　some　places　the　Christmas　Boar　is　partaken　of　by　farm…servants　and　cattle　at　the　time　of　the　barley　sowing；　for　the　purpose　of　thereby　producing　a　heavier　crop。

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