the golden bough-第154章

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　before　Hallowmas；　it　was　called　the　Maiden；　if　cut　after　sunset；　it　was　called　the　Witch；　being　supposed　to　bring　bad　luck。　Among　the　Highlanders　of　Scotland　the　last　corn　cut　at　harvest　is　known　either　as　the　Old　Wife　（Cailleach）　or　as　the　Maiden；　on　the　whole　the　former　name　seems　to　prevail　in　the　western　and　the　latter　in　the　central　and　eastern　districts。　Of　the　Maiden　we　shall　speak　presently；　here　we　are　dealing　with　the　Old　Wife。　The　following　general　account　of　the　custom　is　given　by　a　careful　and　well…informed　enquirer；　the　Rev。　J。　G。　Campbell；　minister　of　the　remote　Hebridean　island　of　Tiree：　The　Harvest　Old　Wife　（a　Cailleach）。In　harvest；　there　was　a　struggle　to　escape　from　being　the　last　done　with　the　shearing；　and　when　tillage　in　common　existed；　instances　were　known　of　a　ridge　being　left　unshorn　（no　person　would　claim　it）　because　of　it　being　behind　the　rest。　The　fear　entertained　was　that　of　having　the　'famine　of　the　farm'　（gort　a　bhaile）；　in　the　shape　of　an　imaginary　old　woman　（cailleach）；　to　feed　till　next　harvest。　Much　emulation　and　amusement　arose　from　the　fear　of　this　old　woman　。　。　The　first　done　made　a　doll　of　some　blades　of　corn；　which　was　called　the　'old　wife；'　and　sent　it　to　his　nearest　neighbour。　He　in　turn；　when　ready；　passed　it　to　another　still　less　expeditious；　and　the　person　it　last　remained　with　had　'the　old　woman'　to　keep　for　that　year。

In　the　island　of　Islay　the　last　corn　cut　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Old　Wife　（Cailleach）；　and　when　she　has　done　her　duty　at　harvest　she　is　hung　up　on　the　wall　and　stays　there　till　the　time　comes　to　plough　the　fields　for　the　next　year's　crop。　Then　she　is　taken　down；　and　on　the　first　day　when　the　men　go　to　plough　she　is　divided　among　them　by　the　mistress　of　the　house。　They　take　her　in　their　pockets　and　give　her　to　the　horses　to　eat　when　they　reach　the　field。　This　is　supposed　to　secure　good　luck　for　the　next　harvest；　and　is　understood　to　be　the　proper　end　of　the　Old　Wife。

Usages　of　the　same　sort　are　reported　from　Wales。　Thus　in　North　Pembrokeshire　a　tuft　of　the　last　corn　cut；　from　six　to　twelve　inches　long；　is　plaited　and　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Hag　（wrach）；　and　quaint　old　customs　used　to　be　practised　with　it　within　the　memory　of　many　persons　still　alive。　Great　was　the　excitement　among　the　reapers　when　the　last　patch　of　standing　corn　was　reached。　All　in　turn　threw　their　sickles　at　it；　and　the　one　who　succeeded　in　cutting　it　received　a　jug　of　home…brewed　ale。　The　Hag　（wrach）　was　then　hurriedly　made　and　taken　to　a　neighbouring　farm；　where　the　reapers　were　still　busy　at　their　work。　This　was　generally　done　by　the　ploughman；　but　he　had　to　be　very　careful　not　to　be　observed　by　his　neighbours；　for　if　they　saw　him　coming　and　had　the　least　suspicion　of　his　errand　they　would　soon　make　him　retrace　his　steps。　Creeping　stealthily　up　behind　a　fence　he　waited　till　the　foreman　of　his　neighbour's　reapers　was　just　opposite　him　and　within　easy　reach。　Then　he　suddenly　threw　the　Hag　over　the　fence　and；　if　possible；　upon　the　foreman's　sickle。　On　that　he　took　to　his　heels　and　made　off　as　fast　as　he　could　run；　and　he　was　a　lucky　man　if　he　escaped　without　being　caught　or　cut　by　the　flying　sickles　which　the　infuriated　reapers　hurled　after　him。　In　other　cases　the　Hag　was　brought　home　to　the　farmhouse　by　one　of　the　reapers。　He　did　his　best　to　bring　it　home　dry　and　without　being　observed；　but　he　was　apt　to　be　roughly　handled　by　the　people　of　the　house；　if　they　suspected　his　errand。　Sometimes　they　stripped　him　of　most　of　his　clothes；　sometimes　they　would　drench　him　with　water　which　had　been　carefully　stored　in　buckets　and　pans　for　the　purpose。　If；　however；　he　succeeded　in　bringing　the　Hag　in　dry　and　unobserved；　the　master　of　the　house　had　to　pay　him　a　small　fine；　or　sometimes　a　jug　of　beer　from　the　cask　next　to　the　wall；　which　seems　to　have　commonly　held　the　best　beer；　would　be　demanded　by　the　bearer。　The　Hag　was　then　carefully　hung　on　a　nail　in　the　hall　or　elsewhere　and　kept　there　all　the　year。　The　custom　of　bringing　in　the　Hag　（wrach）　into　the　house　and　hanging　it　up　still　exists　in　some　farms　of　North　Pembrokeshire；　but　the　ancient　ceremonies　which　have　just　been　described　are　now　discontinued。

In　County　Antrim；　down　to　some　years　ago；　when　the　sickle　was　finally　expelled　by　the　reaping　machine；　the　few　stalks　of　corn　left　standing　last　on　the　field　were　plaited　together；　then　the　reapers；　blindfolded；　threw　their　sickles　at　the　plaited　corn；　and　whoever　happened　to　cut　it　through　took　it　home　with　him　and　put　it　over　his　door。　This　bunch　of　corn　was　called　the　Carleyprobably　the　same　word　as　Carlin。

Similar　customs　are　observed　by　Slavonic　peoples。　Thus　in　Poland　the　last　sheaf　is　commonly　called　the　Baba；　that　is；　the　Old　Woman。　In　the　last　sheaf；　it　is　said；　sits　the　Baba。　The　sheaf　itself　is　also　called　the　Baba；　and　is　sometimes　composed　of　twelve　smaller　sheaves　lashed　together。　In　some　parts　of　Bohemia　the　Baba；　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf；　has　the　figure　of　a　woman　with　a　great　straw　hat。　It　is　carried　home　on　the　last　harvest…waggon　and　delivered；　along　with　a　garland；　to　the　farmer　by　two　girls。　In　binding　the　sheaves　the　women　strive　not　to　be　last；　for　she　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　will　have　a　child　next　year。　Sometimes　the　harvesters　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　She　has　the　Baba；　or　She　is　the　Baba。　In　the　district　of　Cracow；　when　a　man　binds　the　last　sheaf；　they　say；　The　Grandfather　is　sitting　in　it；　when　a　woman　binds　it；　they　say；　The　Baba　is　sitting　in　it；　and　the　woman　herself　is　wrapt　up　in　the　sheaf；　so　that　only　her　head　projects　out　of　it。　Thus　encased　in　the　sheaf；　she　is　carried　on　the　last　harvest…waggon　to　the　house；　where　she　is　drenched　with　water　by　the　whole　family。　She　remains　in　the　sheaf　till　the　dance　is　over；　and　for　a　year　she　retains　the　name　of　Baba。

In　Lithuania　the　name　for　the　last　sheaf　is　Boba　（Old　Woman）；　answering　to　the　Polish　name　Baba。　The　Boba　is　said　to　sit　in　the　corn　which　is　left　standing　last。　The　person　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　or　digs　the　last　potato　is　the　subject　of　much　banter；　and　receives　and　long　retains　the　name　of　the　Old　Rye…woman　or　the　Old　Potato…woman。　The　last　sheafthe　Bobais　made　into　the　form　of　a　woman；　carried　solemnly　through　the　village　on　the　last　harvest…waggon；　and　drenched　with　water　at　the　farmer's　house；　then　every　one　dances　with　it。

In　Russia　also　the　last　sheaf　is　often　shaped　and　dressed　as　a　woman；　and　carried　with　dance　and　song　to　the　farmhouse。　Out　of　the　last　sheaf　the　Bulgarians　make　a　doll　which　they　call　the　Corn…queen　or　Corn…mother；　it　is　dressed　in　a　woman's　shirt；　carried　round　the　village；　and　then　thrown　into　the　river　in　order　to　secure　plenty　of　rain　and　dew　for　the　next　year's　crop。　Or　it　is　burned　and　the　ashes　strew　on　the　fields；　doubtless　to　fertilise　them。　The　name　Queen；　as　applied　to　the　last　sheaf；　has　its　analogies　in　Central　and　Northern　Europe。　Thus；　in　the　Salzburg　district　of　Austria；　at　the　end　of　the　harvest　a　great　procession　takes　place；　in　which　a　Queen　of　the　Corn…ears　（？hrenk？nigin）　is　drawn　along　in　a　little　carriage　by　young　fellows。　The　custom　of　the　Harvest　Queen　appears　to　have　been　common　in　England。　Milton　must　have　been　familiar　with　it；　for　in　Paradise　Lost　he　says：

Adam　the　while　Waiting　desirous　her　return；　had　wove　Of　choicest　flow'rs　a　garland　to　adorn　Her　tresses；　and　her　rural　labours　crown；　As　reapers　oft　are　wont　their　harvest…queen。

Often　customs　of　this　sort　are　practised；　not　on　the　harvest…field　but　on　the　threshing…floor。　The　spirit　of　the　corn；　fleeing　before　the　reapers　as　they　cut　down　the　ripe　grain；　quits　the　reaped　corn　and　takes　refuge　in　the　barn；　where　it　appears　in　the　last　sheaf　threshed；　either　to　perish　under　the　blows　of　the　flail　or　to　flee　thence　to　the　still　unthreshed　corn　of　a　neighbouring　farm。　Thus　the　last　corn　to　be　threshed　is　called　the　Mother…Corn　or　the　Old　Woman。　Sometimes　the　person　who　gives　the　last　stroke　with　the　flail　is　called　the　Old　Woman；　and　is　wrapt　in　the　straw　of　the　last　sheaf；　or　has　a　bundle　of　straw　fastened　on　his　back。　Whether　wrapt　in　the　straw　or　carrying　it　on　his　back；　he　is　carted　through　the　village　amid　general　laughter。　In　some　districts　of　Bavaria；　Thüringen；　and　else