the golden bough-第164章

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e　last　sheaf；　under　the　threshing…machine；　as　if　to　thresh　her；　and　that　afterwards　a　pretence　is　made　of　winnowing　her。　At　Volders；　in　the　Tyrol；　husks　of　corn　are　stuck　behind　the　neck　of　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing；　and　he　is　throttled　with　a　straw　garland。　If　he　is　tall；　it　is　believed　that　the　corn　will　be　tall　next　year。　Then　he　is　tied　on　a　bundle　and　flung　into　the　river。　In　Carinthia；　the　thresher　who　gave　the　last　stroke；　and　the　person　who　untied　the　last　sheaf　on　the　threshing…floor；　are　bound　hand　and　foot　with　straw　bands；　and　crowns　of　straw　are　placed　on　their　heads。　Then　they　are　tied；　face　to　face；　on　a　sledge；　dragged　through　the　village；　and　flung　into　a　brook。　The　custom　of　throwing　the　representative　of　the　corn…spirit　into　a　stream；　like　that　of　drenching　him　with　water；　is；　as　usual；　a　rain…charm。

III。　Thus　far　the　representatives　of　the　corn…spirit　have　generally　been　the　man　or　woman　who　cuts；　binds；　or　threshes　the　last　corn。　We　now　come　to　the　cases　in　which　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　either　by　a　stranger　passing　the　harvest…field　（as　in　the　Lityerses　tale）；　or　by　a　visitor　entering　it　for　the　first　time。　All　over　Germany　it　is　customary　for　the　reapers　or　threshers　to　lay　hold　of　passing　strangers　and　bind　them　with　a　rope　made　of　corn…stalks；　till　they　pay　a　forfeit；　and　when　the　farmer　himself　or　one　of　his　guests　enters　the　field　or　the　threshing…floor　for　the　first　time；　he　is　treated　in　the　same　way。　Sometimes　the　rope　is　only　tied　round　his　arm　or　his　feet　or　his　neck。　But　sometimes　he　is　regularly　swathed　in　corn。　Thus　at　Sol？r　in　Norway；　whoever　enters　the　field；　be　he　the　master　or　a　stranger；　is　tied　up　in　a　sheaf　and　must　pay　a　ransom。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Soest；　when　the　farmer　visits　the　flax…pullers　for　the　first　time；　he　is　completely　enveloped　in　flax。　Passers…by　are　also　surrounded　by　the　women；　tied　up　in　flax；　and　compelled　to　stand　brandy。　At　N？rdlingen　strangers　are　caught　with　straw　ropes　and　tied　up　in　a　sheaf　till　they　pay　a　forfeit。　Among　the　Germans　of　Haselberg；　in　West　Bohemia；　as　soon　as　a　farmer　had　given　the　last　corn　to　be　threshed　on　the　threshing…floor；　he　was　swathed　in　it　and　had　to　redeem　himself　by　a　present　of　cakes。　In　the　canton　of　Putanges；　in　Normandy；　a　pretence　of　tying　up　the　owner　of　the　land　in　the　last　sheaf　of　wheat　is　still　practised；　or　at　least　was　still　practised　some　quarter　of　a　century　ago。　The　task　falls　to　the　women　alone。　They　throw　themselves　on　the　proprietor；　seize　him　by　the　arms；　the　legs；　and　the　body；　throw　him　to　the　ground；　and　stretch　him　on　the　last　sheaf。　Then　a　show　is　made　of　binding　him；　and　the　conditions　to　be　observed　at　the　harvest…supper　are　dictated　to　him。　When　he　has　accepted　them；　he　is　released　and　allowed　to　get　up。　At　Brie；　Isle　de　France；　when　any　one　who　does　not　belong　to　the　farm　passes　by　the　harvest…field；　the　reapers　give　chase。　If　they　catch　him；　they　bind　him　in　a　sheaf　an　dbite　him；　one　after　the　other；　in　the　forehead；　crying；　You　shall　carry　the　key　of　the　field。　To　have　the　key　is　an　expression　used　by　harvesters　elsewhere　in　the　sense　of　to　cut　or　bind　or　thresh　the　last　sheaf；　hence；　it　is　equivalent　to　the　phrases　You　have　the　Old　Man；　You　are　the　Old　Man；　which　are　addressed　to　the　cutter；　binder；　or　thresher　of　the　last　sheaf。　Therefore；　when　a　stranger；　as　at　Brie；　is　tied　up　in　a　sheaf　and　told　that　he　will　carry　the　key　of　the　field；　it　is　as　much　as　to　say　that　he　is　the　Old　Man；　that　is；　an　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit。　In　hop…picking；　if　a　well…dressed　stranger　passes　the　hop…yard；　he　is　seized　by　the　women；　tumbled　into　the　bin；　covered　with　leaves；　and　not　released　till　he　has　paid　a　fine。

Thus；　like　the　ancient　Lityerses；　modern　European　reapers　have　been　wont　to　lay　hold　of　a　passing　stranger　and　tie　him　up　in　a　sheaf。　It　is　not　to　be　expected　that　they　should　complete　the　parallel　by　cutting　off　his　head；　but　if　they　do　not　take　such　a　strong　step；　their　language　and　gestures　are　at　least　indicative　of　a　desire　to　do　so。　For　instance；　in　Mecklenburg　on　the　first　day　of　reaping；　if　the　master　or　mistress　or　a　stranger　enters　the　field；　or　merely　passes　by　it；　all　the　mowers　face　towards　him　and　sharpen　their　scythes；　clashing　their　whet…stones　against　them　in　unison；　as　if　they　were　making　ready　to　mow。　Then　the　woman　who　leads　the　mowers　steps　up　to　him　and　ties　a　band　round　his　left　arm。　He　must　ransom　himself　by　payment　of　a　forfeit。　Near　Ratzeburg；　when　the　master　or　other　person　of　mark　enters　the　field　or　passes　by　it；　all　the　harvesters　stop　work　and　march　towards　him　in　a　body；　the　men　with　their　scythes　in　front。　On　meeting　him　they　form　up　in　line；　men　and　women。　The　men　stick　the　poles　of　their　scythes　in　the　ground；　as　they　do　in　whetting　them；　then　they　take　off　their　caps　and　hang　them　on　the　scythes；　while　their　leader　stands　forward　and　makes　a　speech。　When　he　has　done；　they　all　whet　their　scythes　in　measured　time　very　loudly；　after　which　they　put　on　their　caps。　Two　of　the　women　binders　then　come　forward；　one　of　them　ties　the　master　or　stranger　（as　the　case　may　be）　with　corn…ears　or　with　a　silken　band；　the　other　delivers　a　rhyming　address。　The　following　are　specimens　of　the　speeches　made　by　the　reaper　on　these　occasions。　In　some　parts　of　Pomerania　every　passer…by　is　stopped；　his　way　being　barred　with　a　corn…rope。　The　reapers　form　a　circle　round　him　and　sharpen　their　scythes；　while　their　leader　says：

The　men　are　ready；　The　scythes　are　bent；　The　corn　is　great　and　small；　The　gentleman　must　be　mowed。

Then　the　process　of　whetting　the　scythes　is　repeated。　At　Ramin；　in　the　district　of　Stettin；　the　stranger；　standing　encircled　by　the　reapers；　is　thus　addressed：

We'll　stroke　the　gentleman　With　our　naked　sword；　Wherewith　we　shear　meadows　and　fields。　We　shear　princes　and　lords。　Labourers　are　often　athirst；　If　the　gentleman　will　stand　beer　and　brandy　The　joke　will　soon　be　over。　But；　if　our　prayer　he　does　not　like；　The　sword　has　a　right　to　strike。

On　the　threshing…floor　strangers　are　also　regarded　as　embodiments　of　the　corn…spirit；　and　are　treated　accordingly。　At　Wiedingharde　in　Schleswig　when　a　stranger　comes　to　the　threshing…floor　he　is　asked；　Shall　I　teach　you　the　flail…dance？　If　he　says　yes；　they　put　the　arms　of　the　threshing…flail　round　his　neck　as　if　he　were　a　sheaf　of　corn；　and　press　them　together　so　tight　that　he　is　nearly　choked。　In　some　parishes　of　Wermland　（Sweden）；　when　a　stranger　enters　the　threshing…floor　where　the　threshers　are　at　work；　they　say　that　they　will　teach　him　the　threshing…song。　Then　they　put　a　flail　round　his　neck　and　a　straw　rope　about　his　body。　Also；　as　we　have　seen；　if　a　stranger　woman　enters　the　threshing…floor；　the　threshers　put　a　flail　round　her　body　and　a　wreath　of　corn…stalks　round　her　neck；　and　call　out；　See　the　Corn…woman！　See！　that　is　how　the　Corn…maiden　looks！

Thus　in　these　harvest…customs　of　modern　Europe　the　person　who　cuts；　binds；　or　threshes　the　last　corn　is　treated　as　an　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit　by　being　wrapt　up　in　sheaves；　killed　in　mimicry　by　agricultural　implements；　and　thrown　into　the　water。　These　coincidences　with　the　Lityerses　story　seem　to　prove　that　the　latter　is　a　genuine　description　of　an　old　Phrygian　harvest…custom。　But　since　in　the　modern　parallels　the　killing　of　the　personal　representative　of　the　corn…spirit　is　necessarily　omitted　or　at　most　enacted　only　in　mimicry；　it　is　desirable　to　show　that　in　rude　society　human　beings　have　been　commonly　killed　as　an　agricultural　ceremony　to　promote　the　fertility　of　the　fields。　The　following　examples　will　make　this　plain。

3。　Human　Sacrifices　for　the　Crops。

THE　INDIANS　of　Guayaquil；　in　Ecuador；　used　to　sacrifice　human　blood　and　the　hearts　of　men　when　they　sowed　their　fields。　The　people　of　Ca？ar　（now　Cuenca　in　Ecuador）　used　to　sacrifice　a　hundred　children　annually　at　harvest。　The　kings　of　Quito；　the　Incas　of　Peru；　and　for　a　long　time　the　Spaniards　were　unable　to　suppress　the　bloody　rite。　At　a　Mexican　harvest…festival；　when　the　first…fruits　of　the　season　were　offered　to　the　sun；　a　criminal　was　placed　between　two　immense　stones；　balanced　opposite　each　other；　and　was　crushed　by　them　as　they　fell　together。　His　remains　were　buried；　and　a　feast　a