the golden bough-第170章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nguished　with　tolerable　ease　even　at　a　distance；　but　to　a　Greek　traveller　in　Asia　or　Egypt　the　foreign　words　would　commonly　convey　no　meaning；　and　he　might　take　them；　not　unnaturally；　for　the　name　of　some　one　（Maneros；　Linus；　Lityerses；　Bormus）　upon　whom　the　reapers　were　calling。　And　if　his　journey　led　him　through　more　countries　than　one；　as　Bithynia　and　Phrygia；　or　Phoenicia　and　Egypt；　while　the　corn　was　being　reaped；　he　would　have　an　opportunity　of　comparing　the　various　harvest　cries　of　the　different　peoples。　Thus　we　can　readily　understand　why　these　harvest　cries　were　so　often　noted　and　compared　with　each　other　by　the　Greeks。　Whereas；　if　they　had　been　regular　songs；　they　could　not　have　been　heard　at　such　distances；　and　therefore　could　not　have　attracted　the　attention　of　so　many　travellers；　and；　moreover；　even　if　the　wayfarer　were　within　hearing　of　them；　he　could　not　so　easily　have　picked　out　the　words。

Down　to　recent　times　Devonshire　reapers　uttered　cries　of　the　same　sort；　and　performed　on　the　field　a　ceremony　exactly　analogous　to　that　in　which；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　the　rites　of　Osiris　originated。　The　cry　and　the　ceremony　are　thus　described　by　an　observer　who　wrote　in　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century。　After　the　wheat　is　all　cut；　on　most　farms　in　the　north　of　Devon；　the　harvest　people　have　a　custom　of　'crying　the　neck。'　I　believe　that　this　practice　is　seldom　omitted　on　any　large　farm　in　that　part　of　the　country。　It　is　done　in　this　way。　An　old　man；　or　some　one　else　well　acquainted　with　the　ceremonies　used　on　the　occasion　（when　the　labourers　are　reaping　the　last　field　of　wheat）；　goes　round　to　the　shocks　and　sheaves；　and　picks　out　a　little　bundle　of　all　the　best　ears　he　can　find；　this　bundle　he　ties　up　very　neat　and　trim；　and　plats　and　arranges　the　straws　very　tastefully。　This　is　called　'the　neck'　of　wheat；　or　wheaten…ears。　After　the　field　is　cut　out；　and　the　pitcher　once　more　circulated；　the　reapers；　binders；　and　the　women　stand　round　in　a　circle。　The　person　with　'the　neck'　stands　in　the　centre；　grasping　it　with　both　hands。　He　first　stoops　and　holds　it　near　the　ground；　and　all　the　men　forming　the　ring　take　off　their　hats；　stooping　and　holding　them　with　both　hands　towards　the　ground。　They　then　all　begin　at　once　in　a　very　prolonged　and　harmonious　tone　to　cry　'The　neck！'　at　the　same　time　slowly　raising　themselves　upright；　and　elevating　their　arms　and　hats　above　their　heads；　the　person　with　'the　neck'　also　raising　it　on　high。　This　is　done　three　times。　They　then　change　their　cry　to　'Wee　yen！''Way　yen！'which　they　sound　in　the　same　prolonged　and　slow　manner　as　before；　with　singular　harmony　and　effect；　three　times。　This　last　cry　is　accompanied　by　the　same　movements　of　the　body　and　arms　as　in　crying　'the　neck。'　　After　having　thus　repeated　'the　neck'　three　times；　and　'wee　yen；'　or　'way　yen'　as　often；　they　all　burst　out　into　a　kind　of　loud　and　joyous　laugh；　flinging　up　their　hats　and　caps　into　the　air；　capering　about　and　perhaps　kissing　the　girls。　One　of　them　then　gets　'the　neck'　and　runs　as　hard　as　he　can　down　to　the　farmhouse；　where　the　dairymaid；　or　one　of　the　young　female　domestics；　stands　at　the　door　prepared　with　a　pail　of　water。　If　he　who　holds　'the　neck'　can　manage　to　get　into　the　house；　in　any　way　unseen；　or　openly；　by　any　other　way　than　the　door　at　which　the　girl　stands　with　the　pail　of　water；　then　he　may　lawfully　kiss　her；　but；　if　otherwise；　he　is　regularly　soused　with　the　contents　of　the　bucket。　On　a　fine　still　autumn　evening　the　'crying　of　the　neck'　has　a　wonderful　effect　at　a　distance；　far　finer　than　that　of　the　Turkish　muezzin；　which　Lord　Byron　eulogises　so　much；　and　which　he　says　is　preferable　to　all　the　bells　of　Christendom。　I　have　once　or　twice　heard　upwards　of　twenty　men　cry　it；　and　sometimes　joined　by　an　equal　number　of　female　voices。　About　three　years　back；　on　some　high　grounds；　where　our　people　were　harvesting；　I　heard　six　or　seven　'necks'　cried　in　one　night；　although　I　know　that　some　of　them　were　four　miles　off。　They　are　heard　through　the　quiet　evening　air　at　a　considerable　distance　sometimes。　Again；　Mrs。　Bray　tells　how；　travelling　in　Devonshire；　she　saw　a　party　of　reapers　standing　in　a　circle　on　a　rising　ground；　holding　their　sickles　aloft。　One　in　the　middle　held　up　some　ears　of　corn　tied　together　with　flowers；　and　the　party　shouted　three　times　（what　she　writes　as）　'Arnack；　arnack；　arnack；　we　haven；　we　haven；　we　haven。'　They　went　home；　accompanied　by　women　and　children　carrying　boughs　of　flowers；　shouting　and　singing。　The　manservant　who　attended　Mrs。　Bray　said　'it　was　only　the　people　making　their　games；　as　they　always　did；　to　the　spirit　of　harvest。'　Here；　as　Miss　Burne　remarks；　'arnack；　we　haven！'　is　obviously　in　the　Devon　dialect；　'a　neck　（or　nack）！　we　have　un！'

Another　account　of　this　old　custom；　written　at　Truro　in　1839；　runs　thus：　Now；　when　all　the　corn　was　cut　at　Heligan；　the　farming　men　and　maidens　come　in　front　of　the　house；　and　bring　with　them　a　small　sheaf　of　corn；　the　last　that　has　been　cut；　and　this　is　adorned　with　ribbons　and　flowers；　and　one　part　is　tied　quite　tight；　so　as　to　look　like　a　neck。　Then　they　cry　out　'Our　（my）　side；　my　side；'　as　loud　as　they　can；　then　the　dairymaid　gives　the　neck　to　the　head　farming…man。　He　takes　it；　and　says；　very　loudly　three　times；　'I　have　him；　I　have　him；　I　have　him。'　Then　another　farming…man　shouts　very　loudly；　'What　have　ye？　what　have　ye？　what　have　ye？'　Then　the　first　says；　'A　neck；　a　neck；　a　neck。'　And　when　he　has　said　this；　all　the　people　make　a　very　great　shouting。　This　they　do　three　times；　and　after　one　famous　shout　go　away　and　eat　supper；　and　dance；　and　sing　songs。　According　to　another　account；　all　went　out　to　the　field　when　the　last　corn　was　cut；　the　'neck'　was　tied　with　ribbons　and　plaited；　and　they　danced　round　it；　and　carried　it　to　the　great　kitchen；　where　by…and…by　the　supper　was。　The　words　were　as　given　in　the　previous　account；　and　'Hip；　hip；　hack；　heck；　I　have　'ee；　I　have　'ee；　I　have　'ee。'　It　was　hung　up　in　the　hall。　Another　account　relates　that　one　of　the　men　rushed　from　the　field　with　the　last　sheaf；　while　the　rest　pursued　him　with　vessels　of　water；　which　they　tried　to　throw　over　the　sheaf　before　it　could　be　brought　into　the　barn。

In　the　foregoing　customs　a　particular　bunch　of　ears；　generally　the　last　left　standing；　is　conceived　as　the　neck　of　the　corn…spirit；　who　is　consequently　beheaded　when　the　bunch　is　cut　down。　Similarly　in　Shropshire　the　name　neck；　or　the　gander's　neck；　used　to　be　commonly　given　to　the　last　handful　of　ears　left　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　field　when　all　the　rest　of　the　corn　was　cut。　It　was　plaited　together；　and　the　reapers；　standing　ten　or　twenty　paces　off；　threw　their　sickles　at　it。　Whoever　cut　it　through　was　said　to　have　cut　off　the　gander's　neck。　The　neck　was　taken　to　the　farmer's　wife；　who　was　supposed　to　keep　it　in　the　house　for　good　luck　till　the　next　harvest　came　round。　Near　Trèves；　the　man　who　reaps　the　last　standing　corn　cuts　the　goat's　neck　off。　At　Faslane；　on　the　Gareloch　（Dumbartonshire）；　the　last　handful　of　standing　corn　was　sometimes　called　the　head。　At　Aurich；　in　East　Friesland；　the　man　who　reaps　the　last　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