the golden bough-第174章

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uor。　In　parts　of　Styria；　also；　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　is　called　Corn…goat；　Oats…goat；　or　the　like。　As　a　rule；　the　man　who　thus　gets　the　name　of　Corn…goat　has　to　bear　it　a　whole　year　till　the　next　harvest。

According　to　one　view；　the　corn…spirit；　who　has　been　caught　in　the　form　of　a　goat　or　otherwise；　lives　in　the　farmhouse　or　barn　over　winter。　Thus；　each　farm　has　its　own　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit。　But；　according　to　another　view；　the　corn…spirit　is　the　genius　or　deity；　not　of　the　corn　of　one　farm　only；　but　of　all　the　corn。　Hence　when　the　corn　on　one　farm　is　all　cut；　he　flees　to　another　where　there　is　still　corn　left　standing。　This　idea　is　brought　out　in　a　harvest…custom　which　was　formerly　observed　in　Skye。　The　farmer　who　first　finished　reaping　sent　a　man　or　woman　with　a　sheaf　to　a　neighbouring　farmer　who　had　not　finished；　the　latter　in　his　turn；　when　he　had　finished；　sent　on　the　sheaf　to　his　neighbour　who　was　still　reaping；　and　so　the　sheaf　made　the　round　of　the　farms　till　all　the　corn　was　cut。　The　sheaf　was　called　the　goabbir　bhacagh；　that　is；　the　Cripple　Goat。　The　custom　appears　not　to　be　extinct　at　the　present　day；　for　it　was　reported　from　Skye　not　very　many　years　ago。　The　corn…spirit　was　probably　thus　represented　as　lame　because　he　had　been　crippled　by　the　cutting　of　the　corn。　Sometimes　the　old　woman　who　brings　home　the　last　sheaf　must　limp　on　one　foot。

But　sometimes　the　corn…spirit；　in　the　form　of　a　goat；　is　believed　to　be　slain　on　the　harvest…field　by　the　sickle　or　scythe。　Thus；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Bernkastel；　on　the　Moselle；　the　reapers　determine　by　lot　the　order　in　which　they　shall　follow　each　other。　The　first　is　called　the　fore…reaper；　the　last　the　tail…bearer。　If　a　reaper　overtakes　the　man　in　front　he　reaps　past　him；　bending　round　so　as　to　leave　the　slower　reaper　in　a　patch　by　himself。　This　patch　is　called　the　Goat；　and　the　man　for　whom　the　Goat　is　cut　in　this　way；　is　laughed　and　jeered　at　by　his　fellows　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　When　the　tail…bearer　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn；　it　is　said；　He　is　cutting　the　Goat's　neck　off。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Grenoble；　before　the　end　of　the　reaping；　a　live　goat　is　adorned　with　flowers　and　ribbons　and　allowed　to　run　about　the　field。　The　reapers　chase　it　and　try　to　catch　it。　When　it　is　caught；　the　farmer's　wife　holds　it　fast　while　the　farmer　cuts　off　its　head。　The　goat's　flesh　serves　to　furnish　the　harvest…supper。　A　piece　of　the　flesh　is　pickled　and　kept　till　the　next　harvest；　when　another　goat　is　killed。　Then　all　the　harvesters　eat　of　the　flesh。　On　the　same　day　the　skin　of　the　goat　is　made　into　a　cloak；　which　the　farmer；　who　works　with　his　men；　must　always　wear　at　harvest…time　if　rain　or　bad　weather　sets　in。　But　if　a　reaper　gets　pains　in　his　back；　the　farmer　gives　him　the　goat…skin　to　wear。　The　reason　for　this　seems　to　be　that　the　pains　in　the　back；　being　inflicted　by　the　corn…spirit；　can　also　be　healed　by　it。　Similarly；　we　saw　that　elsewhere；　when　a　reaper　is　wounded　at　reaping；　a　cat；　as　the　representative　of　the　corn…spirit；　is　made　to　lick　the　wound。　Esthonian　reapers　of　the　island　of　Mon　think　that　the　man　who　cuts　the　first　ears　of　corn　at　harvest　will　get　pains　in　his　back；　probably　because　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　resent　especially　the　first　wound；　and；　in　order　to　escape　pains　in　the　back；　Saxon　reapers　in　Transylvania　gird　their　loins　with　the　first　handful　of　ears　which　they　cut。　Here；　again；　the　corn…spirit　is　applied　to　for　healing　or　protection；　but　in　his　original　vegetable　form；　not　in　the　form　of　a　goat　or　a　cat。

Further；　the　corn…spirit　under　the　form　of　a　goat　is　sometimes　conceived　as　lurking　among　the　cut　corn　in　the　barn；　till　he　is　driven　from　it　by　the　threshing…flail。　Thus　in　Baden　the　last　sheaf　to　be　threshed　is　called　the　Corn…goat；　the　Spelt…goat；　or　the　Oats…goat　according　to　the　kind　of　grain。　Again；　near　Marktl；　in　Upper　Bavaria；　the　sheaves　are　called　Straw…goats　or　simply　Goats。　They　are　laid　in　a　great　heap　on　the　open　field　and　threshed　by　two　rows　of　men　standing　opposite　each　other；　who；　as　they　ply　their　flails；　sing　a　song　in　which　they　say　that　they　see　the　Straw…goat　amongst　the　corn…stalks。　The　last　Goat；　that　is；　the　last　sheaf；　is　adorned　with　a　wreath　of　violets　and　other　flowers　and　with　cakes　strung　together。　It　is　placed　right　in　the　middle　of　the　heap。　Some　of　the　threshers　rush　at　it　and　tear　the　best　of　it　out；　others　lay　on　with　their　flails　so　recklessly　that　heads　are　sometimes　broken。　At　Oberinntal；　in　the　Tyrol；　the　last　thresher　is　called　Goat。　So　at　Haselberg；　in　West　Bohemia；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　oats　is　called　the　Oats…goat。　At　Tettnang；　in　Würtemburg；　the　thresher　who　gives　the　last　stroke　to　the　last　bundle　of　corn　before　it　is　turned　goes　by　the　name　of　the　He…goat；　and　it　is　said；　He　has　driven　the　He…goat　away。　The　person　who；　after　the　bundle　has　been　turned；　gives　the　last　stroke　of　all；　is　called　the　She…goat。　In　this　custom　it　is　implied　that　the　corn　is　inhabited　by　a　pair　of　corn…spirits；　male　and　female。

Further；　the　corn…spirit；　captured　in　the　form　of　a　goat　at　threshing；　is　passed　on　to　a　neighbour　whose　threshing　is　not　yet　finished。　In　Franche　Comté；　as　soon　as　the　threshing　is　over；　the　young　people　set　up　a　straw　figure　of　a　goat　on　the　farmyard　of　a　neighbour　who　is　still　threshing。　He　must　give　them　wine　or　money　in　return。　At　Ellwangen；　in　Würtemburg；　the　effigy　of　a　goat　is　made　out　of　the　last　bundle　of　corn　at　threshing；　four　sticks　form　its　legs；　and　two　its　horns。　The　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　with　the　flail　must　carry　the　Goat　to　the　barn　of　a　neighbour　who　is　still　threshing　and　throw　it　down　on　the　floor；　if　he　is　caught　in　the　act；　they　tie　the　Goat　on　his　back。　A　similar　custom　is　observed　at　Indersdorf；　in　Upper　Bavaria；　the　man　who　throws　the　straw　Goat　into　the　neighbour's　barn　imitates　the　bleating　of　a　goat；　if　they　catch　him；　they　blacken　his　face　and　tie　the　Goat　on　his　back。　At　Saverne；　in　Alsace；　when　a　farmer　is　a　week　or　more　behind　his　neighbours　with　his　threshing；　they　set　a　real　stuffed　goat　or　fox　before　his　door。

Sometimes　the　spirit　of　the　corn　in　goat　form　is　believed　to　be　killed　at　threshing。　In　the　district　of　Traunstein；　Upper　Bavaria；　they　think　that　the　Oats…goat　is　in　the　last　sheaf　of　oats。　He　is　represented　by　an　old　rake　set　up　on　end；　with　an　old　pot　for　a　head。　The　children　are　then　told　to　kill　the　Oats…goat。

7。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Bull；　Cow；　or　Ox。

ANOTHER　form　which　the　corn…spirit　often　assumes　is　that　of　a　bull；　cow；　or　ox。　When　the　wind　sweeps　over　the　corn　they　say　at　Conitz；　in　West　Prussia；　The　Steer　is　running　in　the　corn；　when　the　corn　is　thick　and　strong　in　one　spot；　they　say　in　some　parts　of　East　Prussia；　The　Bull　is　lying　in　the　corn。　When　a　harvester　has　overstrained　and　lamed　himself；　they　say　in　the　Graudenz　district　of　West　Prussia；　The　Bull　pushed　him；　in　Lorraine　they　say；　He　has　the　Bull。　The　meaning　of　both　expressions　is　that　he　has　unwittingly　lighted　upon　the　divine　corn…spirit；　who　has　punished　the　profane　intruder　with　lameness。　So　near　Chambéry　when　a　reaper　wounds　himself　with　his　sickle；　it　is　said　that　he　has　the　wound　of　the　Ox。　In　the　district　of　Bunzlau　（Silesia）　the　last　sheaf　is　sometimes　made　into　the　shape　of　a　horned　ox；　stuffed　with　tow　and　wrapt　in　corn…ears。　This　figure　is　called　the　Old　Man。　In　some　parts　of　Bohemia　the　last　sheaf　is　made　up　in　human　form　and　called　the　Buffalo…bull。　These　cases　show　a　confusion　of　the　human　with　the　animal　shape　of　the　corn…spirit。　The　confusion　is　like　that　of　killing　a　wether　under　the　name　of　a　wolf。　All　over　Swabia　the　last　bundle　of　corn　on　the　field　is　called　the　Cow；　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　ears　has　the　Cow；　and　is　himself　called　Cow　or　Barley…cow　or　Oats…cow；　according　to　the　crop；　at　the　harvest…supper　he　gets　a　nosegay　of　flowers　and　corn…ears　and　a　more　liberal　allowance　of　drink　than　the　rest。　But　he　is　teased　and　laughed　at；　so　no　one　likes　to　be　the　Cow。　The　Cow　was　sometimes　represented　by　the　figure　of　a　woman　made　out　of　ears　of　corn　and　corn…flowers。　It　was　carried　to　the　farmhouse　by　the　man　who　had　cut　the　last　handful　of　corn。　The　children　ran　after　him　and　the　neighbours　turned　out　to　laugh　a