the golden bough-第176章

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pers　dance　round　the　last　blades　of　corn；　crying；　See　the　remains　of　the　Horse。　The　sheaf　made　out　of　these　last　blades　is　given　to　the　youngest　horse　of　the　parish　（commune）　to　eat。　This　youngest　horse　of　the　parish　clearly　represents；　as　Mannhardt　says；　the　corn…spirit　of　the　following　year；　the　Corn…foal；　which　absorbs　the　spirit　of　the　old　Corn…horse　by　eating　the　last　corn　cut；　for；　as　usual；　the　old　corn…spirit　takes　his　final　refuge　in　the　last　sheaf。　The　thresher　of　the　last　sheaf　is　said　to　beat　the　Horse。

9。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Pig　（Boar　or　Sow）。

THE　LAST　animal　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit　which　we　shall　notice　is　the　pig　（boar　or　sow）。　In　Thüringen；　when　the　wind　sets　the　young　corn　in　motion；　they　sometimes　say；　The　Boar　is　rushing　through　the　corn。　Amongst　the　Esthonians　of　the　island　of　Oesel　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Ryeboar；　and　the　man　who　gets　it　is　saluted　with　a　cry　of　You　have　the　Rye…boar　on　your　back！　In　reply　he　strikes　up　a　song；　in　which　he　prays　for　plenty。　At　Kohlerwinkel；　near　Augsburg；　at　the　close　of　the　harvest；　the　last　bunch　of　standing　corn　is　cut　down；　stalk　by　stalk；　by　all　the　reapers　in　turn。　He　who　cuts　the　last　stalk　gets　the　Sow；　and　is　laughed　at。　In　other　Swabian　villages　also　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　has　the　Sow；　or　has　the　Rye…sow。　At　Bohlingen；　near　Radolfzell　in　Baden；　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Rye…sow　or　the　Wheat…sow；　according　to　the　crop；　and　at　R？hrenbach　in　Baden　the　person　who　brings　the　last　armful　for　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Corn…sow　or　the　Oats…sow。　At　Friedingen；　in　Swabia；　the　thresher　who　gives　the　last　stroke　is　called　SowBarley…sow；　Corn…sow；　or　the　like；　according　to　the　crop。　At　Onstmettingen　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　has　the　Sow；　he　is　often　bound　up　in　a　sheaf　and　dragged　by　a　rope　along　the　ground。　And；　generally；　in　Swabia　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　with　the　flail　is　called　Sow。　He　may；　however；　rid　himself　of　this　invidious　distinction　by　passing　on　to　a　neighbour　the　straw…rope；　which　is　the　badge　of　his　position　as　Sow。　So　he　goes　to　a　house　and　throws　the　straw…rope　into　it；　crying；　There；　I　bring　you　the　Sow。　All　the　inmates　give　chase；　and　if　they　catch　him　they　beat　him；　shut　him　up　for　several　hours　in　the　pig…sty；　and　oblige　him　to　take　the　Sow　away　again。　In　various　parts　of　Upper　Bavaria　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　must　carry　the　Pigthat　is；　either　a　straw　effigy　of　a　pig　or　merely　a　bundle　of　straw…ropes。　This　he　carries　to　a　neighbouring　farm　where　the　threshing　is　not　finished；　and　throws　it　into　the　barn。　If　the　threshers　catch　him　they　handle　him　roughly；　beating　him；　blackening　or　dirtying　his　face；　throwing　him　into　filth；　binding　the　Sow　on　his　back；　and　so　on；　if　the　bearer　of　the　Sow　is　a　woman　they　cut　off　her　hair。　At　the　harvest　supper　or　dinner　the　man　who　carried　the　Pig　gets　one　or　more　dumplings　made　in　the　form　of　pigs。　When　the　dumplings　are　served　up　by　the　maidservant；　all　the　people　at　table　cry　Süz；　süz；　süz　！　that　being　the　cry　used　in　calling　pigs。　Sometimes　after　dinner　the　man　who　carried　the　Pig　has　his　face　blackened；　and　is　set　on　a　cart　and　drawn　round　the　village　by　his　fellows；　followed　by　a　crowd　crying　Süz；　süz；　süz　！　as　if　they　were　calling　swine。　Sometimes；　after　being　wheeled　round　the　village；　he　is　flung　on　the　dunghill。

Again；　the　corn…spirit　in　the　form　of　a　pig　plays　his　part　at　sowing…time　as　well　as　at　harvest。　At　Neuautz；　in　Courland；　when　barley　is　sown　for　the　first　time　in　the　year；　the　farmer's　wife　boils　the　chine　of　a　pig　along　with　the　tail；　and　brings　it　to　the　sower　on　the　field。　He　eats　of　it；　but　cuts　off　the　tail　and　sticks　it　in　the　field；　it　is　believed　that　the　ears　of　corn　will　then　grow　as　long　as　the　tail。　Here　the　pig　is　the　corn…spirit；　whose　fertilising　power　is　sometimes　supposed　to　lie　especially　in　his　tail。　As　a　pig　he　is　put　in　the　ground　at　sowing…time；　and　as　a　pig　he　reappears　amongst　the　ripe　corn　at　harvest。　For　amongst　the　neighbouring　Esthonians；　as　we　have　seen；　the　last　sheaf　is　called　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