the golden bough-第155部分

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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　at　him；　till　the　farmer　took　the　Cow　from　him。　Here　again　the　confusion　between　the　human　and　the　animal　form　of　the　corn…spirit　is　apparent。　In　various　parts　of　Switzerland　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　is　called　Wheat…cow；　Corn…cow；　Oats…cow；　or　Corn…steer；　and　is　the　butt　of　many　a　joke。　On　the　other　hand；　in　the　district　of　Rosenheim；　Upper　Bavaria；　when　a　farmer　is　later　of　getting　in　his　harvest　than　his　neighbours；　they　set　up　on　his　land　a　Straw…bull；　as　it　is　called。　This　is　a　gigantic　figure　of　a　bull　made　of　stubble　on　a　framework　of　wood　and　adorned　with　flowers　and　leaves。　Attached　to　it　is　a　label　on　which　are　scrawled　doggerel　verses　in　ridicule　of　the　man　on　whose　land　the　Straw…bull　is　set　up。

Again；　the　corn…spirit　in　the　form　of　a　bull　or　ox　is　killed　on　the　harvest…field　at　the　close　of　the　reaping。　At　Pouilly；　near　Dijon；　when　the　last　ears　of　corn　are　about　to　be　cut；　an　ox　adorned　with　ribbons；　flowers；　and　ears　of　corn　is　led　all　round　the　field；　followed　by　the　whole　troop　of　reapers　dancing。　Then　a　man　disguised　as　the　Devil　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　and　immediately　slaughters　the　ox。　Part　of　the　flesh　of　the　animal　is　eaten　at　the　harvest…supper；　part　is　pickled　and　kept　till　the　first　day　of　sowing　in　spring。　At　Pont　à　Mousson　and　elsewhere　on　the　evening　of　the　last　day　of　reaping；　a　calf　adorned　with　flowers　and　ears　of　corn　is　led　thrice　round　the　farmyard；　being　allured　by　a　bait　or　driven　by　men　with　sticks；　or　conducted　by　the　farmer's　wife　with　a　rope。　The　calf　chosen　for　this　ceremony　is　the　calf　which　was　born　first　on　the　farm　in　the　spring　of　the　year。　It　is　followed　by　all　the　reapers　with　their　tools。　Then　it　is　allowed　to　run　free；　the　reapers　chase　it；　and　whoever　catches　it　is　called　King　of　the　Calf。　Lastly；　it　is　solemnly　killed；　at　Lunéville　the　man　who　acts　as　butcher　is　the　Jewish　merchant　of　the　village。

Sometimes　again　the　corn…spirit　hides　himself　amongst　the　cut　corn　in　the　barn　to　reappear　in　bull　or　cow　form　at　threshing。　Thus　at　Wurmlingen；　in　Thüringen；　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　called　the　Cow；　or　rather　the　Barley…cow；　Oats…cow；　Peas…cow；　or　the　like；　according　to　the　crop。　He　is　entirely　enveloped　in　straw；　his　head　is　surmounted　by　sticks　in　imitation　of　horns；　and　two　lads　lead　him　by　ropes　to　the　well　to　drink。　On　the　way　thither　he　must　low　like　a　cow；　and　for　a　long　time　afterwards　he　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Cow。　At　Obermedlingen；　in　Swabia；　when　the　threshing　draws　near　an　end；　each　man　is　careful　to　avoid　giving　the　last　stroke。　He　who　does　give　it　gets　the　Cow；　which　is　a　straw　figure　dressed　in　an　old　ragged　petticoat；　hood；　and　stockings。　It　is　tied　on　his　back　with　a　straw…rope；　his　face　is　blackened；　and　being　bound　with　straw…ropes　to　a　wheelbarrow　he　is　wheeled　round　the　village。　Here；　again；　we　meet　with　that　confusion　between　the　human　and　animal　shape　of　the　corn…spirit　which　we　have　noted　in　other　customs。　In　Canton　Schaffhausen　the　man　who　threshes　the　last　corn　is　called　the　Cow；　in　Canton　Thurg