the golden bough-第122部分

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rded　initiation　in　the　Eleusinian　mysteries　as　a　key　to　unlock　the　gates　of　Paradise　appears　to　be　proved　by　the　allusions　which　well…informed　writers　among　them　drop　to　the　happiness　in　store　for　the　initiated　hereafter。　No　doubt　it　is　easy　for　us　to　discern　the　flimsiness　of　the　logical　foundation　on　which　such　high　hopes　were　built。　But　drowning　men　clutch　at　straws；　and　we　need　not　wonder　that　the　Greeks；　like　ourselves；　with　death　before　them　and　a　great　love　of　life　in　their　hearts；　should　not　have　stopped　to　weigh　with　too　nice　a　hand　the　arguments　that　told　for　and　against　the　prospect　of　human　immortality。　The　reasoning　that　satisfied　Saint　Paul　and　has　brought　comfort　to　untold　thousands　of　sorrowing　Christians；　standing　by　the　deathbed　or　the　open　grave　of　their　loved　ones；　was　good　enough　to　pass　muster　with　ancient　pagans；　when　they　too　bowed　their　heads　under　the　burden　of　grief；　and；　with　the　taper　of　life　burning　low　in　the　socket；　looked　forward　into　the　darkness　of　the　unknown。　Therefore　we　do　no　indignity　to　the　myth　of　Demeter　and　Persephoneone　of　the　few　myths　in　which　the　sunshine　and　clarity　of　the　Greek　genius　are　crossed　by　the　shadow　and　mystery　of　deathwhen　we　trace　its　origin　to　some　of　the　most　familiar；　yet　eternally　affecting　aspects　of　nature；　to　the　melancholy　gloom　and　decay　of　autumn　and　to　the　freshness；　the　brightness；　and　the　verdure　of　spring。

Chapter　45。　The　Corn…Mother　and　the　Corn…Maiden　in　Northern　Europe。

IT　has　been　argued　by　W。　Mannhardt　that　the　first　part　of　Demeter's　name　is　derived　from　an　alleged　Cretan　word　deai；　barley；　and　that　accordingly　Demeter　means　neither　more　nor　less　than　Barley…mother　or　Corn…mother；　for　the　root　of　the　word　seems　to　have　been　applied　to　different　kinds　of　grain　by　different　branches　of　the　Aryans。　As　Crete　appears　to　have　been　one　of　the　most　ancient　seats　of　the　worship　of　Demeter；　it　would　not　be　surprising　if　her　name　were　of　Cretan　origin。　But　the　etymology　is　open　to　serious　objections；　and　it　is　safer　therefore　to　lay　no　stress　on　it。　Be　that　as　it　may；　we　have　found　independent　reasons　for　identifying　Demeter　as　the　Corn…mother；　and　of　the　two　species　of　corn　associated　with　her　in　Greek　religion；　namely　barley　and　wheat；　the　barley　has　perhaps　the　better　claim　to　be　her　original　element；　for　not　only　would　it　seem　to　have　been　the　staple　food　of　the　Greeks　in　the　Homeric　age；　but　there　are　grounds　for　believing　that　it　is　one　of　the　oldest；　if　not　the　very　oldest；　cereal　cultivated　by　the　Aryan　race。　Certainly　the　use　of　barley　in　the　religious　ritual　of　the　ancient　Hindoos　as　well　as　of　the　ancient　Greeks　furnishes　a　strong　argument　in　favour　of　the　great　antiquity　of　its　cultivation；　which　is　known　to　have　been　practised　by　the　lake…dwellers　of　the　Stone　Age　in　Europe。

Analogies　to　the　Corn…mother　or　Barley…mother　of　ancient　Greece　have　been　collected　in　great　abundance　by　W。　Mannhardt　from　the　folk…lore　of　modern　Europe。　The　following　may　serve　as　specimens。

In　Germany　the　corn　is　very　commonly　personified　under　the　name　of　the　Corn…mother。　Thus　in　spring；　when　the　corn　waves　in　the　wind；　the　peasants　say；　There　comes　the　Corn…mother；　or　The　Corn…mother　is　running　over　the　field；　or　The　Corn…mother　is　going　through　the　corn。　When　children　wish　to　go　into　the　fields　to　pull　the　blue　corn…flowers　or　the　red　poppies；　they　are　told　not　to　do　so；　because　the　Corn…mother　is　sitting　in　the　corn　and　will　catch　them。　Or　again　she　is　called；　according　to　the　crop；　the　Rye…mother　or　the　Pea…mother；　and　children　are　warned　against　straying　in　the　rye　or　among　the　peas　by　threats　of　the　Rye…mother　or　the　Pea…mother。　Again　the　Corn…mother　is　believed　to　make　the　crop　grow。　Thus　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Magdeburg　it　is　sometimes　said；　It　will　be　a　good　year　for　flax；　the　Flax…mother　has　been　seen。　In　a　village　of　Styria　it　is　said　that　the　Corn…mother；　in　the　shape　of　a　female　puppet　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf　of　corn　and　dressed　in　white；　may　be　seen　at　mid…night　in　the　corn…fields；　which　she　fertilises　by　passing　through　them；　but　if　she　is　angry　with　a　farmer；　she　withers　up　all　his　corn。

Further；　the　Corn…mother　plays　an　important　part　in　harvest　customs。　She　is　believed　to　be　present　in　the　handful　of　corn　which　is　left　standing　last　on　the　field；　and　with　the　cutting　of　this　last　handful　she　is　caught；　or　driven　away；　or　killed。　In　the　first　of　these　cases；　the　last　sheaf　is　carried　joyfully　home　and　honoured　as　a　divine　being。　It　is　placed　in　the　barn；　and　at　threshing　the　corn…spirit　appears　again。　In　the　Hanoverian　district　of　Hadeln　the　reapers　stand　round　the　last　sheaf　and　beat　it　with　sticks　in　order　to　drive　the　Corn…mother　out　of　it。　They　call　to　each　other；　There　she　is！　hit　her！　Take　care　she　doesn't　catch　you！　The　beating　goes　on　till　the　grain　is　completely　threshed　out；　then　the　Corn…mother　is　believed　to　be　driven　away。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Danzig　the　person　who　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　makes　them　into　a　doll；　which　is　called　the　Corn…mother　or　the　Old　Woman　and　is　brought　home　on　the　last　waggon。　In　some　parts　of　Holstein　the　last　sheaf　is　dressed　in　woman's　clothes　and　called　the　Corn…mother。　It　is　carried　home　on　the　last　waggon；　and　then　thoroughly　drenched　with　water。　The　drenching　with　water　is　doubtless　a　rain…charm。　In　the　district　of　Bruck　in　Styria　the　last　sheaf；　called　the　Corn…mother；　is　made　up　into　the　shape　of　a　woman　by　the　oldest　married　woman　in　the　village；　of　an　age　from　fifty　to　fifty…five　years。　The　finest　ears　are　plucked　out　of　it　and　made　into　a　wreath；　which；　twined　with　flowers；　is　carried　on　her　head　by　the　prettiest　girl　of　the　village　to　the　farmer　or　squire；　while　the　Corn…mother　is　laid　down　in　the　barn　to　keep　off　the　mice。　In　other　villages　of　the　same　district　the　Corn…mother；　at　the　close　of　harvest；　is　carried　by　two　lads　at　the　top　of　a　pole。　They　march　behind　the　girl　who　wears　the　wreath　to　the　squire's　house；　and　while　he　receives　the　wreath　and　hangs　it　up　in　the　hall；　the　Corn…mother　is　placed　on　the　top　of　a　pile　of　wood；　where　she　is　the　centre　of　the　harvest　supper　and　dance。　Afterwards　she　is　hung　up　in　the　barn　and　remains　there　till　the　threshing　is　over。　The　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　called　the　son　of　the　Corn…mother；　he　is　tied　up　in　the　Corn…mother；　beaten；　and　carried　through　the　village。　The　wreath　is　dedicated　in　church　on　the　following　Sunday；　and　on　Easter　Eve　the　grain　is　rubbed　out　of　it　by　a　seven…year…old　girl　and　scattered　amongst　the　young　corn。　At　Christmas　the　straw　of　the　wreath　is　placed　in　the　manger　to　make　the　cattle　thrive。　Here　the　fertilising　power　of　the　Corn…mother　is　plainly　brought　out　by　scattering　the　seed　taken　from　her　body　（for　the　wreath　is　made　out　of　the　Corn…mother）　among　the　new　corn；　and　her　influence　over　animal　life　is　indicated　by　placing　the　straw　in　the　manger。　Amongst　the　Slavs　also　the　last　sheaf　is　known　as　the　Rye…mother；　the　Wheat…mother；　the　Oats…mother；　the　Barley…mother；　and　so　on；　according　to　the　crop。　In　the　district　of　Tarnow；　Galicia；　the　wreath　made　out　of　the　last　stalks　is　called　the　Wheat…mother；　Rye…mother；　or　Pea…mother。　It　is　placed　on　a　girl's　head　and　kept　till　spring；　when　some　of　the　grain　is　mixed　with　the　seed…corn。　Here　again　the　fertilising　power　of　the　Corn…mother　is　indicated。　In　France；　also；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Auxerre；　the　last　sheaf　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Mother　of　the　Wheat；　Mother　of　the　Barley；　Mother　of　the　Rye；　or　Mother　of　the　Oats。　They　leave　it　standing　in　the　field　till　the　last　waggon　is　about　to　wend　homewards。　Then　they　make　a　puppet　out　of　it；　dress　it　with　clothes　belonging　to　the　farmer；　and　adorn　it　with　a　crown　and　a　blue　or　white　scarf。　A　branch　of　a　tree　is　stuck　in　the　breast　of　the　puppet；　which　is　now　called　the　Ceres。　At　the　dance　in　the　evening　the　Ceres　is　set　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　and　the　reaper　who　reaped　fastest　dances　round　it　with　the　prettiest　girl　for　his　partner。　After　the　dance　a　pyre　is　made。　All　the　girls；　each　wearing　a　wreath；　strip　the　puppet；　pull　it　to　pieces；　and　place　it　on　the　pyre；　along　with　the　flowers　with　which　it　was　adorned。　Then　the　girl　who　was　the　first　to　finish　reaping　sets　fire　to　the　pile；　and　all　pray　that　Ceres　may　give　a　fruitful　year。　Here；　as　Mannhardt　observes；　the　old　custom　has　remained　intact；　though　the　name　Ceres　is　a　bit　of　schoolmaster's　learning。　In　Upper　Brittany　the　last　sheaf　is　always　made　into　human　shape；　but　if　the　farmer　is　a　married　man；　it　is　made　double　and　consists　of　a　little　corn…puppet　placed　inside　of　a　large　one。　This　is　called　the　Mother…sheaf。　It　is　delivered　to　the　farmer's　wife；　who　unties　it　and　gives　drink…money　in　return。

Sometimes　the　last　sheaf　is　called；　not　the　Corn…mother；　but　the　Harvest…mother　or　the　Great　Mother。　In　the　province　of　Osnabrück；　Hanover；　it　is　called　the　Harvest…mother；　it　is　made　up　in　female　form；　and　then　the　reapers　dance　about　with　it。　In　some　parts　of　Westphalia　the　last　sheaf　at　the　rye…harvest　is　made　especially　heavy　by　fastening　stones　in　it。　They　bring　it　home　on　the　last　waggon　and　call　it　the　Great　Mother；　though　they　do　not　fashion　it　into　any　special　shape。　In　the　district　of　Erfurt　a　very　heavy　sheaf；　not　necessarily　the　last；　is　called　the　Great　Mother；　and　is　carried　on　the　last　waggon　to　the　barn；　where　all　hands　lift　it　down　amid　a　fire　of　jokes。

Sometimes　again　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Grandmother；　and　is　adorned　with　flowers；　ribbons；　and　a　woman's　apron。　In　East　Prussia；　at　the　rye　or　wheat　harvest；　the　reapers　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　You　are　getting　the　Old　Grandmother。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Magdeburg　the　men　and　women　servants　strive　who　shall　get　the　last　sheaf；　called　the　Grandmother。　Whoever　gets　it　will　be　married　in　the　next　year；　but　his　or　her　spouse　will　be　old；　if　a　girl　gets　it；　she　will　marry　a　widower；　if　a　man　gets　it；　he　will　marry　an　old　crone。　In　Silesia　the　Grandmothera　huge　bundle　made　up　of　three　or　four　sheaves　by　the　person　who　tied　the　last　sheafwas　formerly　fashioned　into　a　rude　likeness　of　the　human　form。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Belfast　the　last　sheaf　sometimes　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Granny。　It　is　not　cut　in　the　usual　way；　but　all　the　reapers　throw　their　sickles　at　it　an