the golden bough-第123部分

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name　of　the　Granny。　It　is　not　cut　in　the　usual　way；　but　all　the　reapers　throw　their　sickles　at　it　and　try　to　bring　it　down。　It　is　plaited　and　kept　till　the　（next？）　autumn。　Whoever　gets　it　will　marry　in　the　course　of　the　year。

Often　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Old　Woman　or　the　Old　Man。　In　Germany　it　is　frequently　shaped　and　dressed　as　a　woman；　and　the　person　who　cuts　it　or　binds　it　is　said　to　get　the　Old　Woman。　At　Altisheim；　in　Swabia；　when　all　the　corn　of　a　farm　has　been　cut　except　a　single　strip；　all　the　reapers　stand　in　a　row　before　the　strip；　each　cuts　his　share　rapidly；　and　he　who　gives　the　last　cut　has　the　Old　Woman。　When　the　sheaves　are　being　set　up　in　heaps；　the　person　who　gets　hold　of　the　Old　Woman；　which　is　the　largest　and　thickest　of　all　the　sheaves；　is　jeered　at　by　the　rest；　who　call　out　to　him；　He　has　the　Old　Woman　and　must　keep　her。　The　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　sometimes　herself　called　the　Old　Woman；　and　it　is　said　that　she　will　be　married　in　the　next　year。　In　Neusaass；　West　Prussia；　both　the　last　sheafwhich　is　dressed　up　in　jacket；　hat；　and　ribbonsand　the　woman　who　binds　it　are　called　the　Old　Woman。　Together　they　are　brought　home　on　the　last　waggon　and　are　drenched　with　water。　In　various　parts　of　North　Germany　the　last　sheaf　at　harvest　is　made　up　into　a　human　effigy　and　called　the　Old　Man；　and　the　woman　who　bound　it　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Man。

In　West　Prussia；　when　the　last　rye　is　being　raked　together；　the　women　and　girls　hurry　with　the　work；　for　none　of　them　likes　to　be　the　last　and　to　get　the　Old　Man；　that　is；　a　puppet　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf；　which　must　be　carried　before　the　other　reapers　by　the　person　who　was　the　last　to　finish。　In　Silesia　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Old　Woman　or　the　Old　Man　and　is　the　theme　of　many　jests；　it　is　made　unusually　large　and　is　sometimes　weighted　with　a　stone。　Among　the　Wends　the　man　or　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　at　wheat　harvest　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Man。　A　puppet　is　made　out　of　the　wheaten　straw　and　ears　in　the　likeness　of　a　man　and　decked　with　flowers。　The　person　who　bound　the　last　sheaf　must　carry　the　Old　Man　home；　while　the　rest　laugh　and　jeer　at　him。　The　puppet　is　hung　up　in　the　farmhouse　and　remains　till　a　new　Old　Man　is　made　at　the　next　harvest。

In　some　of　these　customs；　as　Mannhardt　has　remarked；　the　person　who　is　called　by　the　same　name　as　the　last　sheaf　and　sits　beside　it　on　the　last　waggon　is　obviously　identified　with　it；　he　or　she　represents　the　corn…spirit　which　has　been　caught　in　the　last　sheaf；　in　other　words；　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　in　duplicate；　by　a　human　being　and　by　a　sheaf。　The　identification　of　the　person　with　the　sheaf　is　made　still　clearer　by　the　custom　of　wrapping　up　in　the　last　sheaf　the　person　who　cuts　or　binds　it。　Thus　at　Hermsdorf　in　Silesia　it　used　to　be　the　regular　practice　to　tie　up　in　the　last　sheaf　the　woman　who　had　bound　it。　At　Weiden；　in　Bavaria；　it　is　the　cutter；　not　the　binder；　of　the　last　sheaf　who　is　tied　up　in　it。　Here　the　person　wrapt　up　in　the　corn　represents　the　corn…spirit；　exactly　as　a　person　wrapt　in　branches　or　leaves　represents　the　tree…spirit。

The　last　sheaf；　designated　as　the　Old　Woman；　is　often　distinguished　from　the　other　sheaves　by　its　size　and　weight。　Thus　in　some　villages　of　West　Prussia　the　Old　Woman　is　made　twice　as　long　and　thick　as　a　common　sheaf；　and　a　stone　is　fastened　in　the　middle　of　it。　Sometimes　it　is　made　so　heavy　that　a　man　can　barely　lift　it。　At　Alt…Pillau；　in　Samland；　eight　or　nine　sheaves　are　often　tied　together　to　make　the　Old　Woman；　and　the　man　who　sets　it　up　grumbles　at　its　weight。　At　Itzgrund；　in　Saxe…Coburg；　the　last　sheaf；　called　the　Old　Woman；　is　made　large　with　the　express　intention　of　thereby　securing　a　good　crop　next　year。　Thus　the　custom　of　making　the　last　sheaf　unusually　large　or　heavy　is　a　charm；　working　by　sympathetic　magic；　to　ensure　a　large　and　heavy　crop　at　the　following　harvest。

In　Scotland；　when　the　last　corn　was　cut　after　Hallowmas；　the　female　figure　made　out　of　it　was　sometimes　called　the　Carlin　or　Carline；　that　is；　the　Old　Woman。　But　if　cut　before　Hallowmas；　it　was　called　the　Maiden；　if　cut　after　sunset；　it　was　called　the　Witch；　being　supposed　to　bring　bad　luck。　Among　the　Highlanders　of　Scotland　the　last　corn　cut　at　harvest　is　known　either　as　the　Old　Wife　（Cailleach）　or　as　the　Maiden；　on　the　whole　the　former　name　seems　to　prevail　in　the　western　and　the　latter　in　the　central　and　eastern　districts。　Of　the　Maiden　we　shall　speak　presently；　here　we　are　dealing　with　the　Old　Wife。　The　following　general　account　of　the　custom　is　given　by　a　careful　and　well…informed　enquirer；　the　Rev。　J。　G。　Campbell；　minister　of　the　remote　Hebridean　island　of　Tiree：　The　Harvest　Old　Wife　（a　Cailleach）。In　harvest；　there　was　a　struggle　to　escape　from　being　the　last　done　with　the　shearing；　and　when　tillage　in　common　existed；　instances　were　known　of　a　ridge　being　left　unshorn　（no　person　would　claim　it）　because　of　it　being　behind　the　rest。　The　fear　entertained　was　that　of　having　the　'famine　of　the　farm'　（gort　a　bhaile）；　in　the　shape　of　an　imaginary　old　woman　（cailleach）；　to　feed　till　next　harvest。　Much　emulation　and　amusement　arose　from　the　fear　of　this　old　woman　。　。　The　first　done　made　a　doll　of　some　blades　of　corn；　which　was　called　the　'old　wife；'　and　sent　it　to　his　nearest　neighbour。　He　in　turn；　when　ready；　passed　it　to　another　still　less　expeditious；　and　the　person　it　last　remained　with　had　'the　old　woman'　to　keep　for　that　year。

In　the　island　of　Islay　the　last　corn　cut　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Old　Wife　（Cailleach）；　and　when　she　has　done　her　duty　at　harvest　she　is　hung　up　on　the　wall　and　stays　there　till　the　time　comes　to　plough　the　fields　for　the　next　year's　crop。　Then　she　is　taken　down；　and　on　the　first　day　when　the　men　go　to　plough　she　is　divided　among　them　by　the　mistress　of　the　house。　They　take　her　in　their　pockets　and　give　her　to　the　horses　to　eat　when　they　reach　the　field。　This　is　supposed　to　secure　good　luck　for　the　next　harvest；　and　is　understood　to　be　the　proper　end　of　the　Old　Wife。

Usages　of　the　same　sort　are　reported　from　Wales。　Thus　in　North　Pembrokeshire　a　tuft　of　the　last　corn　cut；　from　six　to　twelve　inches　long；　is　plaited　and　goes　by　the　name　of　the　Hag　（wrach）；　and　quaint　old　customs　used　to　be　practised　with　it　within　the　memory　of　many　persons　still　alive。　Great　was　the　excitement　among　the　reapers　when　the　last　patch　of　standing　corn　was　reached。　All　in　turn　threw　their　sickles　at　it；　and　the　one　who　succeeded　in　cutting　it　received　a　jug　of　home…brewed　ale。　The　Hag　（wrach）　was　then　hurriedly　made　and　taken　to　a　neighbouring　farm；　where　the　reapers　were　still　busy　at　their　work。　This　was　generally　done　by　the　ploughman；　but　he　had　to　be　very　careful　not　to　be　observed　by　his　neighbours；　for　if　they　saw　him　coming　and　had　the　least　suspicion　of　his　errand　they　would　soon　make　him　retrace　his　steps。　Creeping　stealthily　up　behind　a　fence　he　waited　till　the　foreman　of　his　neighbour's　reapers　was　just　opposite　him　and　within　easy　reach。　Then　he　suddenly　threw　the　Hag　over　the　fence　and；　if　possible；　upon　the　foreman's　sickle。　On　that　he　took　to　his　heels　and　made　off　as　fast　as　he　could　run；　and　he　was　a　lucky　man　if　he　escaped　without　being　caught　or　cut　by　the　flying　sickles　which　the　infuriated　reapers　hurled　after　him。　In　other　cases　the　Hag　was　brought　home　to　the　farmhouse　by　one　of　the　reapers。　He　did　his　best　to　bring　it　home　dry　and　without　being　observed；　but　he　was　apt　to　be　roughly　handled　by　the　people　of　the　house；　if　they　suspected　his　errand。　Sometimes　they　stripped　him　of　most　of　his　clothes；　sometimes　they　would　drench　him　with　water　which　had　been　carefully　stored　in　buckets　and　pans　for　the　purpose。　If；　however；　he　succeeded　in　bringing　the　Hag　in　dry　and　unobserved；　the　master　of　the　house　had　to　pay　him　a　small　fine；　or　sometimes　a　jug　of　beer　from　the　cask　next　to　the　wall；　which　seems　to　have　commonly　held　the　best　beer；　would　be　demanded　by　the　bearer。　The　Hag　was　then　carefully　hung　on　a　nail　in　the　hall　or　elsewhere　and　kept　there　all　the　year。　The　custom　of　bringing　in　the　Hag　（wrach）　into　the　house　and　hanging　it　up　still　exists　in　some　farms　of　North　Pembrokeshire；　but　the　ancient　ceremonies　which　have　just　been　described　are　now　discontinued。

In　County　Antrim；　down　to　some　years　ago；　when　the　sickle　was　finally　expelled　by　the　reaping　machine；　the　few　stalks　of　corn　left　standing　last　on　the　field　were　plaited　together；　then　the　reapers；　blindfolded；　threw　their　sickles　at　the　plaited　corn；　and　whoever　happened　to　cut　it　through　took　it　home　with　him　and　put　it　over　his　door。　This　bunch　of　corn　was　called　the　Carleyprobably　the　same　word　as　Carlin。

Similar　customs　are　observed　by　Slavonic　peoples。　Thus　in　Poland　the　last　sheaf　is　commonly　called　the　Baba；　that　is；　the　Old　Woman。　In　the　last　sheaf；　it　is　said；　sits　the　Baba。　The　sheaf　itself　is　also　called　the　Baba；　and　is　sometimes　composed　of　twelve　smaller　sheaves　lashed　together。　In　some　parts　of　Bohemia　the　Baba；　made　out　of　the　last　sheaf；　has　the　figure　of　a　woman　with　a　great　straw　hat。　It　is　carried　home　on　the　last　harvest…waggon　and　delivered；　along　with　a　garland；　to　the　farmer　by　two　girls。　In　binding　the　sheaves　the　women　strive　not　to　be　last；　for　she　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　will　have　a　child　next　year。　Sometimes　the　harvesters　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　She　has　the　Baba；　or　She　is　the　Baba。　In　the　district　of　Cracow；　when　a　man　binds　the　last　sheaf；　they　say；　The　Grandfather　is　sitting　in　it；　when　a　woman　binds　it；　they　say；　The　Baba　is　sitting　in　it；　and　the　woman　herself　is　wrapt　up　in　the　sheaf；　so　that　only　her　head　projects　out　of　it。　Thus　encased　in　the　sheaf；　she　is　carried　on　the　last　harvest…waggon　to　the　house；　where　she　is　drenched　with　water　by　the　whole　family。　She　remains　in　the　sheaf　till　the　dance　is　over；　and　for　a　year　she　retains　the　name　of　Baba。

In　Lithuania　the　name　for　the　last　sheaf　is　Boba　（Old　Woman）；　answering　to　the　Polish　name　Baba。　The　Boba　is　said　to　sit　in　the　corn　which　is　left　standing　last。　The　person　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　or　digs　the　last　potato　is　the　subject　of　much　banter；　and　receives　and　long　retains　the　name　of　the　Old　Rye…woman　or　the　Old　Potato…woman。　The　last　sheafthe　Bobais　made　into　the　form　of　a