the golden bough-第130部分

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t　on　the　origin　of　the　rites　in　question。

It　has　been　already　mentioned；　on　the　authority　of　Diodorus；　that　in　ancient　Egypt　the　reapers　were　wont　to　lament　over　the　first　sheaf　cut；　invoking　Isis　as　the　goddess　to　whom　they　owed　the　discovery　of　corn。　To　the　plaintive　song　or　cry　sung　or　uttered　by　Egyptian　reapers　the　Greeks　gave　the　name　of　Maneros；　and　explained　the　name　by　a　story　that　Maneros；　the　only　son　of　the　first　Egyptian　king；　invented　agriculture；　and；　dying　an　untimely　death；　was　thus　lamented　by　the　people。　It　appears；　however；　that　the　name　Maneros　is　due　to　a　misunderstanding　of　the　formula　maa…ne…hra；　Come　to　the　house；　which　has　been　discovered　in　various　Egyptian　writings；　for　example　in　the　dirge　of　Isis　in　the　Book　of　the　Dead。　Hence　we　may　suppose　that　the　cry　maa…ne…hra　was　chanted　by　the　reapers　over　the　cut　corn　as　a　dirge　for　the　death　of　the　corn…spirit　（Isis　or　Osiris）　and　a　prayer　for　its　return。　As　the　cry　was　raised　over　the　first　ears　reaped；　it　would　seem　that　the　corn…spirit　was　believed　by　the　Egyptians　to　be　present　in　the　first　corn　cut　and　to　die　under　the　sickle。　We　have　seen　that　in　the　Malay　Peninsula　and　Java　the　first　ears　of　rice　are　taken　to　represent　either　the　Soul　of　the　Rice　or　the　Rice…bride　and　the　Rice…bridegroom。　In　parts　of　Russia　the　first　sheaf　is　treated　much　in　the　same　way　that　the　last　sheaf　is　treated　elsewhere。　It　is　reaped　by　the　mistress　herself；　taken　home　and　set　in　the　place　of　honour　near　the　holy　pictures；　afterwards　it　is　threshed　separately；　and　some　of　its　grain　is　mixed　with　the　next　year's　seed…corn。　In　Aberdeenshire；　while　the　last　corn　cut　was　generally　used　to　make　the　clyack　sheaf；　it　was　sometimes；　though　rarely；　the　first　corn　cut　that　was　dressed　up　as　a　woman　and　carried　home　with　ceremony。

In　Phoenicia　and　Western　Asia　a　plaintive　song；　like　that　chanted　by　the　Egyptian　corn…reapers；　was　sung　at　the　vintage　and　probably　（to　judge　by　analogy）　also　at　harvest。　This　Phoenician　song　was　called　by　the　Greeks　Linus　or　Ailinus　and　explained；　like　Maneros；　as　a　lament　for　the　death　of　a　youth　named　Linus。　According　to　one　story　Linus　was　brought　up　by　a　shepherd；　but　torn　to　pieces　by　his　dogs。　But；　like　Maneros；　the　name　Linus　or　Ailinus　appears　to　have　originated　in　a　verbal　misunderstanding；　and　to　be　nothing　more　than　the　cry　ai　lanu；　that　is　Woe　to　us；　which　the　Phoenicians　probably　uttered　in　mourning　for　Adonis；　at　least　Sappho　seems　to　have　regarded　Adonis　and　Linus　as　equivalent。

In　Bithynia　a　like　mournful　ditty；　called　Bormus　or　Borimus；　was　chanted　by　Mariandynian　reapers。　Bormus　was　said　to　have　been　a　handsome　youth；　the　son　of　King　Upias　or　of　a　wealthy　and　distinguished　man。　One　summer　day；　watching　the　reapers　at　work　in　his　fields；　he　went　to　fetch　them　a　drink　of　water　and　was　never　heard　of　more。　So　the　reapers　sought　for　him；　calling　him　in　plaintive　strains；　which　they　continued　to　chant　at　harvest　ever　afterwards。

2。　Killing　the　Corn…spirit。

IN　PHRYGIA　the　corresponding　song；　sung　by　harvesters　both　at　reaping　and　at　threshing；　was　called　Lityerses。　According　to　one　story；　Lityerses　was　a　bastard　son　of　Midas；　King　of　Phrygia；　and　dwelt　at　Celaenae。　He　used　to　reap　the　corn；　and　had　an　enormous　appetite。　When　a　stranger　happened　to　enter　the　corn…field　or　to　pass　by　it；　Lityerses　gave　him　plenty　to　eat　and　drink；　then　took　him　to　the　corn…fields　on　the　banks　of　the　Maeander　and　compelled　him　to　reap　along　with　him。　Lastly；　it　was　his　custom　to　wrap　the　stranger　in　a　sheaf；　cut　off　his　head　with　a　sickle；　and　carry　away　his　body；　swathed　in　the　corn…stalks。　But　at　last　Hercules　undertook　to　reap　with　him；　cut　off　his　head　with　the　sickle；　and　threw　his　body　into　the　river。　As　Hercules　is　reported　to　have　slain　Lityerses　in　the　same　way　that　Lityerses　slew　others；　we　may　infer　that　Lityerses　used　to　throw　the　bodies　of　his　victims　into　the　river。　According　to　another　version　of　the　story；　Lityerses；　a　son　of　Midas；　was　wont　to　challenge　people　to　a　reaping　match　with　him；　and　if　he　vanquished　them　he　used　to　thrash　them；　but　one　day　he　met　with　a　stronger　reaper；　who　slew　him。

There　are　some　grounds　for　supposing　that　in　these　stories　of　Lityerses　we　have　the　description　of　a　Phrygian　harvest　custom　in　accordance　with　which　certain　persons；　especially　strangers　passing　the　harvest　field；　were　regularly　regarded　as　embodiments　of　the　corn…spirit；　and　as　such　were　seized　by　the　reapers；　wrapt　in　sheaves；　and　beheaded；　their　bodies；　bound　up　in　the　corn…stalks；　being　after…wards　thrown　into　water　as　a　rain…charm。　The　grounds　for　this　supposition　are；　first；　the　resemblance　of　the　Lityerses　story　to　the　harvest　customs　of　European　peasantry；　and；　second；　the　frequency　of　human　sacrifices　offered　by　savage　races　to　promote　the　fertility　of　the　fields。　We　will　examine　these　grounds　successively；　beginning　with　the　former。

In　comparing　the　story　with　the　harvest　customs　of　Europe；　three　points　deserve　special　attention；　namely：　I。　the　reaping　match　and　the　binding　of　persons　in　the　sheaves；　II。　the　killing　of　the　corn…spirit　or　his　representatives；　III。　the　treatment　of　visitors　to　the　harvest　field　or　of　strangers　passing　it。

I。　In　regard　to　the　first　head；　we　have　seen　that　in　modern　Europe　the　person　who　cuts　or　binds　or　threshes　the　last　sheaf　is　often　exposed　to　rough　treatment　at　the　hands　of　his　fellow…labourers。　For　example；　he　is　bound　up　in　the　last　sheaf；　and；　thus　encased；　is　carried　or　carted　about；　beaten；　drenched　with　water；　thrown　on　a　dunghill；　and　so　forth。　Or；　if　he　is　spared　this　horse…play；　he　is　at　least　the　subject　of　ridicule　or　is　thought　to　be　destined　to　suffer　some　misfortune　in　the　course　of　the　year。　Hence　the　harvesters　are　naturally　reluctant　to　give　the　last　cut　at　reaping　or　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　or　to　bind　the　last　sheaf；　and　towards　the　close　of　the　work　this　reluctance　produces　an　emulation　among　the　labourers；　each　striving　to　finish　his　task　as　fast　as　possible；　in　order　that　he　may　escape　the　invidious　distinction　of　being　last。　For　example；　in　the　Mittelmark　district　of　Prussia；　when　the　rye　has　been　reaped；　and　the　last　sheaves　are　about　to　be　tied　up；　the　binders　stand　in　two　rows　facing　each　other；　every　woman　with　her　sheaf　and　her　straw　rope　before　her。　At　a　given　signal　they　all　tie　up　their　sheaves；　and　the　one　who　is　the　last　to　finish　is　ridiculed　by　the　rest。　Not　only　so；　but　her　sheaf　is　made　up　into　human　shape　and　called　the　Old　Man；　and　she　must　carry　it　home　to　the　farmyard；　where　the　harvesters　dance　in　a　circle　round　her　and　it。　Then　they　take　the　Old　Man　to　the　farmer　and　deliver　it　to　him　with　the　words；　We　bring　the　Old　Man　to　the　Master。　He　may　keep　him　till　he　gets　a　new　one。　After　that　the　Old　Man　is　set　up　against　a　tree；　where　he　remains　for　a　long　time；　the　butt　of　many　jests。　At　Aschbach　in　Bavaria；　when　the　reaping　is　nearly　finished；　the　reapers　say；　Now；　we　will　drive　out　the　Old　Man。　Each　of　them　sets　himself　to　reap　a　patch　of　corn　as　fast　as　he　can；　he　who　cuts　the　last　handful　or　the　last　stalk　is　greeted　by　the　rest　with　an　exulting　cry；　You　have　the　Old　Man。　Sometimes　a　black　mask　is　fastened　on　the　reaper's　face　and　he　is　dressed　in　woman's　clothes；　or　if　the　reaper　is　a　woman；　she　is　dressed　in　man's　clothes。　A　dance　follows。　At　the　supper　the　Old　Man　gets　twice　as　large　a　portion　of　the　food　as　the　others。　The　proceedings　are　similar　at　threshing；　the　person　who　gives　the　last　stroke　is　said　to　have　the　Old　Man。　At　the　supper　given　to　the　threshers　he　has　to　eat　out　of　the　cream…ladle　and　to　drink　a　great　deal。　Moreover；　he　is　quizzed　and　teased　in　all　sorts　of　ways　till　he　frees　himself　from　further　annoyance　by　treating　the　others　to　brandy　or　beer。

These　examples　illustrate　the　contests　in　reaping；　threshing；　and　binding　which　take　place　amongst　the　harvesters；　from　their　unwillingness　to　suffer　the　ridicule　and　discomfort　incurred　by　the　one　who　happens　to　finish　his　work　last。　It　will　be　remembered　that　the　person　who　is　last　at　reaping；　binding；　or　threshing；　is　regarded　as　the　representative　of　the　corn…spirit；　and　this　idea　is　more　fully　expressed　by　binding　him　or　her　in　corn…stalks。　The　latter　custom　has　been　already　illustrated；　but　a　few　more　instances　may　be　added。　At　Kloxin；　near　Stettin；　the　harvesters　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　You　have　the　Old　Man；　and　must　keep　him。　As　late　as　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　custom　was　to　tie　up　the　woman　herself　in　pease…straw；　and　bring　her　with　music　to　the　farmhouse；　where　the　harvesters　danced　with　her　till　the　pease…straw　fell　off。　In　other　villages　round　Stettin；　when　the　last　harvest…waggon　is　being　loaded；　there　is　a　regular　race　amongst　the　women；　each　striving　not　to　be　last。　For　she　who　places　the　last　sheaf　on　the　waggon　is　called　the　Old　Man；　and　is　completely　swathed　in　corn…stalks；　she　is　also　decked　with　flowers；　and　flowers　and　a　helmet　of　straw　are　placed　on　her　head。　In　solemn　procession　she　carries　the　harvest…crown　to　the　squire；　over　whose　head　she　holds　it　while　she　utters　a　string　of　good　wishes。　At　the　dance　which　follows；　the　Old　Man　has　the　right　to　choose　his；　or　rather　her；　partner；　it　is　an　honour　to　dance　with　him。　At　Gommern；　near　Magdeburg；　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn　is　often　wrapt　up　in　corn…stalks　so　completely　that　it　is　hard　to　see　whether　there　is　a　man　in　the　bundle　or　not。　Thus　wrapt　up　he　is　taken　by　another　stalwart　reaper　on　his　back；　and　carried　round　the　field　amidst　the　joyous　cries　of　the　harvesters。　At　Neuhausen；　near　Merseburg；　the　person　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　wrapt　in　ears　of　oats　and　saluted　as　the　Oatsman；　whereupon　the　others　dance　round　him。　At　Brie；　Isle　de　France；　the　farmer　himself　is　tied　up　in　the　first　sheaf。　At　Dingelstedt；　in　the　district　of　Erfurt；　down　to　the　first　half　of　the　nineteenth　century　it　was　the　custom　to　tie　up　a　man　in　the　last　sheaf。　He　was　called　the　Old　Man；　and　was　brought　home　on　the　last　waggon；　amid　huzzas　and　music。　On　reaching　the　farmyard　he　was　rolled　round　the　barn　and　drenched　with　water。　At　N？rdlingen　in　Bavaria　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　wrapt　in　straw　and　rolled　on　the　threshing…floor。　In　some　parts　of　Oberpfalz；　Bavaria