the golden bough-第131部分

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t　threshing　is　wrapt　in　straw　and　rolled　on　the　threshing…floor。　In　some　parts　of　Oberpfalz；　Bavaria；　he　is　said　to　get　the　Old　Man；　is　wrapt　in　straw；　and　carried　to　a　neighbour　who　has　not　yet　finished　his　threshing。　In　Silesia　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf　has　to　submit　to　a　good　deal　of　horse…play。　She　is　pushed；　knocked　down；　and　tied　up　in　the　sheaf；　after　which　she　is　called　the　corn…puppet　（Kornpopel）。

In　all　these　cases　the　idea　is　that　the　spirit　of　the　cornthe　Old　Man　of　vegetationis　driven　out　of　the　corn　last　cut　or　last　threshed；　and　lives　in　the　barn　during　the　winter。　At　sowing…time　he　goes　out　again　to　the　fields　to　resume　his　activity　as　animating　force　among　the　sprouting　corn。

II。　Passing　to　the　second　point　of　comparison　between　the　Lityerses　story　and　European　harvest　customs；　we　have　now　to　see　that　in　the　latter　the　corn…spirit　is　often　believed　to　be　killed　at　reaping　or　threshing。　In　the　Romsdal　and　other　parts　of　Norway；　when　the　haymaking　is　over；　the　people　say　that　the　Old　Hay…man　has　been　killed。　In　some　parts　of　Bavaria　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　is　said　to　have　killed　the　Corn…man；　the　Oats…man；　or　the　Wheat…man；　according　to　the　crop。　In　the　Canton　of　Tillot；　in　Lorraine；　at　threshing　the　last　corn　the　men　keep　time　with　their　flails；　calling　out　as　they　thresh；　We　are　killing　the　Old　Woman！　We　are　killing　the　Old　Woman！　If　there　is　an　old　woman　in　the　house　she　is　warned　to　save　herself；　or　she　will　be　struck　dead。　Near　Ragnit；　in　Lithuania；　the　last　handful　of　corn　is　left　standing　by　itself；　with　the　words；　The　Old　Woman　（Boba）　is　sitting　in　there。　Then　a　young　reaper　whets　his　scythe　and；　with　a　strong　sweep；　cuts　down　the　handful。　It　is　now　said　of　him　that　he　has　cut　off　the　Boba's　head；　and　he　receives　a　gratuity　from　the　farmer　and　a　jugful　of　water　over　his　head　from　the　farmer's　wife。　According　to　another　account；　every　Lithuanian　reaper　makes　haste　to　finish　his　task；　for　the　Old　Rye…woman　lives　in　the　last　stalks；　and　whoever　cuts　the　last　stalks　kills　the　Old　Rye…woman；　and　by　killing　her　he　brings　trouble　on　himself。　In　Wilkischken；　in　the　district　of　Tilsit；　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　goes　by　the　name　of　the　killer　of　the　Rye…woman。　In　Lithuania；　again；　the　corn…spirit　is　believed　to　be　killed　at　threshing　as　well　as　at　reaping。　When　only　a　single　pile　of　corn　remains　to　be　threshed；　all　the　threshers　suddenly　step　back　a　few　paces；　as　if　at　the　word　of　command。　Then　they　fall　to　work；　plying　their　flails　with　the　utmost　rapidity　and　vehemence；　till　they　come　to　the　last　bundle。　Upon　this　they　fling　themselves　with　almost　frantic　fury；　straining　every　nerve；　and　raining　blows　on　it　till　the　word　Halt！　rings　out　sharply　from　the　leader。　The　man　whose　flail　is　the　last　to　fall　after　the　command　to　stop　has　been　given　is　immediately　surrounded　by　all　the　rest；　crying　out　that　he　has　struck　the　Old　Rye…woman　dead。　He　has　to　expiate　the　deed　by　treating　them　to　brandy；　and；　like　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn；　he　is　known　as　the　killer　of　the　Old　Rye…woman。　Sometimes　in　Lithuania　the　slain　corn…spirit　was　represented　by　a　puppet。　Thus　a　female　figure　was　made　out　of　corn…stalks；　dressed　in　clothes；　and　placed　on　the　threshing…floor；　under　the　heap　of　corn　which　was　to　be　threshed　last。　Whoever　thereafter　gave　the　last　stroke　at　threshing　struck　the　Old　Woman　dead。　We　have　already　met　with　examples　of　burning　the　figure　which　represents　the　corn…spirit。　In　the　East　Riding　of　Yorkshire　a　custom　called　burning　the　Old　Witch　is　observed　on　the　last　day　of　harvest。　A　small　sheaf　of　corn　is　burnt　on　the　field　in　a　fire　of　stubble；　peas　are　parched　at　the　fire　and　eaten　with　a　liberal　allowance　of　ale；　and　the　lads　and　lasses　romp　about　the　flames　and　amuse　themselves　by　blackening　each　other's　faces。　Sometimes；　again；　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　by　a　man；　who　lies　down　under　the　last　corn；　it　is　threshed　upon　his　body；　and　the　people　say　that　the　Old　Man　is　being　beaten　to　death。　We　saw　that　sometimes　the　farmer's　wife　is　thrust；　together　with　the　last　sheaf；　under　the　threshing…machine；　as　if　to　thresh　her；　and　that　afterwards　a　pretence　is　made　of　winnowing　her。　At　Volders；　in　the　Tyrol；　husks　of　corn　are　stuck　behind　the　neck　of　the　man　who　gives　the　last　stroke　at　threshing；　and　he　is　throttled　with　a　straw　garland。　If　he　is　tall；　it　is　believed　that　the　corn　will　be　tall　next　year。　Then　he　is　tied　on　a　bundle　and　flung　into　the　river。　In　Carinthia；　the　thresher　who　gave　the　last　stroke；　and　the　person　who　untied　the　last　sheaf　on　the　threshing…floor；　are　bound　hand　and　foot　with　straw　bands；　and　crowns　of　straw　are　placed　on　their　heads。　Then　they　are　tied；　face　to　face；　on　a　sledge；　dragged　through　the　village；　and　flung　into　a　brook。　The　custom　of　throwing　the　representative　of　the　corn…spirit　into　a　stream；　like　that　of　drenching　him　with　water；　is；　as　usual；　a　rain…charm。

III。　Thus　far　the　representatives　of　the　corn…spirit　have　generally　been　the　man　or　woman　who　cuts；　binds；　or　threshes　the　last　corn。　We　now　come　to　the　cases　in　which　the　corn…spirit　is　represented　either　by　a　stranger　passing　the　harvest…field　（as　in　the　Lityerses　tale）；　or　by　a　visitor　entering　it　for　the　first　time。　All　over　Germany　it　is　customary　for　the　reapers　or　threshers　to　lay　hold　of　passing　strangers　and　bind　them　with　a　rope　made　of　corn…stalks；　till　they　pay　a　forfeit；　and　when　the　farmer　himself　or　one　of　his　guests　enters　the　field　or　the　threshing…floor　for　the　first　time；　he　is　treated　in　the　same　way。　Sometimes　the　rope　is　only　tied　round　his　arm　or　his　feet　or　his　neck。　But　sometimes　he　is　regularly　swathed　in　corn。　Thus　at　Sol？r　in　Norway；　whoever　enters　the　field；　be　he　the　master　or　a　stranger；　is　tied　up　in　a　sheaf　and　must　pay　a　ransom。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Soest；　when　the　farmer　visits　the　flax…pullers　for　the　first　time；　he　is　completely　enveloped　in　flax。　Passers…by　are　also　surrounded　by　the　women；　tied　up　in　flax；　and　compelled　to　stand　brandy。　At　N？rdlingen　strangers　are　caught　with　straw　ropes　and　tied　up　in　a　sheaf　till　they　pay　a　forfeit。　Among　the　Germans　of　Haselberg；　in　West　Bohemia；　as　soon　as　a　farmer　had　given　the　last　corn　to　be　threshed　on　the　threshing…floor；　he　was　swathed　in　it　and　had　to　redeem　himself　by　a　present　of　cakes。　In　the　canton　of　Putanges；　in　Normandy；　a　pretence　of　tying　up　the　owner　of　the　land　in　the　last　sheaf　of　wheat　is　still　practised；　or　at　least　was　still　practised　some　quarter　of　a　century　ago。　The　task　falls　to　the　women　alone。　They　throw　themselves　on　the　proprietor；　seize　him　by　the　arms；　the　legs；　and　the　body；　throw　him　to　the　ground；　and　stretch　him　on　the　last　sheaf。　Then　a　show　is　made　of　binding　him；　and　the　conditions　to　be　observed　at　the　harvest…supper　are　dictated　to　him。　When　he　has　accepted　them；　he　is　released　and　allowed　to　get　up。　At　Brie；　Isle　de　France；　when　any　one　who　does　not　belong　to　the　farm　passes　by　the　harvest…field；　the　reapers　give　chase。　If　they　catch　him；　they　bind　him　in　a　sheaf　an　dbite　him；　one　after　the　other；　in　the　forehead；　crying；　You　shall　carry　the　key　of　the　field。　To　have　the　key　is　an　expression　used　by　harvesters　elsewhere　in　the　sense　of　to　cut　or　bind　or　thresh　the　last　sheaf；　hence；　it　is　equivalent　to　the　phrases　You　have　the　Old　Man；　You　are　the　Old　Man；　which　are　addressed　to　the　cutter；　binder；　or　thresher　of　the　last　sheaf。　Therefore；　when　a　stranger；　as　at　Brie；　is　tied　up　in　a　sheaf　and　told　that　he　will　carry　the　key　of　the　field；　it　is　as　much　as　to　say　that　he　is　the　Old　Man；　that　is；　an　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit。　In　hop…picking；　if　a　well…dressed　stranger　passes　the　hop…yard；　he　is　seized　by　the　women；　tumbled　into　the　bin；　covered　with　leaves；　and　not　released　till　he　has　paid　a　fine。

Thus；　like　the　ancient　Lityerses；　modern　European　reapers　have　been　wont　to　lay　hold　of　a　passing　stranger　and　tie　him　up　in　a　sheaf。　It　is　not　to　be　expected　that　they　should　complete　the　parallel　by　cutting　off　his　head；　but　if　they　do　not　take　such　a　strong　step；　their　language　and　gestures　are　at　least　indicative　of　a　desire　to　do　so。　For　instance；　in　Mecklenburg　on　the　first　day　of　reaping；　if　the　master　or　mistress　or　a　stranger　enters　the　field；　or　merely　passes　by　it；　all　the　mowers　face　towards　him　and　sharpen　their　scythes；　clashing　their　whet…stones　against　them　in　unison；　as　if　they　were　making　ready　to　mow。　Then　the　woman　who　leads　the　mowers　steps　up　to　him　and　ties　a　band　round　his　left　arm。　He　must　ransom　himself　by　payment　of　a　forfeit。　Near　Ratzeburg；　when　the　master　or　other　person　of　mark　enters　the　field　or　passes　by　it；　all　the　harvesters　stop　work　and　march　towards　him　in　a　body；　the　men　with　their　scythes　in　front。　On　meeting　him　they　form　up　in　line；　men　and　women。　The　men　stick　the　poles　of　their　scythes　in　the　ground；　as　they　do　in　whetting　them；　then　they　take　off　their　caps　and　hang　them　on　the　scythes；　while　their　leader　stands　forward　and　makes　a　speech。　When　he　has　done；　they　all　whet　their　scythes　in　measured　time　very　loudly；　after　which　they　put　on　their　caps。　Two　of　the　women　binders　then　come　forward；　one　of　them　ties　the　master　or　stranger　（as　the　case　may　be）　with　corn…ears　or　with　a　silken　band；　the　other　delivers　a　rhyming　address。　The　following　are　specimens　of　the　speeches　made　by　the　reaper　on　these　occasions。　In　some　parts　of　Pomerania　every　passer…by　is　stopped；　his　way　being　barred　with　a　corn…rope。　The　reapers　form　a　circle　round　him　and　sharpen　their　scythes；　while　their　leader　says：

The　men　are　ready；　The　scythes　are　bent；　The　corn　is　great　and　small；　The　gentleman　must　be　mowed。

Then　the　process　of　whetting　the　scythes　is　repeated。　At　Ramin；　in　the　district　of　Stettin；　the　stranger；　standing　encircled　by　the　reapers；　is　thus　addressed：

We'll　stroke　the　gentleman　With　our　naked　sword；　Wherewith　we　shear　meadows　and　fields。　We　shear　princes　and　lords。　Labourers　are　often　athirst；　If　the　gentleman　will　stand　beer　and　brandy　The　joke　will　soon　be　over。　But；　if　our　prayer　he　does　not　like；　The　sword　has　a　right　to　strike。

On　the　threshing…floor　strangers　are　also　regarded　as　embodiments　of　the　corn…spirit；　and　are　treated　accordingly。　At　Wiedingharde　in　Schleswig　when　a　stranger　comes　to　the　threshing…floor　he　is