the golden bough-第139部分

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　bundle　of　corn　to　be　threshed；　and　is　struck　dead　with　the　flails。　Then　on　Sunday　it　is　roasted　and　eaten　as　a　holiday　dish。　In　the　Vosges　Mountains　the　close　of　haymaking　or　harvest　is　called　catching　the　cat；　killing　the　dog；　or　more　rarely　catching　the　hare。　The　cat；　the　dog；　or　the　hare　is　said　to　be　fat　or　lean　according　as　the　crop　is　good　or　bad。　The　man　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　hay　or　of　wheat　is　said　to　catch　the　cat　or　the　hare　or　to　kill　the　dog。

6。　The　Corn…spirit　as　a　Goat。

FURTHER；　the　corn…spirit　often　appears　in　the　form　of　a　goat。　In　some　parts　of　Prussia；　when　the　corn　bends　before　the　wind；　they　say；　The　Goats　are　chasing　each　other；　the　wind　is　driving　the　Goats　through　the　corn；　the　Goats　are　browsing　there；　and　they　expect　a　very　good　harvest。　Again　they　say；　The　Oats…goat　is　sitting　in　the　oats…field；　the　Corn…goat　is　sitting　in　the　rye…field。　Children　are　warned　not　to　go　into　the　corn…fields　to　pluck　the　blue　corn…flowers；　or　amongst　the　beans　to　pluck　pods；　because　the　Rye…goat；　the　Corn…goat；　the　Oats…goat；　or　the　Bean…goat　is　sitting　or　lying　there；　and　will　carry　them　away　or　kill　them。　When　a　harvester　is　taken　sick　or　lags　behind　his　fellows　at　their　work；　they　call　out；　The　Harvest…goat　has　pushed　him；　he　has　been　pushed　by　the　Corn…goat。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Braunsberg　（East　Prussia）　at　binding　the　oats　every　harvester　makes　haste　lest　the　Corn…goat　push　him。　At　Oefoten；　in　Norway；　each　reaper　has　his　allotted　patch　to　reap。　When　a　reaper　in　the　middle　has　not　finished　reaping　his　piece　after　his　neighbours　have　finished　theirs；　they　say　of　him；　He　remains　on　the　island。　And　if　the　laggard　is　a　man；　they　imitate　the　cry　with　which　they　call　a　he…goat；　if　a　woman；　the　cry　with　which　they　call　a　she…goat。　Near　Straubing；　in　Lower　Bavaria；　it　is　said　of　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　that　he　has　the　Corn…goat；　or　the　Wheat…goat；　or　the　Oats…goat；　according　to　the　crop。　Moreover；　two　horns　are　set　up　on　the　last　heap　of　corn；　and　it　is　called　the　horned　Goat。　At　Kreutzburg；　East　Prussia；　they　call　out　to　the　woman　who　is　binding　the　last　sheaf；　The　Goat　is　sitting　in　the　sheaf。　At　Gablingen；　in　Swabia；　when　the　last　field　of　oats　upon　a　farm　is　being　reaped；　the　reapers　carve　a　goat　out　of　wood。　Ears　of　oats　are　inserted　in　its　nostrils　and　mouth；　and　it　is　adorned　with　garlands　of　flowers。　It　is　set　up　on　the　field　and　called　the　Oats…goat。　When　the　reaping　approaches　an　end；　each　reaper　hastens　to　finish　his　piece　first；　he　who　is　the　last　to　finish　gets　the　Oats…goat。　Again；　the　last　sheaf　is　itself　called　the　Goat。　Thus；　in　the　valley　of　the　Wiesent；　Bavaria；　the　last　sheaf　bound　on　the　field　is　called　the　Goat；　and　they　have　a　proverb；　The　field　must　bear　a　goat。　At　Spachbrücken；　in　Hesse；　the　last　handful　of　corn　which　is　cut　is　called　the　Goat；　and　the　man　who　cuts　it　is　much　ridiculed。　At　Dürrenbüchig　and　about　Mosbach　in　Baden　the　last　sheaf　is　also　called　the　Goat。　Sometimes　the　last　sheaf　is　made　up　in　the　form　of　a　goat；　and　they　say；　The　Goat　is　sitting　in　it。　Again；　the　person　who　cuts　or　binds　the　last　sheaf　is　called　the　Goat。　Thus；　in　parts　of　Mecklenburg　they　call　out　to　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　sheaf；　You　are　the　Harvest…goat。　Near　Uelzen；　in　Hanover；　the　harvest　festival　begins　with　the　bringing　of　the　Harvest…goat；　that　is；　the　woman　who　bound　the　last　sheaf　is　wrapt　in　straw；　crowned　with　a　harvest…wreath；　and　brought　in　a　wheel…barrow　to　the　village；　where　a　round　dance　takes　place。　About　Luneburg；　also；　the　woman　who　binds　the　last　corn　is　decked　with　a　crown　of　corn…ears　and　is　called　the　Corn…goat。　At　Münzesheim　in　Baden　the　reaper　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　corn　or　oats　is　called　the　Corn…goat　or　the　Oats…goat。　In　the　Canton　St。　Gall；　Switzerland；　the　person　who　cuts　the　last　handful　of　corn　on　the　field；　or　drives　the　last　harvest…waggon　to　the　barn；　is　called　the　Corn…goat　or　the　Rye…goat；　or　simply　the　Goat。　In　the　Canton　Thurgau　he　is　called　Corn…goat；　like　a　goat　he　has　a　bell　hung　round　his　neck；　is　led　in　triumph；　and　drenched　with　liquor。　In　parts　of　Styria；　also；　the　man　who　cuts　the　last　corn　is　called　Corn…goat；　Oats…goat；　or　the　like。　As　a　rule；　the　man　who　thus　gets　the　name　of　Corn…goat　has　to　bear　it　a　whole　year　till　the　next　harvest。

According　to　one　view；　the　corn…spirit；　who　has　been　caught　in　the　form　of　a　goat　or　otherwise；　lives　in　the　farmhouse　or　barn　over　winter。　Thus；　each　farm　has　its　own　embodiment　of　the　corn…spirit。　But；　according　to　another　view；　the　corn…spirit　is　the　genius　or　deity；　not　of　the　corn　of　one　farm　only；　but　of　all　the　corn。　Hence　when　the　corn　on　one　farm　is　all　cut；　he　flees　to　another　where　there　is　still　corn　left　standing。　This　idea　is　brought　out　in　a　harvest…custom　which　was　formerly　observed　in　Skye。　The　farmer　who　first　finished　reaping　sent　a　man　or　woman　with　a　sheaf　to　a　neighbouring　farmer　who　had　not　finished；　the　latter　in　his　turn；　when　he　had　finished；　sent　on　the　sheaf　to　his　neighbour　who　was　still　reaping；　and　so　the　sheaf　made　the　round　of　the　farms　till　all　the　corn　was　cut。　The　sheaf　was　called　the　goabbir　bhacagh；　that　is；　the　Cripple　Goat。　The　custom　appears　not　to　be　extinct　at　the　present　day；　for　it　was　reported　from　Skye　not　very　many　years　ago。　The　corn…spirit　was　probably　thus　represented　as　lame　because　he　had　been　crippled　by　the　cutting　of　the　corn。　Sometimes　the　old　woman　who　brings　home　the　last　sheaf　must　limp　on　one　foot。

But　sometimes　the　corn…spirit；　in　the　form　of　a　goat；　is　believed　to　be　slain　on　the　harvest…field　by　the　sickle　or　scythe。　Thus；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Bernkastel；　on　the　Moselle；　the　reapers　determine　by　lot　the　order　in　which　they　shall　follow　each　other。　The　first　is　called　the　fore…reaper；　the　last　the　tail…bearer。　If　a　reaper　overtakes　the　man　in　front　he　reaps　past　him；　bending　round　so　as　to　leave　the　slower　reaper　in　a　patch　by　himself。　This　patch　is　called　the　Goat；　and　the　man　for　whom　the　Goat　is　cut　in　this　way；　is　laughed　and　jeered　at　by　his　fellows　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　When　the　tail…bearer　cuts　the　last　ears　of　corn；　it　is　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　di