The Golden Bough (Third Edition, Vol. 7 of 12) - Mirrors

§ 2. The Corn-spirit as a Wolf or a Dog. 321to cut the last corn, because they say that the Wolf is sitting init; hence every reaper exerts himself to the utmost in order notto be the last, and every woman similarly fears to bind the lastsheaf because “the Wolf is in it.” So both among the reapers andthe binders there is a competition not to be the last to finish. 846And in Germany generally it appears to be a common saying that“the Wolf sits in the last sheaf.” 847 In some places they call outto the reaper, “Beware of the Wolf”; or they say, “He is chasingthe Wolf out of the corn.” 848 In Mecklenburg the last bunch ofstanding corn is itself commonly called the Wolf, and the manwho reaps it “has the Wolf,” the animal being described as theRye-wolf, the Wheat-wolf, the Barley-wolf, and so on accordingto the particular crop. The reaper of the last corn is himselfcalled Wolf or the Rye-wolf, if the crop is rye, and in many partsof Mecklenburg he has to support the character by pretendingto bite the other harvesters or by howling like a wolf. 849 Thelast sheaf of corn is also called the Wolf or the Rye-wolf or theOats-wolf according to the crop, and of the woman who bindsit they say, “The Wolf is biting her,” “She has the Wolf,” “Shemust fetch the Wolf” (out of the corn). Moreover, she herself is [274]called Wolf; they cry out to her, “Thou art the Wolf,” and shehas to bear the name for a whole year; sometimes, according tothe crop, she is called the Rye-wolf or the Potato-wolf. 850 In theisland of Rügen not only is the woman who binds the last sheafcalled Wolf, but when she comes home she bites the lady of thehouse and the stewardess, for which she receives a large piece of846 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 pp. 33, 39; K. Bartsch,Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg (Vienna, 1879-1880), ii. p.309, § 1496, p. 310, §§ 1497, 1498.847 W. Mannhardt, Antike Wald- und Feldkulte, p. 320.848 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 p. 33.849 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 pp. 33 sq.; K. Bartsch, op.cit. ii. p. 309, § 1496, p. 310, §§ 1497, 1500, 1501.850 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 pp. 33, 34.