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

322 The Golden Bough (Third Edition, Vol. 7 of 12)The corn-spirit asa wolf killed atthreshing.[275]meat. Yet nobody likes to be the Wolf. The same woman maybe Rye-wolf, Wheat-wolf, and Oats-wolf, if she happens to bindthe last sheaf of rye, wheat, and oats. 851 At Buir, in the districtof Cologne, it was formerly the custom to give to the last sheafthe shape of a wolf. It was kept in the barn till all the corn wasthreshed. Then it was brought to the farmer and he had to sprinkleit with beer or brandy. 852 At Brunshaupten in Mecklenburg theyoung woman who bound the last sheaf of wheat used to take ahandful of stalks out of it and make “the Wheat-wolf” with them;it was the figure of a wolf about two feet long and half a foothigh, the legs of the animal being represented by stiff stalks andits tail and mane by wheat-ears. This Wheat-wolf she carriedback at the head of the harvesters to the village, where it was setup on a high place in the parlour of the farm and remained therefor a long time. 853 In many places the sheaf called the Wolf ismade up in human form and dressed in clothes. This indicates aconfusion of ideas between the corn-spirit conceived in humanand in animal form. Generally the Wolf is brought home on thelast waggon with joyful cries. Hence the last waggon-load itselfreceives the name of the Wolf. 854Again, the Wolf is supposed to hide himself amongst the cutcorn in the granary, until he is driven out of the last bundle bythe strokes of the flail. Hence at Wanzleben, near Magdeburg,after the threshing the peasants go in procession, leading by achain a man who is enveloped in the threshed-out straw and iscalled the Wolf. 855 He represents the corn-spirit who has beencaught escaping from the threshed corn. In the district of Treves851 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 p. 38; id., Antike Wald- undFeldkulte, p. 320.852 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 pp. 34 sq.853 K. Bartsch, op. cit. ii. p. 311, § 1505.854 W. Mannhardt, Roggenwolf und Roggenhund, 2 pp. 35-37; K. Bartsch, op.cit. ii. p. 309, § 1496, p. 310, §§ 1499, 1501, p. 311, §§ 1506, 1507.855 W. Mannhardt, Antike Wald- und Feldkulte, p. 321.