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

324 The Golden Bough (Third Edition, Vol. 7 of 12)conductors collected money. 860[276]§ 3. The Corn-spirit as a Cock.The corn-spirit as acock at harvest.Another form which the corn-spirit often assumes is that of acock. In Austria children are warned against straying in thecorn-fields, because the Corn-cock sits there, and will peck theireyes out. 861 In North Germany they say that “the Cock sitsin the last sheaf”; and at cutting the last corn the reapers cry,“Now we will chase out the Cock.” When it is cut they say, “Wehave caught the Cock.” 862 At Braller, in Transylvania, when thereapers come to the last patch of corn, they cry, “Here we shallcatch the Cock.” 863 At Fürstenwalde, when the last sheaf is aboutto be bound, the master releases a cock, which he has broughtin a basket, and lets it run over the field. All the harvesterschase it till they catch it. Elsewhere the harvesters all try to seizethe last corn cut; he who succeeds in grasping it must crow,and is called Cock. 864 Among the Wends it is or used to becustomary for the farmer to hide a live cock under the last sheafas it lay on the field; and when the corn was being gathered up,the harvester who lighted upon this sheaf had a right to keep the860 Ibid. p. 323.861 W. Mannhardt, Die Korndämonen, p. 13.862 W. Mannhardt, l.c.; J. H. Schmitz, Sitten und Sagen, Lieder, Sprüchwörterund Rathsel des Eifler Volkes (Treves, 1856-1858), i. 95; A. Kuhn und W.Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche (Leipsic, 1848), p.398.863 G. A. Heinrich, Agrarische Sitten und Gebräuche unter den SachsenSiebenbürgens (Hermannstadt, 1880), p. 21.864 W. Mannhardt, Die Korndämonen, p. 13. Compare A. Kuhn and W.Schwartz, l.c.