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

§ 8. The Corn-spirit as a Horse or Mare. 343to be born as a Corn-baby on the harvest-field. 947 Similarly inBerry the young corn-spirit is sometimes supposed to be born onthe field in calf form; for when a binder has not rope enoughto bind all the corn in sheaves, he puts aside the wheat thatremains over and imitates the lowing of a cow. The meaningis that “the sheaf has given birth to a calf.” 948 In Puy-de-Dômewhen a binder cannot keep up with the reaper whom he or shefollows, they say “He (or she) is giving birth to the Calf.” 949 Insome parts of Prussia, in similar circumstances, they call out tothe woman, “The Bull is coming,” and imitate the bellowing ofa bull. 950 In these cases the woman is conceived as the Corncowor old corn-spirit, while the supposed calf is the Corn-calfor young corn-spirit. In some parts of Austria a mythical calf(Muhkälbchen) is believed to be seen amongst the sprouting cornin spring and to push the children; when the corn waves in thewind they say, “The Calf is going about.” Clearly, as Mannhardtobserves, this calf of the spring-time is the same animal which isafterwards believed to be killed at reaping. 951§ 8. The Corn-spirit as a Horse or Mare.Sometimes the corn-spirit appears in the shape of a horse ormare. Between Kalw and Stuttgart, when the corn bends beforethe wind, they say, “There runs the Horse.” 952 At Bohlingen,near Radolfzell in Baden, the last sheaf of oats is called the947 Above, pp. 150 sq.948 Laisnel de la Salle, Croyances et Légendes du Centre de la France (Paris,1875), ii. 135.949 W. Mannhardt, Mythologische Forschungen, p. 62: “Il fait le veau.”950 Ibid.951 Ibid. p. 63.952 Ibid. p. 167.The corn-spirit asa horse or marerunning throughthe corn. “Cryingthe Mare” inHertfordshire andShropshire.