Northern mythology

250 EPITOME OF GERMAN MYTHOLOGY.
far in the field^ and tell one another about the Coniwife
who steals little children. In the Altmark and Mark of
Brandenburg she is called the Koggenmohme ^, and
screaming children are silenced by saying :
" Be stilly else
the Roggenmohme with her long, black teats will come
and drag thee away !
" Or, according to other relations,
^'^with her black iron teats.^^ By others she is called
Rockenmor, because like Holda and Berchta she plays all
sorts of tricks with those idle
off from their
girls who have not spun all
spinning-wheels (Rocken) by Twelfth day.
Children that she has laid on her black bosom easily
die. In the Mark they threaten children with the Erbsenmuhme
^, that they may not feast on the peas in the field.
In the Netherlands the Long Woman is known, who goes
through the corn-fields and plucks the projecting ears.
the heathen times this rural or field sprite
In
was, no doubt,
a friendly being, to whose influence the growth and
thriving of the corn were ascribed ^.
Spirits inhabiting the forests are mentioned in the older
authorities, and at the present day people know them
under the appellations of Waldleute (Forest-folk), Holzleute
(Wood-folk), Moosleute (Moss-folk), Wilde Leute
(Wild folk)4. The traditions clearly distinguish the Fo-
^
From roggen, rye, and muhme, aunt, cousin.
"
From Erbsen, peas.
3 Miiller, pp. 378, sqq. Grimm, D. M. p. 445. Adall)ert Kuhn, who
in the collecting of German popular traditions is indefatigable, makes us
acquainted with another female being, who bears a considerable resemblance
to Holda, Berchta and others of that class, and is called the Murraue.
See more of her in vol. iii. pp. 154, sq.
•*
The appellation of Schrat (p. 215) is also applicable to the Forestsprites.
The Goth, skohsl {caijxoviov) is by Grimm (D. j\I. p. 455) compared
with the 0. Nor. Skogr (forest), who thence concludes that it was
originally a forest-sprite. Jornandes speaks of sylvestres homines, quos
faiinos Jicarios vocant. " Agrestes feminas, quas silvaticas vocant." Burehard
of Worm;*, p. 198'^.