The golden bough : a study in comparative religion / by J.G. Frazer.

Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The golden bough : a study in comparative religion / by J.G. Frazer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    one of the company) in the stackyard, or, better, on the highest ground on the farm, and there shout the following dialogue, preceding it by a grand ' Hip, hip, hip, hurrah!' ' I 'ave 'er, I 'ave 'er, I 'ave 'er!' ' Whad 'ast thee, whad 'ast thee, whad 'ast thee ? ' ' A mar'! a mar'! a mar'!' ' Whose is 'er, whose is 'er, whose is 'er ?' 'Maister A.'s, Maister A.'s, Maister A.'s !' (naming the farmer whose harvest is finished). ' W'eer sha't the' send 'er ? w'eer sha't the' send 'er ? w'eer sha't the' send 'er ? ' ' To Maister B.'s, to Maister B.'s, to Maister B.'s ' (naming one whose harvest is no^ finished), The farmer who finishes his harvest last, and who therefore cannot send the Mare to any one else, is said to keep her all winter. The mocking offer of the Mare was sometimes responded to by a mocking acceptance of her help. Thus an old man told an inquirer, While we wun at supper, a mon cumm'd wi' a autar [halter] to fatch her away. But at one place (Longnor, near Leebotwood), down to about 1850, the Mare used really to be sent. The head man of the farmer who had finished harvest first was mounted on the best horse of the team—the leader—both horse and man being adorned with ribbons, streamers, etc. Thus arrayed, a boy on foot led the pair in triumph to the neighbouring farmhouses. Sometimes the man who took the 'mare' received, as well as plenty of harvest-ale, some rather rough, though good-humoured, treatment, coming back minus his decorations, and so on.^ In the neighbourhood of Lille the idea of the corn-spirit 1 Burne and Jackson, Shropshire Folk-lore, p. 373 sq.