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On some farms on the Gareloch； in Dumbartonshire； about the year 1830； the last handful of standing corn was called the Maiden。 It was divided in two； plaited； and then cut with the sickle by a girl； who； it was thought； would be lucky and would soon be married。 When it was cut the reapers gathered together and threw their sickles in the air。 The Maiden was dressed with ribbons and hung in the kitchen near the roof； where it was kept for several years with the date attached。 Sometimes five or six Maidens might be seen hanging at once on hooks。 The harvest…supper was called the Kirn。 In other farms on the Gareloch the last handful of corn was called the Maidenhead or the Head； it was neatly plaited； sometimes decked with ribbons； and hung in the kitchen for a year； when the grain was given to the poultry。
In Aberdeenshire the last sheaf cut； or 'Maiden；' is carried home in merry procession by the harvesters。 It is then presented to the mistress of the house； who dresses it up to be preserved till the first mare foals。 The Maiden is then taken down and presented to the mare as its first food。 The neglect of this would have untoward effects upon the foal； and disastrous consequences upon farm operations generally for the season。 In the north…east of Aberdeenshire the last sheaf is commonly called the clyack sheaf。 It used to be cut by the youngest girl present and was dressed as a woman。 Being brought home in triumph； it was kept till Christmas morning； and then given to a mare in foal； if there was one on the farm； or； if there was not； to the oldest cow in calf。 Elsewhere the sheaf was divided between all the cows and their calves or between all the horses and the cattle of the farm。 In Fifeshire the last handful of corn； known as the Maiden； is cut by a young girl and made into the rude figure of a doll； tied with ribbons； by which it is hung on the wall of the farm…kitchen till the next spring。 The custom of cutting the Maiden at harvest was also observed in Inverness…shire and Sutherlandshire。
A somewhat maturer but still youthful age is assigned to the corn…spirit by the appellations of Bride； Oats…bride； and Wheat…bride； which in Germany are sometimes bestowed both on the last sheaf and on the woman who binds it。 At wheat…harvest near Müglitz； in Moravia； a small portion of the wheat is left standing after all the rest has been reaped。 This remnant is then cut； amid the rejoicing of the reapers； by a young girl who wears a wreath of wheaten ears on her head and goes by the name of the Wheat…bride。 It is supposed that she will be a real bride that same year。 Near Roslin and Stonehaven； in Scotland； the last handful of corn cut got the name of 'the bride；' and she was placed over the bress or chimney…piece； she had a ribbon tied below her numerous ears； and another round her waist。
Sometimes the idea implied by the name of Bride is worked out more fully by representing the productive powers of vegetation as bride and bridegroom。 Thus in the Vorharz an Oats…man and an Oats…woman； swathed in straw； dance at the harvest feast。 In South Saxony an Oats…bridegroom and an Oats…bride figure together at the harvest celebration。 The Oats…bridegroom is a man completely wrapt in oats…straw； the Oats…bride is a man dressed in woman's clothes； but not wrapt in straw。 They are drawn in a waggon to the ale…house； where the dance takes place。 At the beginning of the dance the dancers pluck the bunches of oats one by one from the Oats…bridegroom； while he struggles to keep them； till at last he is completely stript of them and stands bare； exposed to the laughter and jests of the company。 In Austrian Silesia the ceremony of the Wheat…bride is celebrated by the young people at the end of the harvest。 The woman who bound the last sheaf plays the part of the Wheat…bride； wearing the harvest…crown of wheat ears and flowers on her head。 Thus adorned； standing beside her Bridegroom in a waggon and attended by bridesmaids； she is drawn by a pair of oxen； in full imitation of a marriage procession； to the tavern； where the dancing is kept up till morning。 Somewhat later in the season the wedding of the Oats…bride is celebrated with the like rustic pomp。 About Neisse； in Silesia； an Oats…king and an Oats…queen； dressed up quaintly as a bridal pair； are seated on a harrow and drawn by oxen into the village。
In these last instances the corn…spirit is personified in double form as male and female。 But sometimes the spirit appears in a double female form as both old and young； corresponding exactly to the Greek Demeter and Persephone； if my interpretation of these goddesses is right。 We have seen that in Scotland； especially among the Gaelic…speaking population； the last corn cut is sometimes called the Old Wife and sometimes the Maiden。 Now there are parts of Scotland in which both an Old Wife （Cailleach） and a Maiden are cut at harvest。 The accounts of this custom are not quite clear and consistent； but the general rule seems to be that； where both a Maiden and an Old Wife （Cailleach） are fashioned out of the reaped corn at harvest； the Maiden is made out of the last stalks left standing； and is kept by the farmer on whose land it was cut； while the Old Wife is made out of other stalks； sometimes out of the first stalks cut； and is regularly passed on to a laggard farmer who happens to be still reaping after his brisker neighbour has cut all his corn。 Thus while each farmer keeps his own Maiden； as the embodiment of the young and fruitful spirit of the corn； he passes on the Old Wife as soon as he can to a neighbour； and so the old lady may make the round of all the farms in the district before she finds a place in which to lay her venerable head。 The farmer with whom she finally takes up her abode is of course the one who has been the last of all the countryside to finish reaping his crops； and thus the distinction of entertaining her is rather an invidious one。 He is thought to be doomed to poverty or to be under the obligation of providing for the dearth of the township in the ensuing season。 Similarly we saw that in Pembrokeshire； where the last corn cut is called； not the Maiden； but the Hag； she is passed on hastily to a neighbour who is still at work in his fields and who receives his aged visitor with anything but a transport of joy。 If the Old Wife represents the corn…spirit of the past year； as she probably does wherever she is contrasted with and opposed to a Maiden； it is natural enough that her faded charms should have less attractions for the husbandman than the buxom form of her daughter； who may be expected to become in her turn the mother of the golden grain when the revolving year has brought round another autumn。 The same desire to get rid of the effete Mother of the Corn by palming her off on other people comes out clearly in some of the customs observed at the close of threshing； particularly in the practice of passing on a hideous straw puppet to a neighbour farmer who is still threshing his corn。
The harvest customs just described are strikingly analogous to the spring customs which we reviewed in an earlier part of this work。 （1） As in the spring customs the tree…spirit is represented both by a tree and by a person；