batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l179-l256
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l179-l256
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
passage_locator:
label: 'The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2) / CONTENTS;
lines 179-256'
start: '179'
end: '256'
translation: 'The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 2 of 2)'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: Both dog and wolf appear as embodiments of the corn-spirit in harvest-customs.
summary: The passage surveys European harvest customs in which the dog, wolf, last
sheaf, human harvesters, and a wether are treated as manifestations or bearers
of the corn-spirit. It describes naming, catching, killing, threshing, storing,
and midwinter procession customs connected with this figure.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage states that both dog and wolf appear as embodiments of the corn-spirit
in harvest customs.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: In several localities the person who binds or cuts the last sheaf, the last
sheaf itself, or the act of finishing reaping is named with dog terms such as
Wheat-dog, Peas-pug, Bitch, or Dog of the harvest.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: In north-eastern French harvest speech, a harvester who falls behind is said
to have encountered or been bitten by the White Dog or White Bitch.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: In German harvest customs, the Wolf is said to sit in the last sheaf or last
standing corn, and the person who cuts or binds it is said to have, fetch, or
be bitten by the Wolf.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: A woman who binds the last sheaf may be called Wolf for a year and, in Rügen,
bites household women on returning home and receives meat.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Some customs give the last sheaf the shape of a wolf, preserve it in the barn,
sprinkle it with beer or brandy, or make the Wolf sheaf in human form and clothes.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: At threshing, the Wolf is described as hiding in the corn or last bundle until
driven out or killed by flail strokes; one custom leads a straw-covered man called
the Wolf in procession.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: French harvesters cry that they will catch the Wolf near the end of reaping;
in Guyenne a garlanded wether called the Wolf of the field is led round the field
and then killed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The passage suggests that the Wolf may be thought to live during winter in
the farmhouse and reappear at midwinter in customs involving a man with wolf skin,
a stuffed wolf, or a leaf-covered man called the Wolf.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Corn-dog / White Dog / White Bitch
description: Dog or bitch figure named in harvest customs and speech, associated
with the last sheaf, delayed harvesters, and finishing reaping.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Corn-wolf / Wolf
description: Wolf figure said to be in the last sheaf or last standing corn, caught
or killed at harvest and threshing, and sometimes brought home on the last wagon.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Last-sheaf cutter, binder, or thresher
description: Human harvest participant who cuts, binds, or strikes the final corn
or sheaf and is thereby linked with Dog or Wolf names and actions.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Woman called Wolf in Rügen
description: Woman who binds the last sheaf and is addressed as Wolf; on returning
home she bites the lady of the house and stewardess and receives meat.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Straw-covered man called the Wolf
description: Man enveloped in threshed-out straw, led by a chain in procession after
threshing, and identified as the Wolf.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Wether called the Wolf of the field
description: Garlanded wether led around the field in Guyenne after the last corn
is reaped and then killed on the field.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Corn-spirit
description: Entity identified by the passage as embodied in dog, wolf, and wether
harvest forms and as present in the last sheaf.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Embodiment of the corn-spirit
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
basis: The passage explicitly treats dog and wolf as embodiments of the corn-spirit
and says the wether killing represents the death of the corn-spirit present in
the last sheaf.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: Bearer or captor of the last-sheaf spirit
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The person who cuts or binds the last corn is said to kill, have, fetch,
catch, or be the Dog or Wolf.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: Ritual representative of the caught Wolf
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The passage says the straw-covered man called the Wolf represents the corn-spirit
caught escaping from the threshed corn.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: Killed field animal
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The wether called the Wolf of the field is led round the field and killed
there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Dog harvest name
literal_form: Dog, White Dog, White Bitch, Wheat-dog, Rye-dog, Potato-dog, Peas-pug
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: Wolf harvest name
literal_form: Wolf, Corn-wolf, Rye-wolf, Potato-wolf, Wheat-wolf, Oats-wolf
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: Last sheaf or last standing corn
literal_form: Last sheaf, last bunch of standing corn, last bundle, last corn
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: Wolf-shaped or human-shaped sheaf
literal_form: Last sheaf shaped as a wolf or made in human form and dressed in clothes
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: Threshing strokes
literal_form: Flail strokes and threshing of the last sheaf until reduced to chopped
straw
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: Garlanded wether
literal_form: Wether with horns decked in flowers and corn-ears and body encircled
with garlands and ribbons
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:7
label: Midwinter wolf display
literal_form: Wolf skin over a man’s head, stuffed wolf, or leaf-covered man called
the Wolf
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Dog names at the end of harvest
summary: The passage lists customs in which the last sheaf, the person handling
it, or the end of reaping is described with dog names and with phrases about killing
the Dog.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Wolf in the last sheaf
summary: German customs locate the Wolf in the last sheaf or standing corn, transfer
the Wolf name to the person who cuts or binds it, and sometimes bring home or
store a shaped Wolf sheaf.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Wolf driven out or killed at threshing
summary: At threshing the Wolf is treated as hidden in the last bundle, driven out
or killed by flail strokes, or represented by a straw-covered man led in procession.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: French catching and killing of the Wolf
summary: French harvesters announce catching the Wolf in the final corn; in Guyenne
a garlanded wether called the Wolf of the field is led around the field and killed.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Midwinter reappearance of the Wolf
summary: The Wolf is said to live through winter in the farmhouse and to reappear
at midwinter in processions using wolf skins, stuffed wolves, or a leaf-covered
man called the Wolf.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Animal embodiment of the corn-spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The passage repeatedly identifies dog, wolf, and wether forms with the corn-spirit
in harvest customs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage concerns harvest ritual rather
than a narrative myth.
- id: motif:2
label: Last sheaf as locus of a spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The last sheaf or last standing corn is named Dog, Bitch, Wolf, or wether
and is treated as containing or representing the corn-spirit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports regional customs through Frazer’s comparative framework.
- id: motif:3
label: Killing or catching the harvest spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The passage describes killing the Dog, striking down or killing the Wolf
at threshing, catching the Wolf, and killing the wether as the death of the corn-spirit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: Not every example is a sacrifice in a strict offering sense; some are
verbal formulas or symbolic acts.
- id: motif:4
label: Theriomorphic and anthropomorphic forms of the same spirit
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage says wolf-shaped sheaves and human-shaped dressed sheaves show
a confusion between animal and human conceptions of the corn-spirit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: This is Frazer’s interpretation of the customs rather than a quoted native
explanation.
- id: motif:5
label: Winter survival and spring renewal of the harvest spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- dying_and_returning
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The passage says the Wolf may be thought to live in the farmhouse during
winter and reappear at midwinter as lengthening days herald spring.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The wording is cautious in the source; it suggests rather than proves
a full death-and-return pattern.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage treats dog and wolf harvest figures as performing the same function:
embodying or naming the corn-spirit at the end of harvest.'
claim_level: same_function
target: Dog and wolf forms of the corn-spirit in European harvest customs
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The passage compares reported customs, not direct historical derivation
among regions.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage explicitly describes a mixture of wolf and wether conceptions
in the Guyenne custom, where the wether is called the Wolf of the field and killed
after the last corn is reaped.
claim_level: same_function
target: Wolf and wether forms of the corn-spirit in French harvest customs
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The comparison is local to the reported custom and depends on Frazer’s
explanation of the term and act.
- id: claim:3
claim: The passage connects the harvest Wolf with midwinter procession forms, suggesting
continuity between harvest-spirit customs and seasonal renewal observances.
claim_level: same_function
target: Harvest Wolf and midwinter wolf procession customs
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage uses tentative language and does not establish historical
contact or common inheritance.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 179-190
quote_or_summary: 'Dog harvest customs: dog and wolf are introduced as embodiments
of the corn-spirit; examples include Wheat-dog, Peas-pug, White Dog or White Bitch,
Dog of the harvest, and formulas about killing the Wheat-dog, Rye-dog, or Potato-dog.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain; evidence summarized with short phrases from the passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 191-211
quote_or_summary: 'German wolf customs: the Wolf is said to sit in the last sheaf;
the last bunch or sheaf is called Wolf; the binder or cutter may be called Wolf;
in Rügen the woman called Wolf bites household women and receives meat; some sheaves
are wolf-shaped or human-shaped and dressed.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 212-223
quote_or_summary: 'Threshing customs: the Wolf is thought to hide among cut corn
or in the last bundle until driven out by flails; at Wanzleben a straw-covered
man called Wolf is led by a chain; in Trier the last sheaf is threshed to chopped
straw to kill the Corn-wolf.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 224-241
quote_or_summary: 'French harvest customs: reapers call out about catching the Wolf;
near Chambéry a ring is formed around the last standing corn; in Guyenne a garlanded
wether called the Wolf of the field is led around the field and killed, interpreted
as the death of the corn-spirit in the last sheaf.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 242-256
quote_or_summary: 'Winter customs: the Wolf may be thought to live in the farmhouse
during winter and reappear at midwinter; Polish Christmas customs include a man
with wolf skin, a stuffed wolf carried for money, and an indicated older custom
of a leaf-covered man called the Wolf.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is explicit about dog, wolf, wether, last-sheaf, killing, and
seasonal-return patterns. Motif labels and taxonomy links are interpretive and
should be reviewed because the text is a comparative scholarly synthesis rather
than a single primary tradition.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the provided passage and metadata. No external taxonomy IDs were added beyond supplied motif family refs.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg__l179-l256
passage_sha256=3cd8e428bca99555ca6072473f2f42696845acaddd25bfb45c8a3afd06d2a710