batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l331-l370
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l331-l370
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 331-370'
start: '331'
end: '370'
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: "“Another common embodiment of the corn-spirit is the hare.”"
summary: The passage surveys European harvest customs in which the corn-spirit is
represented by a hare or a cat, especially in relation to the last standing corn,
the last sheaf, the last reaper, decorated animals, costumed harvest figures,
ritual pursuit, killing, drinking, and eating.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage states that the corn-spirit is commonly embodied as a hare.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: In several named regions, the last corn, last sheaf, or act of cutting the
last corn is called or associated with the Hare.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: In East Prussia, the Hare is said to sit in the last patch of standing corn
and must be chased out by the last reaper.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The man who cuts the last corn is described in multiple countries as killing
the Hare.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: In Norway, the man said to kill the Hare must provide brandy, called hare's
blood, for the others to drink.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The passage states that the corn-spirit sometimes takes the form of a cat.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Children near Kiel and in the Eisenach Oberland are warned that the Cat or
Corn-cat is in the corn fields.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: In several places, the last corn, last sheaf, harvest supper, or final threshing
stroke is called or associated with the Cat.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: At Briançon, a cat is decorated at the beginning of reaping and again at the
close of reaping with ribbons and ears of corn, followed by dancing and removal
of its ornaments by girls.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: At Grüneberg, the reaper who cuts the last corn is called the Tom-cat, is
covered with rye-stalks and green withes, and is given a long plaited tail.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: At Grüneberg, the Tom-cat figure and sometimes a similarly dressed female
Cat pursue people and beat them with a long stick.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Near Amiens, finishing the harvest is expressed as killing the Cat, and a
cat is killed in the farmyard when the last corn is cut.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: In some parts of France at threshing, a live cat is placed under the last
bundle of corn, killed with flails, roasted, and eaten on Sunday as a holiday
dish.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: corn-spirit
description: A spirit associated with corn and said in this passage to be embodied
as a hare or to take the form of a cat.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Hare
description: Animal form associated with the corn-spirit, the last corn, the last
sheaf, and the act of cutting the last corn.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Cat or Corn-cat
description: Animal form associated with the corn-spirit, corn fields, last corn,
last sheaf, harvest supper, and threshing customs.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: last reaper or man who cuts the last corn
description: The person who cuts the last corn; in different customs he chases out
or kills the Hare, provides hare's blood, or is called the Tom-cat.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Grüneberg Tom-cat and female Cat figures
description: Harvest figures dressed in rye-stalks, green withes, and tails; they
run after people and beat them with a stick.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: girls at Briançon
description: Girls who solemnly strip the decorated cat of its ornaments after dancing
at the close of reaping.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: animal embodiment of the corn-spirit
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: The passage explicitly says the corn-spirit is embodied as the hare and sometimes
takes the form of a cat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: last-corn-associated figure
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The hare, cat, and last reaper are repeatedly linked with the last corn,
last sheaf, or final cutting and threshing actions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: costumed harvest pursuer
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: At Grüneberg the last reaper is called the Tom-cat, dressed in vegetation
and a tail, and pursues people; a similarly dressed female Cat may accompany him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: ritual animal victim and feast object
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage describes a cat being killed when the last corn is cut and a
live cat being killed under the last threshing bundle, then roasted and eaten.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: ritual ornament removers
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: At Briançon girls remove the decorated cat's ornaments after the reaping
dance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Hare
literal_form: Hare associated with the last patch of standing corn, the last sheaf,
and cutting the last corn.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: Cat or Corn-cat
literal_form: Cat associated with corn fields, last corn, last sheaf, harvest supper,
final threshing stroke, decoration, killing, and eating.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:3
label: last corn or last sheaf
literal_form: The last standing corn, last patch, last sheaf, or last bundle of
corn to be cut or threshed.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: sym:4
label: hare's blood brandy
literal_form: Brandy supplied by the man who is said to kill the Hare, called hare's
blood.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: ribbons, flowers, and ears of corn
literal_form: Ornaments placed on a cat at Briançon at the beginning and close of
reaping.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: rye-stalks, green withes, and plaited tail
literal_form: Costume materials worn by the Grüneberg reaper called the Tom-cat.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Hare in the last corn
summary: The hare is identified with the last corn or last sheaf; in East Prussia
it is said to sit in the last standing patch and must be chased out by the last
reaper.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Killing the Hare and drinking hare's blood
summary: The man who cuts the last corn is said in several countries to kill the
Hare; in Norway he must give brandy, called hare's blood, to the other workers.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Cat in corn-field and harvest naming customs
summary: The cat is presented as a form of the corn-spirit and appears in warnings
to children, names for the last corn, last sheaf, harvest supper, and final threshing
stroke.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Decorated cat at Briançon
summary: A cat is decorated with ribbons, flowers, and ears of corn at the start
of reaping; if a reaper is wounded the cat licks the wound; at the close of reaping
it is decorated again, followed by dancing and removal of ornaments by girls.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Grüneberg Tom-cat masquerade
summary: The last reaper is called the Tom-cat, covered in rye-stalks and green
withes, furnished with a tail, and may be accompanied by a similarly dressed female
Cat; they pursue people and beat them with a stick.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Killing and eating the Cat
summary: Near Amiens a cat is killed when the last corn is cut; in some French threshing
customs a live cat is placed under the last bundle, killed with flails, roasted,
and eaten as a holiday dish.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Animal embodiment of the corn-spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The passage explicitly presents both hare and cat as forms or embodiments
of the corn-spirit in harvest settings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage is about European harvest
custom rather than a narrative myth.
- id: motif:2
label: Last sheaf or last corn as animal presence
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The last patch of corn, last sheaf, last bundle, or last cutting is repeatedly
named as or associated with Hare or Cat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports regional terminology and custom; it does not give
a single unified ritual sequence for all locations.
- id: motif:3
label: Harvest animal chased, caught, or killed
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
- sacrifice
basis: The Hare is chased out or said to be killed by the last reaper; Cat customs
include catching, killing, killing under the last threshing bundle, and eating.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: Some examples are verbal formulas while others involve actual killing;
these should not be treated as identical actions without review.
- id: motif:4
label: Ritual impersonation of harvest animal
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: At Grüneberg the last reaper is called the Tom-cat and dressed in plant materials
and a tail, with possible companion figure, then pursues people.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: This motif is based on one locality in the passage.
- id: motif:5
label: Communal consumption after symbolic harvest killing
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
- sacrifice
basis: The Norwegian hare custom requires brandy called hare's blood to be given
to others, while a French cat custom ends with roasting and eating the killed
cat as a holiday dish.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage juxtaposes these customs but does not state that the drink
and meal have the same ritual meaning.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage supports a cautious same-function comparison between hare and
cat customs as animal embodiments of the corn-spirit tied to the last corn or
sheaf.
claim_level: same_function
target: Hare and Cat harvest customs within the passage
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The passage compares functions in reported custom, not shared origin
or historical contact.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage supports a same-motif comparison among several European harvest
customs in which the last reaper is associated with chasing, catching, or killing
an animal identified with the crop.
claim_level: same_motif
target: European last-corn harvest customs reported for East Prussia, Transylvania,
Germany, Sweden, Holland, France, Italy, Norway, Silesia, and nearby regions
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The examples vary between speech formulas, naming practices, masquerade,
payment of drink, and actual animal killing; the passage does not establish a
single historical pathway.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 331-334
quote_or_summary: "“Another common embodiment of the corn-spirit is the hare”; cutting
the last corn in Ayrshire is called “cutting the Hare,” and in Germany the last
sheaf may be called the Hare."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 334-340
quote_or_summary: In East Prussia the Hare is said to sit in the last patch of standing
corn and to be chased out by the last reaper; at Birk reapers cry that they have
the Hare; at Aurich cutting the last corn is described as cutting off the Hare's
tail.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 340-345
quote_or_summary: In several countries the man who cuts the last corn is said to
kill the Hare; in Norway the man so described must give brandy, called hare's
blood, for his fellows to drink.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 346-356
quote_or_summary: The passage says the corn-spirit sometimes takes cat form; children
are warned of the Cat or Corn-cat in the corn; last corn, the final threshing
stroke, last sheaf, and harvest supper are called or linked with the Cat in various
places.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 356-364
quote_or_summary: At Briançon a cat is decorated with ribbons, flowers, and ears
of corn at the beginning and close of reaping; if a reaper is wounded the cat
licks the wound; after dancing, girls strip off the ornaments.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 364-369
quote_or_summary: At Grüneberg the reaper who cuts the last corn is called the Tom-cat,
covered in rye-stalks and green withes, given a long plaited tail, and may have
a similarly dressed female Cat companion; they chase people and beat them with
a stick.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 369-370
quote_or_summary: Near Amiens finishing harvest is called killing the Cat and a
cat is killed when the last corn is cut; in some French threshing, a live cat
is put under the last bundle, killed with flails, then roasted and eaten as a
holiday dish.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is explicit about reported harvest customs and regional comparisons.
Motif and comparison labels are cautious because the passage is a comparative
scholarly synthesis and does not itself prove common origin.
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: |-
No external sources used; taxonomy refs limited to supplied list.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg__l331-l370
passage_sha256=d74e118c98cace75431450a7c6b07547944cf2d1a25b5dbbedb4c511bd4ec96a