batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l85-l177
---
record_id: batch.motif.comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg-l85-l177
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 85-177'
start: '85'
end: '177'
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: ''
summary: The passage introduces Frazer's section on the corn-spirit as an animal.
It states that the corn-spirit may appear as many animals, is believed to be present
in the corn, and may be caught or killed in the last sheaf or last threshing.
It describes harvest customs involving animal names, puppets made from the last
sheaf, transfer to neighboring farms, and examples of wolf or dog imagery in cornfields,
including warnings to children and an East Prussian belief about a wolf's tail
as a sign of blessing or danger.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The section heading identifies the subject as the corn-spirit as an animal.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage lists animal forms associated with the corn-spirit, including
gander, goat, hare, cat, fox, wolf, dog, cock, goose, cow or bull, pig, and horse.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The corn-spirit is said to be present in the corn and to be caught or killed
in the last sheaf.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: As the corn is cut, the animal-form corn-spirit is described as fleeing before
the reapers.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: If a reaper becomes ill in the field, the illness is explained as punishment
after unwittingly stumbling on the corn-spirit.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The person who cuts the last corn or binds the last sheaf may receive the
name of the associated animal and retain it for a time.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: An animal puppet may be made from the last sheaf or from wood, flowers, and
similar materials, then carried home on the last harvest wagon amid rejoicing.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Different crops may have different animal names, such as Rye-wolf, Barley-wolf,
Oats-wolf, Pea-wolf, or Potato-wolf.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Sometimes the animal is thought to be killed by the last stroke of the sickle
or scythe.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: More often, the corn-spirit is thought to live while corn remains unthreshed
and to be caught in the last sheaf threshed.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: After threshing, an animal puppet may be carried by the last thresher to a
neighboring farm where threshing continues.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Sometimes the last thresher represents the animal and may be treated like
that animal by people at the next farm.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: The conception of the corn-spirit as a wolf or dog is described as common
in France, Germany, and Slavonic countries.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:14
text: When wind moves the corn in waves, peasants are said to describe a wolf or
dog as being in or moving through the corn.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:15
text: Children are warned not to enter the cornfields because a big Dog, Wolf, or
Rye-wolf is said to sit in the corn and threaten them.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:16
text: In an East Prussian example, a wolf dragging its tail was thanked and fed
as bringing blessing, while a wolf carrying its tail high was cursed and attacked.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:17
text: The passage states that, in the East Prussian example, the wolf is the corn-spirit
and that its fertilizing power is in its tail.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Corn-spirit
description: A spirit associated with the corn, believed to appear in animal form
and to be caught or killed in the last sheaf or last threshing.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Animal-form manifestations of the corn-spirit
description: Animal forms named for the corn-spirit include wolf, dog, hare, cock,
goose, cat, goat, cow or bull, pig, horse, gander, and fox.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Reapers and harvest workers
description: Workers who cut, bind, and thresh the corn and whose actions are linked
to catching or killing the corn-spirit.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Last cutter, binder, or thresher
description: The person who cuts or binds the last sheaf, or gives the last stroke
in threshing, may receive the animal name or represent the animal.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Children near cornfields
description: Children who wish to enter cornfields are warned that a wolf, dog,
or Rye-wolf in the corn will harm them.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: East Prussian wolf
description: A wolf seen running through a field, interpreted according to the position
of its tail as either bringing blessing or as a target of cursing and attack.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Animal-form corn-spirit
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
basis: The passage repeatedly identifies the corn-spirit as taking animal forms
and explicitly identifies the East Prussian wolf as the corn-spirit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:10
- id: role:2
label: Harvest participants who catch or kill the corn-spirit
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The reapers, binders, and threshers perform the last acts associated with
catching or killing the animal-form corn-spirit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: Human representative of the animal
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The last thresher may himself represent the animal and be treated like it
by people at another farm.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:4
label: Warned field entrants
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Children are warned not to enter cornfields because the wolf or dog in the
corn will harm them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Last sheaf
literal_form: The last sheaf of corn cut, bound, or threshed
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: Animal form of the corn-spirit
literal_form: Named animals such as wolf, dog, hare, goat, pig, horse, and others
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: Harvest animal puppet
literal_form: A puppet made in animal form from the last sheaf or from wood, flowers,
and similar materials
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: Wolf or dog in the corn
literal_form: A wolf, Rye-wolf, big Dog, or mad Dog said to be in or moving through
the corn
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:5
label: Wolf tail
literal_form: The tail of a wolf seen in a field, carried low or high
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: Cornfield
literal_form: The field of standing corn in which the corn-spirit is believed to
be present
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Corn-spirit in animal form during harvest
summary: The corn-spirit is described as taking animal forms, being present in the
corn, fleeing before the reapers, and being caught or killed in the last sheaf.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Last sheaf naming and puppet procession
summary: The person who cuts or binds the last sheaf may be named after the animal,
and an animal puppet made from harvest materials may be carried home on the last
harvest wagon.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Threshing and transfer to another farm
summary: The corn-spirit is thought to survive while corn remains unthreshed, so
the last thresher may receive an animal name or carry an animal puppet to a farm
where threshing continues.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Human representative treated as animal
summary: The last thresher may represent the animal; if caught by people at the
next farm, he may be shut in a pig-sty and addressed with pig calls.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: Wolf or dog warnings in cornfields
summary: In France, Germany, and Slavonic countries, wolf or dog language is used
for motion in the corn, and children are warned that the wolf or dog in the corn
will harm them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:6
label: East Prussian wolf tail omen
summary: A wolf running through a field is interpreted by its tail position; a low
tail brings thanks and food as a blessing, while a high tail leads to cursing
and attempted killing.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Animal embodiment of the crop spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The passage presents the corn-spirit as present in crops and embodied in
specific animal forms tied to harvest moments and crop types.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is a comparative scholarly description, not a primary mythic
narrative.
- id: motif:2
label: Catching or killing the divine animal at harvest
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The corn-spirit is said to be caught or killed in the last sheaf or by the
last stroke, and the section is framed as giving examples of killing the god.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage uses the language of killing the god, but does not describe
an explicit offering or sacrificial dedication in this excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: Last sheaf as temporary seat of the spirit
taxonomy_refs:
- seasonal_cycle
basis: The last sheaf is repeatedly identified as the place where the animal-form
corn-spirit is caught, named, or represented by a puppet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is extracted as a motif from Frazer's comparative synthesis rather
than from one named local ritual alone.
- id: motif:4
label: Human bearer of animal identity after the final harvest act
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The person who performs the final cutting, binding, or threshing may receive
the animal name or represent the animal and be treated accordingly.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage groups several customs together; local variations are not
fully separated in this excerpt.
- id: motif:5
label: Dangerous field animal used to warn children from crops
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Children are warned that a big Dog, Wolf, or Rye-wolf in the corn will tear,
eat, or carry them off if they enter the fields.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports warnings and does not provide a full tale context.
- id: motif:6
label: Fertility power localized in an animal body part
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The East Prussian wolf's tail is said to carry the corn-spirit's fertilizing
power, with its position determining whether the wolf is welcomed or attacked.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The evidence is one localized example as reported in the passage.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly frames the harvest customs as examples of the broader
pattern Frazer calls killing the god.
claim_level: same_motif
target: killing the god / killing the divine animal harvest pattern
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is Frazer's own comparative framing within a secondary scholarly
work; the excerpt does not independently document all source traditions.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage proposes that animal-form corn-spirit customs may help illuminate
myths and worship of Attis, Adonis, Osiris, Dionysus, Demeter, and Virbius.
claim_level: same_function
target: myths and worship of Attis, Adonis, Osiris, Dionysus, Demeter, and Virbius
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: low
limitations: The passage only states an intention or hope to clarify these figures;
it does not present direct comparative evidence for them in this excerpt.
- id: claim:3
claim: 'Across different crops and regions, the animal names vary while the stated
function remains similar: the animal marks the corn-spirit located in the crop
and caught or killed at the harvest endpoint.'
claim_level: same_function
target: regional and crop-specific animal names for the corn-spirit
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage summarizes multiple customs broadly and does not give full
local contexts for each named crop animal.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; contents and §10 opening paragraph
quote_or_summary: The passage introduces the section 'The corn-spirit as an animal'
and says earlier examples include animal forms such as gander, goat, hare, cat,
and fox; it also frames the topic as providing examples of 'killing the god' and
as relevant to Attis, Adonis, Osiris, Dionysus, Demeter, and Virbius.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 general statement on animal forms
quote_or_summary: The corn-spirit is said to take forms such as wolf, dog, hare,
cock, goose, cat, goat, cow or bull, pig, and horse, and to be present in the
corn and caught or killed in the last sheaf.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 reapers and illness
quote_or_summary: As corn is cut, the animal flees before the reapers; if a reaper
is taken ill, people say he stumbled on the corn-spirit and was punished, using
sayings such as the Rye-wolf or Harvest-goat having seized or pushed him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 last sheaf and animal name
quote_or_summary: The person who cuts or binds the last sheaf may receive the animal's
name, and an animal puppet made from the last sheaf or from wood, flowers, and
similar materials may be carried home on the last harvest wagon.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 crop-specific animals and last stroke
quote_or_summary: Each crop may have a special animal caught in the last sheaf,
with names such as Rye-wolf, Barley-wolf, Oats-wolf, Pea-wolf, or Potato-wolf;
sometimes the animal is believed to be killed by the last sickle or scythe stroke.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 threshing
quote_or_summary: More often the corn-spirit is thought to live while corn remains
unthreshed and to be caught in the last sheaf threshed; the last flail-stroke
gives the worker an animal name, and an animal puppet may be carried to a neighboring
farm still threshing.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 thresher as animal representative
quote_or_summary: Sometimes the last thresher represents the animal, and if people
at the next farm catch him, they treat him like the animal, for example by shutting
him in a pig-sty and addressing him with pig calls.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 wolf or dog in corn
quote_or_summary: The conception of the corn-spirit as a wolf or dog is described
as common in France, Germany, and Slavonic countries; peasants say that the Wolf,
Rye-wolf, mad Dog, or big Dog is in or moving through the corn when wind waves
the crop.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 warnings to children
quote_or_summary: Children who want to enter the cornfields are warned that the
big Dog, Wolf, or Rye-wolf sits in the corn and will tear, eat, or carry them
off.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 85-177; §10 East Prussian wolf example
quote_or_summary: 'Near Feilenhof in East Prussia, peasants judged a wolf in a field
by its tail: a dragged tail led them to thank and feed it for bringing blessing,
while a high tail led them to curse and try to kill it; the passage says the wolf
is the corn-spirit and its fertilizing power is in the tail.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/comparative/project-gutenberg/golden-bough-volume-2-frazer.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is explicit about the animal-form corn-spirit, last sheaf, killing/catching,
puppets, and wolf/dog examples. Motif and comparison labels require caution because
this is Frazer's comparative synthesis and the excerpt summarizes many customs
without full primary contexts.
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 taxonomy symbol refs were applied because the available symbol list does not include corn, sheaf, wolf, dog, puppet, or tail. Motif taxonomy refs were applied only where the passage directly supports harvest seasonality or Frazer's killing-the-god framing.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:comparative-golden-bough-volume-2-frazer-gutenberg__l85-l177
passage_sha256=cf4f5f111f2c6d5adfe4f0a402db03e4c55037a77f697b169e56c407691aa905