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82-463: Numerous Feldgeister are known in German folklore, some shaped as animals, some in human form. The last grain heads and tree fruits are often left at their place as a sacrifice for the agricultural spirits. During harvest season Feldgeister flee deeper into the fields to escape the mowers. With the last cornstalks the corn spirit becomes trapped. Either it is killed by cutting the grain heads, threshing

164-407: A common ancestor between lagomorphs and rodents and place them in the clade Glires . Rabbit physiology is suited to escaping predators and surviving in various habitats , living either alone or in groups in nests or burrows. As prey animals, rabbits are constantly aware of their surroundings, having a wide field of vision and ears with high surface area to detect potential predators. The ears of

246-563: A plait of three straws and tied into a loose knot to represent a heart. It is reputed to have been made by a young man with straws picked up after the harvest and given to his loved one. If she was wearing it next to her heart when he saw her again then he would know that his love was reciprocated. Three straws can be plaited using the hair plait or a cat's foot plait. Favours can be made with two, three, four or more straws. Other examples include: These are representations of animals or humanoid beings made from an entire sheaf. They are known by

328-539: A bird is the Weizenvogel ("wheat bird") or Rätschvogel . The Getreidehahn or Troadhân (both "grain rooster") is a rooster-shaped corn demon who sits in corn field and waits for children to peck out their eyes. Other names are Arnhahn , Erntehahn , Bauthahn (all "harvest rooster"), Herbsthahn ("autumn rooster") Schnitthahn ("cut rooster"), Stoppelhahn ("stubble rooster"), Kornhahn ("corn rooster") or Saathahn ("seed rooster"). The female equivalent of

410-681: A bird which is associated with seed. The Saathahn is to be gathered by going out on the fields with a bag full of green shrubbery. The Haferbräutigam ("oat bridegroom") is a younger Hafermann . The Kornkind ("corn child") or Ährenkind ("grain head child") is a corn spirit shaped as a child. It is identical with the fruit of the field which is "born" by harvest. Other names for the Kornkind are das Kind ("the child"), Erntekind ("harvest child"), Hôrputtel , Hôrkind and Hurenbalg (all "prostitute's child") and Reppekindchen . The Haferkönig ("oat king") and Haferkönigin ("oat queen") are

492-510: A borrowing from the Walloon robète , which was a diminutive of the French or Middle Dutch robbe ("rabbit"), a term of unknown origin. The term coney is a term for an adult rabbit used until the 18th century; rabbit once referred only to the young animals. More recently, the term kit or kitten has been used to refer to a young rabbit. The endearing word bunny is attested by

574-537: A byproduct of meat production but occasionally selected for as in the case of the Rex rabbit , can be found in a broad range of coat colors and patterns, some of which are produced via dyeing . Some breeds are raised for their wool, such as the Angora rabbit breeds; their fur is sheared, combed or plucked , and the fibers are spun into yarn . The earliest ancestor of rabbits and hares lived 55 million years ago in what

656-689: A cellular standpoint, is directly correlated to hind limb muscles. Action pressure from muscles creates force that is then distributed through the skeletal structures. Rabbits that generate less force, putting less stress on bones are more prone to osteoporosis due to bone rarefaction . In rabbits, the more fibers in a muscle, the more resistant to fatigue. For example, hares have a greater resistance to fatigue than cottontails . The muscles of rabbit's hind limbs can be classified into four main categories: hamstrings , quadriceps , dorsiflexors , or plantar flexors . The quadriceps muscles are in charge of force production when jumping. Complementing these muscles are

738-411: A diet high in fiber, mostly in the form of cellulose . They will typically graze grass upon waking up and emerging from a burrow, and will move on to consume vegetation and other plants throughout the waking period; rabbits have been known to eat a wide variety of plants, including tree leaves and fruits, though consumption of fruit and lower fiber foods is common for pet rabbits where natural vegetation

820-769: A form of straw work made as part of harvest customs of Europe before mechanisation. Scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries theorized that before Christianisation , in traditional pagan European culture it was believed that the spirit of the corn (in American English , "corn" would be "grain") lived amongst the crop, and that the harvest made it effectively homeless. James Frazer devotes chapters in The Golden Bough to "Corn-Mother and Corn-Maiden in Northern Europe" (chs. 45–48) and adduces European folkloric examples collected in great abundance by

902-502: A goat and half a bird, as a goat with horse feet and a mouth like a half-opened scutcher or as a young chamois with wings. The cry of the Habergeiß pronounces springtime as well as bad luck. Someone who imitates the cry of the Habergeiß will get punishment. The Habergeiß hunts, scratches or even eats the meddlesome one. If not, it will hang itself as a bloody coat at the crier's door. This corn demon also slaps people looking out of

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984-507: A hare, most likely from Flemish Giant stock originally. Common names of hare and rabbit species may also be confused; "jackrabbits" refer to hares, and the hispid hare is a rabbit. Rabbits, specifically the European rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) species, have long been domesticated. The European rabbit has been widely kept as livestock, starting in ancient Rome from at least the first century BC. Selective breeding , which began in

1066-527: A hiker's back. Other names are Windsau ("wind sow"), Kleesau ("clover sow"), Kornsau ("corn sow"), Aumsau ("chaff sow") or îserne Range ("iron sow"). The Korneber ("corn boar") is a male pig-shaped field spirit. The Kornstier ("corn bull") is a cattle -shaped corn spirit. At Christmas the bull fertilizes the fruit tree. In spring the Kornstier is called Aprilochse ("April ox") or Maiochse ("May ox"). Another cattle-shaped spirit present in

1148-464: A knife into the whirlwind. A Windsbraut is unable to remove the knife by her own power and therefore needs the help of the knife's owner. A Windsbraut is not always a demon but also can be a sorcerer or sorceress . Other names for Windsbraut are Windschbrauß , Windbrauss , Windsprauch , Windgelle , Windschbrach , Windgäsperl ("wind Kasperle ") and Windgäspele ("wind Kasperle"). Corn doll Corn dollies or corn mothers are

1230-549: A knife with three crosses on its blade on the Bilwis , shouting: "Da hast du es, Bilbze!" ("There you have it, Bilwis !"). Sorcerers acting as Bilwis and helpful methods against them are described by Ludwig Bechstein : "Even today, and this is popular belief, there are also such Bilsenschnitter ( Bilwisse ), that are people, going out to the fields very early at the days of Himmelfahrt (either Ascension of Jesus or Mary ), Saint John's Eve or Trinity Sunday , barefooted,

1312-485: A little sickle-shaped knife bond to the big toe of the right foot. They step through the seed and cut a line with the knife through it. At the time of harvest and threshing the tenth part of the fruit of such a field must bestow on the Bilsenschnitter . However, the business is associated with great danger. Will the Bilsenschnitter be called by someone or will be shot over him with a shotgun, then he has to die in

1394-433: A more digitigrade posture. Rabbits use their strong claws for digging and (along with their teeth) for defense. Each front foot has four toes plus a dewclaw . Each hind foot has four toes (but no dewclaw). Most wild rabbits (especially compared to hares ) have relatively full, egg-shaped bodies. The soft coat of the wild rabbit is agouti in coloration (or, rarely, melanistic ), which aids in camouflage . The tail of

1476-501: A rabbit are essential for thermoregulation and contain a high density of blood vessels . The bone structure of a rabbit's hind legs, which is longer than that of the fore legs, allows for quick hopping, which is beneficial for escaping predators and can provide powerful kicks if captured. Rabbits are typically nocturnal and often sleep with their eyes open. They reproduce quickly, having short pregnancies , large litters of four to twelve kits, and no particular mating season ; however,

1558-642: A variety of names, depending on location and also the time of harvesting: Here the straw is not plaited, but tied with yarn, wool, raffia or similar. This type of straw work is particularly popular in Scandinavia and German -speaking countries. Examples of these are the Oro (Swedish Straw Crown); the Tomte or Nisse; and smaller versions of the Yule Goat . Rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in

1640-473: Is Lepus , the hares. There are 32 extant species within Lepus . The cladogram is from Matthee et al., 2004, based on nuclear and mitochondrial gene analysis. The term rabbit is typically used for all Leporidae species, excluding the genus Lepus . Members of that genus are known as hares or jackrabbits . Lepus species are precocial , born relatively mature and mobile with hair and good vision out in

1722-620: Is a female cat spirit. The male equivalent of the Kornkatze is the Kornkater ("corn tomcat") Murrkater ("grumbling tomcat") or Bullkater ("bull tomcat") who steals children looking for cornflowers. The Scheunesel ( barn donkey ) or Baumesel ("tree donkey") is a corn spirit shaped as a donkey . There are also pig corn demons. One such pig is the Roggensau ("rye sow"). The Roggensau steals human children or perches itself on

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1804-403: Is a human-goat hybrid who steals children. He is also known as Bockkêrl ("buck guy") or Bockemâ ("buck man"). The Roggenmuhme ("rye aunt"; German: [ˈʁɔɡn̩ˌmuːmə] ) is a female corn demon with fiery fingers. Her bosoms are filled with tar, and may end in tips of igneous iron. Her bosoms are also long, and as such must be thrown over her shoulders when she runs. The Roggenmuhme

1886-999: Is a male corn demon who steals children. He throws an iron shillelagh . Wearing a big black hat and having a giant stick in his hand, the Hafermann waits for passants to kidnap them through the air. Other names for the Hafermann are Getreidemann ("grain man"), der Alte ("the old one"), Heidemann ("heath man"), Heidemänneken ("little heath man"), Kornjude ("corn Jew "), who is said to be Jewish according to historical anti-Semitic sentiment , Kornmann ("corn man"), der schwarze Mann ("the black man"), der wilde Mann ("the wild man "), Grummetkerl ("hay guy"), Getreidemännchen ("little grain man"), Kleemännchen ("little clover man"), Grasteufel ("grass devil"), Roggenmann ("rye man"), Weizenmann ("wheat man"), Gerstenmann ("barley man"), Erntemann ("harvest man"), Schewekerl , de grîse mann ("the grey man") or Erdäpfelmann ("potato man"). A creature of similar name if not identical

1968-530: Is below their mouth and rely on their lips and whiskers to determine what they are eating. Blinking occurs 2 to 4 times an hour. The anatomy of rabbits' hind limbs is structurally similar to that of other land mammals and contributes to their specialized form of locomotion. The bones of the hind limbs consist of long bones (the femur , tibia , fibula , and phalanges ) as well as short bones (the tarsals ). These bones are created through endochondral ossification during fetal development. Like most land mammals,

2050-549: Is called a doe , derived from the Old English dā , related to dēon ("to suck"). Rabbits and hares were formerly classified in the order Rodentia (rodents) until 1912, when they were moved into the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas ). Since 1945, there has been support for the clade Glires that includes both rodents and lagomorphs, though the two groups have always been closely associated in taxonomy; fossil, DNA , and retrotransposon studies in

2132-423: Is completely black or white, and in her hand she has a birch or whip from which lightning sparks. She can change herself into different animals; such as snakes, turtles, frogs and others. The Roggenmuhme is well known for stealing human children which are looking for cornflowers . The Roggenmuhme is also known to replace children with changelings . She forces children to suck at her deadly bosom, and may strike

2214-447: Is divided into three main parts: foot, thigh, and leg. The hind limbs of a rabbit are an exaggerated feature. They are much longer and can provide more force than the forelimbs, which are structured like brakes to take the brunt of the landing after a leap. The force put out by the hind limbs is contributed by both the structural anatomy of the fusion of the tibia and fibula, and by the muscular features. Bone formation and removal, from

2296-514: Is doubtless a rain-charm. In the district of Bruck in Styria the last sheaf, called the Corn-mother, is made up into the shape of a woman by the oldest married woman in the village, of an age from 50 to 55 years. The finest ears are plucked out of it and made into a wreath , which, twined with flowers, is carried on her head by the prettiest girl of the village to the farmer or squire , while

2378-518: Is now Mongolia . Because the rabbit's epiglottis is engaged over the soft palate except when swallowing, the rabbit is an obligate nasal breather . As lagomorphs, rabbits have two sets of incisor teeth, one behind the other, a manner in which they differ from rodents, which only have one set of incisors. Another difference is that for rabbits, all of their teeth continue to grow, whereas for most rodents, only their incisors continue to grow. Carl Linnaeus originally grouped rabbits and rodents under

2460-538: Is scarce. Easily digestible food is processed in the gastrointestinal tract and expelled as regular feces. To get nutrients out of hard to digest fiber, rabbits ferment fiber in the cecum (part of the gastrointestinal tract) and then expel the contents as cecotropes , which are reingested (cecotrophy). The cecotropes are then absorbed in the small intestine to use the nutrients. Soft cecotropes are usually consumed during periods of rest in underground burrows. Rabbits cannot vomit; and therefore if buildup occurs within

2542-469: Is that the ears function as shock absorbers that could aid and stabilize rabbits' vision when fleeing predators, but this has typically only been seen in hares. The rest of the outer ear has bent canals that lead to the eardrum or tympanic membrane . The middle ear, separated by the outer eardrum in the back of the rabbit's skull, contains three bones: the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, collectively called ossicles , which act to decrease sound before it hits

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2624-567: Is the Heidmann ("heath man"). This ghost looks at night through the windows of a house and the person he looks at must die in year and day. Der böse Sämann ("the evil sower"), another male corn demon, can be cast out by going over the fields with burning wisps of straw at the first day of fasting period. It is said that the Säemann ("sower") is the owner of the Saathahn ("seed rooster"),

2706-443: The Bilwis are Bil-wiss , Bilbze , Bilbsenschnitter ( Schnitter = mower), Bilsenschnitter , Binsenschnitter , Belwit , Belewitte , Pilwis , Pilbis , Bilverschnitter , Bilmes , Bilgenschneider ( Schneider = cutter) and Bilwiss . The Windsbraut ("wind's bride") is an (originally female, but occasionally also male) spirit of the whirlwind. Windsbräute steal the earnings of fieldwork. They can be disarmed by throwing

2788-549: The European hare and European or cottontail rabbits , but scientific literature since 1956 has found no evidence of aggression or undue competition between rabbits and hares. When they appear in the same habitat, rabbits and hares can co-exist on similar diets. Hares will notably force other hare species out of an area to control resources, but are not territorial. When faced with predators, hares will escape by outrunning them, whereas rabbits, being smaller and less able to reach

2870-470: The European rabbit , Oryctolagus cuniculus , which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica . The latter, Sylvilagus , includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis . Wild rabbits not included in Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus include several species of limited distribution , including

2952-588: The Getreidehahn is the Erntehenne or Aarhenne (both "harvest hen"). Other corn spirits are shaped as rabbits , deer , sheep , horses , foxes , mice , geese , storks , swans , dragons or toads . Some Feldgeister show mixed animal and human features. One example is the Katzenmann ("cat man") who shares feline and human features. The Bockmann or Bockelmann (both "buck man") instead

3034-744: The Roggenwolf is equated with the werewolf . The Erbsenbär ("pea bear") or Roggenbär ("rye bear") is a field spirit shaped as a bear. The Kornhund ("corn dog") is a dog -shaped wind spirit feeding on flour. Other names are Roggenhund ("rye dog"), Heupudel ("hay poodle"), Schotenhund (" husk dog"), Scheunbetze ("barn dog"), Dreschhund ("threshing dog"), Weizenbeller ("wheat barker") or Kornmops ("corn pug") The Kiddelhunde ("titillation dogs") look for children to tickle them to death. There are several cat -shaped field spirits. The Kornkatze ("corn cat"), Wetterkatze ("weather cat"), Heukatze ("hay cat") or Windkatze ("wind cat")

3116-402: The family Leporidae (which also includes the hares ), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas ). They are familiar throughout the world as a wild prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus . The former, Oryctolagus , includes

3198-601: The folklorist Wilhelm Mannhardt . Among the customs attached to the last sheaf of the harvest were hollow shapes fashioned from the last sheaf of wheat or other cereal crops . The corn spirit would then spend the winter in this home until the "corn dolly" was ploughed into the first furrow of the new season. James George Frazer discusses the Corn-mother and the Corn-maiden in Northern Europe , and

3280-497: The genital tubercle and penis . The Sertoli cells triggers the production of Anti-Müllerian duct hormone , which absorbs the Müllerian duct. In an adult male rabbit, the sheath of the penis is cylinder-like and can be extruded as early as two months of age. The scrotal sacs lay lateral to the penis and contain epididymal fat pads which protect the testes. Between 10 and 14 weeks, the testes descend and are able to retract into

3362-589: The pygmy rabbit , volcano rabbit , and Sumatran striped rabbit . Rabbits are a paraphyletic grouping, and do not constitute a clade , as hares (belonging to the genus Lepus ) are nested within the Leporidae clade and are not described as rabbits. Although once considered rodents , lagomorphs diverged earlier and have a number of traits rodents lack, including two extra incisors . Similarities between rabbits and rodents were once attributed to convergent evolution , but studies in molecular biology have found

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3444-594: The 1680s as a diminutive of bun , a term used in Scotland to refer to rabbits and squirrels . Coney is derived from cuniculus , a Latin term referring to rabbits which has been in use from at least the first century BCE in Hispania . The word cuniculus may originate from a diminutive form of the word for " dog " in the Celtic languages . A group of rabbits is known as a colony, nest , or warren , though

3526-810: The 2000s have solidified support for the clade. Studies in paleontology and molecular biology suggest that rodents and lagomorphs diverged at the start of the Tertiary period. Nesolagus (striped rabbits) Poelagus (Bunyoro rabbit) Pronolagus  (red rock hares) Romerolagus (volcano rabbit) Sylvilagus (cottontails) [REDACTED] Brachylagus  (pygmy rabbit) Caprolagus (hispid hare) Oryctolagus  (European rabbit) [REDACTED] Bunolagus (riverine rabbit) Pentalagus  (Amami rabbit) Lepus (hares) [REDACTED] The extant species of family Leporidae, of which there are more than 70, are contained within 11 genera , one of which

3608-404: The Corn-mother is laid down in the barn to keep off the mice. In other villages of the same district the Corn-mother, at the close of harvest, is carried by two lads at the top of a pole. They march behind the girl who wears the wreath to the squire's house, and while he receives the wreath and hangs it up in the hall, the Corn-mother is placed on the top of a pile of wood, where she is the centre of

3690-466: The European rabbit have been developed to suit each of these products; the practice of raising and breeding rabbits as livestock is known as cuniculture . Rabbits are seen in human culture globally, appearing as a symbol of fertility, cunning, and innocence in major religions , historical and contemporary art. The word rabbit derives from the Middle English rabet ("young of the coney"),

3772-524: The European rabbit will form large social groups in burrows , which are grouped together to form warrens . Burrowing by hares varies by location, and is more prominent in younger members of the genus; many rabbit species that do not dig their own burrows will use the burrows of other animals. Rabbits and hares have historically not occupied the same locations, and only became sympatric relatively recently; historic accounts describe antagonistic relationships between rabbits and hares, specifically between

3854-663: The Middle Ages, has generated a wide variety of rabbit breeds , of which many (since the early 19th century) are also kept as pets. Some strains of European rabbit have been bred specifically as research subjects , such as the New Zealand white . As livestock, European rabbits are bred for their meat and fur . The earliest breeds were important sources of meat, and so were bred to be larger than wild rabbits at younger ages, but domestic rabbits in modern times range in size from dwarf to giant . Rabbit fur, produced as

3936-510: The beginning of the 20th century. In the UK corn dolly making was revived in the 1950s and 1960s. Farm workers created new creations including replicas of farm implements and models such as windmills and large figures. New shapes and designs with different techniques were being created. In the 1960/70s several books were published on the subject. (see Lettice Sandford ) The simple origins of the craft had been lost and new folk lore stories were added to

4018-423: The brain, allowing it to recognize different sound frequencies. Within the vestibular apparatus three semicircular canals help detect angular motion . The pinnae, which contain a vascular network and arteriovenous shunts, aid in thermoregulation. In a rabbit, the optimal body temperature is around 38.5–40.0 °C (101.3–104.0 °F). If their body temperature exceeds or does not meet this optimal temperature,

4100-449: The bronchi split into progressively more narrow and numerous branches. The bronchi branch into bronchioles, into respiratory bronchioles, and ultimately terminate at the alveolar ducts. The branching that is typically found in rabbit lungs is a clear example of monopodial branching, in which smaller branches divide out laterally from a larger central branch. The structure of the rabbit's nasal and oral cavities necessitates breathing through

4182-469: The buck fertilizes the fruit tree. The female equivalent of the Haferbock is the Habergeiß ("oat goat"), also known as Korngeiß ("corn goat"), Weizengeiß ("wheat goat") Roggengeiß ("rye goat"), Hobagoaß ("oat goat") or Heugeiß ("hay goat"). The Habergeiß is sometimes said to have only three legs. It is sometimes also described as a three-footed bird, as a yellow bird with goat voice, as half

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4264-571: The children with her bosom. The Roggenmuhme also chases children at speeds simultaneous to a running horse. She blows the eyelight of children out, and pounds children in her iron butter churn. The Roggenmuhme is said to be the mother of the Roggenwölfe ("rye wolves") and can, herself, also be in the form of a wolf. Sometimes the Roggenmuhme is accompanied by little dogs who lead children into her iron hug. The Roggenmuhme walks through

4346-571: The class Glires ; later, they were separated as the scientific consensus is that many of their similarities were a result of convergent evolution . DNA analysis and the discovery of a common ancestor have supported the view that they share a common lineage, so rabbits and rodents are now often grouped together in the clade or superorder Glires. Since speed and agility are a rabbit's main defenses against predators, rabbits have large hind leg bones and well-developed musculature. Though plantigrade at rest, rabbits are on their toes while running, assuming

4428-1545: The corn field looking for food. She eats the grain, either all or just the very towering spikes. When the corn is bad or dried up, the Roggenmuhme punishes the farmer. A Roggenmuhme striding the fields is an indicator of a good harvest. The Roggenmuhme is also known to pester the maidservants who were not fully spinning their distaffs until Twelfth Night . Other names for the Roggenmuhme are Roggenmutter ("rye mother"), Regenmöhme ("rain aunt"), Kornwyf ("corn woman"), Kornmutter ("corn mother"), Kornfrau ("corn lady"), Kornmuhme ("corn aunt"), Kornweib ("corn woman"), Roggenmöhme ("rye aunt"), Preinscheuhe , Tremsemutter ("cornflower mother"), Rockenmör ("distaff mother"), Kornengel ("corn angel"), Weizenmutter ("wheat mother"), Gerstenmutter ("barley mother"), Flachsmutter ("flax mother"), Erbsenmuhme ("pea aunt"), Großmutter ("grandmother") wilde Frau ("wild lady"), Weizenmuhme ("wheat aunt"), Gerstenmuhme ("barley aunt"), Tittewîf ("bosom woman"), Buttermuhme ("butter aunt"), Erntemutter ("harvest mother"), die Alte ("the old one"), Heimmutter ("home mother"), große Mutter ("big mother"), alte Hure ("old prostitute"), große Hure ("big prostitute"). and Haferfrau ("oat lady"). Kornmaid ("corn maiden"), Getreidemagd ("grain maidservant"), die Magd ("the maidservant"), Kornjungfer ("corn damsel"), Haferbraut ("oat bride"), die Braut ("the bride") and Weizenbraut ("wheat bride") are younger Roggenmuhmen . The Hafermann ("oat man")

4510-583: The corn or it is brought to the village in a ceremonial manner, shaped as a corn doll . Direct contact to the Feldgeist causes illness. The Roggenwolf ("rye wolf"), Getreidewolf ("grain wolf") or Kornwolf ("corn wolf") is a field spirit shaped as a wolf . The Roggenwolf steals children and feeds on them. Other names are Gerstenwolf ("barley wolf"), Haferwolf ("oat wolf"), Erbsenwolf ("pea wolf"), Kartoffelwolf ("potato wolf"), Graswolf ("grass wolf") and Pflaumenwolf ("plum wolf"). Sometimes

4592-441: The cranial, middle, caudal, and accessory lobes. The right lung is made up of all four lobes, while the left lung only has two: the cranial and caudal lobes. To provide space for the heart, the left cranial lobe of the lungs is significantly smaller than that of the right. The diaphragm is a muscular structure that lies caudal to the lungs and contracts to facilitate respiration. Rabbits are strict herbivores and are suited to

4674-438: The farmstead may be borrowed him, which must not happen. For revenge at the Bilsenschnitter , twigs of juniper are added during threshing of the tithed grain. Every beat with the flair then strikes the Bilsenschnitter until he comes running at the end and requests, for all in the world, threshing may be created in another manner." (Translated from the German text) Additionally, Bilwisse also can be punished by hanging some of

4756-726: The fields in springtime is the Märzenkalb or Märzkalb (both "march calf"). Additionally, a cow is also present called the Kornkuh or Kornmockel ("both corn cow") The Haferbock ("oat buck") or Erntebock ("harvest buck") is a he- goat spirit. This Feldgeist is also known as Austbock ("harvest buck"), Halmbock ("haulm buck"), Erbsenbock ("pea buck"), Kornbock ("corn buck"), Roggenbock ("rye buck"), Arftenbuck ("pea buck"), Bohnenbock ("bean buck"), Nickelbock Haberbock ("oat buck"), Grasbock ("grass buck"), Heubock ("hay buck") or Baumbock ("tree buck"). At Christmas

4838-431: The grain heads, which are cut by a Bilwis ,into the chimney. The Bilwis will dry out as the grain heads will do, becoming a mummy alive, finally dying woefully. The Bilwisschnitt (" Bilwis cut") can also be done by riding on a billy goat, then called a Bocksschnitt ("buck cut"). A Bilwis also muddles hair and beard, causes illness and nightmares. Non-human Bilwisse live in mountains and trees. Other names for

4920-629: The hamstrings, which aid in short bursts of action. These muscles play off of one another in the same way as the plantar flexors and dorsiflexors, contributing to the generation and actions associated with force. Within the order of lagomorphs , the ears are used to detect and avoid predators. In the family Leporidae , the ears are typically longer than they are wide, and are in general relatively long compared to other mammals. According to Allen's rule , endothermic animals adapted to colder climates have shorter, thicker limbs and appendages than those of similar animals adapted to warm climates. The rule

5002-536: The harvest rituals that were being practised at the beginning of the 20th century: In the neighbourhood of Danzig the person who cuts the last ears of corn makes them into a doll, which is called the Corn-mother or the Old Woman and is brought home on the last waggon. In some parts of Holstein the last sheaf is dressed in women's clothes and called the Corn-mother. It is carried home on the last waggon, and then thoroughly drenched with water. The drenching with water

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5084-658: The harvest supper and dance. Many more customs are instanced by Frazer. For example, the term "Old Woman" ( Latin vetula ) was in use for such "corn dolls" among the Germanic pagans of Flanders in the 7th century, where Saint Eligius discouraged them from their old practices: "[Do not] make vetulas, (little figures of the Old Woman), little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck ] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [a Yule custom]." Frazer writes: "In East Prussia, at

5166-453: The high speeds of longer-legged hares, will try to seek cover. Descendants of the European rabbit are commonly bred as livestock and kept as pets, whereas no hares have been domesticated , though populations have been introduced to non-native habitats for use as a food source. The breed known as the Belgian hare is actually a domestic rabbit which has been selectively bred to resemble

5248-465: The inner ear; in general, the ossicles act as a barrier to the inner ear for sound energy. Inner ear fluid, called endolymph , receives the sound energy. After receiving the energy. The inner ear comprises two parts: the cochlea that uses sound waves from the ossicles, and the vestibular apparatus that manages the rabbit's position in regard to movement. Within the cochlea a basilar membrane contains sensory hair structures that send nerve signals to

5330-520: The intestines (due often to a diet with insufficient fibre), intestinal blockage can occur. The adult male reproductive system forms the same as most mammals with the seminiferous tubular compartment containing the Sertoli cells and an adluminal compartment that contains the Leydig cells . The Leydig cells produce testosterone , which maintains libido and creates secondary sex characteristics such as

5412-470: The latter term more commonly refers to where the rabbits live. A group of baby rabbits produced from a single mating is referred to as a litter and a group of domestic rabbits living together is sometimes called a herd . A male rabbit is called a buck , as are male goats and deer , derived from the Old English bucca or bucc , meaning "he-goat" or "male deer", respectively. A female

5494-435: The mortality rate of rabbit embryos is high, and there exist several widespread diseases that affect rabbits, such as rabbit hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis . In some regions, especially Australia , rabbits have caused ecological problems and are regarded as a pest. Humans have used rabbits as livestock since at least the first century BC in ancient Rome , raising them for their meat, fur and wool. The various breeds of

5576-478: The nose. This is due to the fact that the epiglottis is fixed to the backmost portion of the soft palate. Within the oral cavity, a layer of tissue sits over the opening of the glottis, which blocks airflow from the oral cavity to the trachea. The epiglottis functions to prevent the rabbit from aspirating on its food. Further, the presence of a soft and hard palate allow the rabbit to breathe through its nose while it feeds. Rabbits' lungs are divided into four lobes:

5658-407: The open air, while rabbit species are altricial , born hairless and blind in burrows and buried nests. Hares are also generally larger than rabbits, and have longer pregnancies . Hares and some rabbits live relatively solitary lives above the ground in open grassy areas, interacting mainly during breeding season. Some rabbit species group together to reduce their chance of being preyed upon, and

5740-562: The original ideas. The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading both have collections of corn dollies from around the world. With the advent of the combine harvester , the old-fashioned, long-stemmed and hollow-stemmed wheat varieties were replaced with knee-high, pithy varieties. However, a number of English and Scottish farmers are still growing

5822-409: The rabbit (with the exception of the cottontail species ) is dark on top and white below. Cottontails have white on the top of their tails. As a result of the position of the eyes in its skull and the size of the cornea, the rabbit has a panoramic field of vision that encompasses nearly 360 degrees. However, there is a blind spot at the bridge of the nose, and because of this, rabbits cannot see what

5904-400: The rabbit must make efforts to return to homeostasis . Homeostasis of body temperature is maintained by changing the amount of blood flow that passes through the highly vascularized ears, as rabbits have few to no sweat glands . Rabbits may also regulate their temperature by resting in depressions in the ground, known as forms. The rabbit's nasal cavity lies dorsal to the oral cavity, and

5986-958: The round head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum of the os coxae , the hip bone. The femur articulates with the tibia, but not the fibula, which is fused to the tibia. The tibia and fibula articulate with the tarsals of the pes , commonly called the foot. The hind limbs of the rabbit are longer than the front limbs. This allows them to produce their hopping form of locomotion. Longer hind limbs are more capable of producing faster speeds. Hares, which have longer legs than cottontail rabbits , are able to move considerably faster. The hind feet have four long toes that allow for digitigrade movement, which are webbed to prevent them from spreading when hopping. Rabbits do not have paw pads on their feet like most other animals that use digitigrade locomotion. Instead, they have coarse compressed hair that offers protection. Rabbits have muscled hind legs that allow for maximum force, maneuverability, and acceleration that

6068-473: The rulers of all field spirits. Other names are Kong ("king"), Lattichkönig ("lettuce king") and Maigraf ("may earl"). The Bilwis is a male or female corn spirit of sometimes demonic or sometimes human origin. It has flying hair, is wrapped in white linen and wears a little triangular hat. The Bilwis rolls through the corn shaped as a destructive giant ball or appears as a whirlwind to steal grain during harvest season. Both can be repelled by throwing

6150-525: The rye or wheat harvest, the reapers call out to the woman who binds the last sheaf, “You are getting the Old Grandmother....In Scotland, when the last corn was cut after Hallowmas , the female figure made out of it was sometimes called the Carlin or Carline , that is, the Old Woman." The mechanisation of harvesting cereal crops probably brought an end to traditional straw dolly and figure making at

6232-434: The same year. When he notices and addresses the arrival earlier, the fate of death comes upon the other. Most farmers try to save themselves against the damage threatening their fields in such a way by plowing and sowing the field from outside first, because in grain cultivated in such a way no Bilsenschnitter can break in. When threshing the grain which was cut, the Bilsenschnitter comes, giving good words, that something in

6314-420: The trachea, through the larynx , and into the lungs. The larynx functions as the rabbit's voice box, which enables it to produce a wide variety of sounds. The trachea is a long tube embedded with cartilaginous rings that prevent the tube from collapsing as air moves in and out of the lungs. The trachea then splits into a left and right bronchus, which meet the lungs at a structure called the hilum . From there,

6396-403: The traditional varieties of wheat, such as Maris Wigeon , Squarehead Master, Elite Le Peuple. mainly because they are in great demand in thatching , a craft which is enjoying a renaissance, with customers facing long waiting lists for having their roofs thatched or repaired. Corn dollies and other similar harvest straw work can be divided into these groups: A countryman's favour was usually

6478-421: The two compartments are separated by the hard and soft palate. The nasal cavity itself is separated into a left and right side by a cartilage barrier, and it is covered in fine hairs that trap dust before it can enter the respiratory tract . As the rabbit breathes, air flows in through the nostrils along the alar folds. From there, the air moves into the nasal cavity, also known as the nasopharynx , down through

6560-483: The way the outer, middle, and inner ear muscles coordinate with one another. The ear muscles also aid in maintaining balance and movement when fleeing predators. The auricle , also known as the pinna, is a rabbit's outer ear. The rabbit's pinnae represent a fair part of the body surface area. It is theorized that the ears aid in dispersion of heat at temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F), with rabbits in warmer climates having longer pinnae due to this. Another theory

6642-485: The window at night or takes part in the wild hunt , is also the mount of the devil. In heavy thunderstorm the Habergeiß bring cut grain from one field to another foreign field. The appearance of the Habergeiß causes bad luck. The corn will spoil, the cows will lose weight, give no milk and felt. When the cry of the Habergeiß is heard in autumn this means a long winter and lack of hay. Both Haferbock and Habergeiß steal, hit or kill children. A corn spirit shaped as

6724-460: Was originally derived by comparing the ear lengths of Lepus species across the various climates of North America. Subsequent studies show that this rule remains true in the Leporidae for the ears specifically, in that the surface area of rabbits' and hares' ears are enlarged in warm climates; the ears are an important structure to aid thermoregulation as well as in detecting predators due to

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