By the 1800s, various shapes and designs are associated with
specific places in Europe and stories of harvest customs in which the
corn dolly plays an important part are common. However, at this time
the name corn dolly did not exist. The shapes were known collectively
as harvest trophies or harvest tokens and the individual shapes by
local names, such as Kern maiden, Kern babby, neck, mell doll or hag.
The name corn dolly did not appear until the 20th century.
In Ireland there are Saint Brigit's Crosses, which are also found in
Mexico and New Mexico where they are called Ojo de Dios (God's Eyes.)
There are doll shapes made of small bundles of straw, or of whole
sheaves found in Russia, France and England. These dolls do not
necessarily look very much like dolls at a first glance. In
Scandinavia, there are crowns and straw figures such as the Julbok, the
Christmas goat. There appears to be no known tradition of corn dolly
making in Switzerland until about the 1970s, but now there are many
makers.
Veronica Main, mainplait@aol.com
