There is a problem with this since what we commonly call corn was not supposed to exist in Europe at the time. It is a crop that was discovered by the Spanish around 1500 called 'maize' and brought back to Europe then. But yet, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle mentions corn, the Magna Carta mentions corn, even translations of the Bible mention corn. What were those people eating anyway? Not corn.
What we call corn is zea mays or maize. The word maize comes from the Taino word mahiz that was given a Latin form by the Spaniards. Corn, up until recently meant, "small hard seed or fruit of a plant" more commonly "the fruit of the cereals". It referred predominantly to whatever was the major local crop. If people grew wheat, that was their 'corn'. If people grew a lot of oats, then that was their 'corn'. Even grapes could be 'corn'. It explains why the dreaded Corn Laws of England, that helped kill so many Irish by exacerbating the famine, regulated the price of wheat and not maize.
So then, the Cornish could be the Children of the Corn. Except that the 'corn' in Cornwall did not come from the local crop. According to Brewer's Britain and Ireland, the name comes from the Cornovja tribe who ruled the area and may have started with the latin cornu for 'horn'. Words are so interesting. It seems the local crop was tin and copper since mining was a big industry on the peninsula since the Bronze Age.
So the American Mid-West's reputation for scary little children indulging in strange agricultural cults is safe. They are an American Original.
Beatles Song of the Week
Ama, me ama
Tu scis te amo,
Semper pius ero,
Ergo places,
Me ama.
(repete)
Aliquam amare,
Aliquam novam,
Aliquam amare,
Aliquam par tibi.
