About Scarecrows

No autumn harvest or fall decorations would be complete without the presence of a traditional scarecrow figure. Now more for aesthetic purposes than for practical function, the scarecrow is part of our universal memories from days gone by. Whether you know the scarecrow from the Old Country traditions or from modern horror films like "Jeepers Creepers," few people don't recognize the straw-filled figure alone in the middle of a farmer's field. "The Wizard of Oz" and "Children of the Corn" both figure the scarecrow character prominently in their storyline, but the origins of this friendly or frightening figure goes back as far as recorded history.

History

Scarecrows in many forms have been around since the Egyptians. Recorded history indicates that even along the Nile, farmers acted as "living scarecrows" and jumped out to scare away flocks of quail that were eating their wheat fields. The Greeks also recognized the need to monitor their plantations and carved a frightening figure to put in their fields based on the mythological figure of Priapus. Son of the god Dionysus and Aphrodite, this Greek rendition of the scarecrow worked well to protect vineyards.
The Japanese may have been the first to create a scarecrow similar to today's form; they began to hang clothing, bones and even meat on bamboo poles to protect their rice crops. These scarecrows were called Kakashi, which translates to "smells badly."
American colonists brought the European use of scarecrows with them on their pilgrimage, and they became even more prevalent when German Immigrants brought over their craft of making scarecrows to their new North American farms. The use of scarecrows continued throughout the years until just after World War II, when the use of chemicals became more the norm for pest control.

Function

The function of the scarecrow is to keep crows and other birds and animals away from harvest crops. Not only does the human figure purportedly keep animals away, but many scarecrows have noisy pans or knockers attached to them so that with each breeze the scarecrow would frighten away deer or birds anew. Originally a replacement for farmers who would normally sit in the fields and throw rocks at birds, the scarecrow's attention to the harvest is non-stop and requires no rest periods.

Identification

A scarecrow can easily be identified by its human-like appearance and straw and wood frame. Most scarecrows are made up of old clothing stuffed with straw or hay and mounted on a T frame in the center of a field. Hats are usually supplied to create a human appearance to further frighten the animals.

Misconceptions

Some people continue to be afraid of scarecrows, believing them to be evil or under the influences of witches. During the Middle Ages in Europe, farmers believed that scarecrows had special powers and the Germans believed that their winter scarecrows would absorb all of the negative things about winter and protect the household during the cold months.

Benefits

The traditional benefit of the scarecrow is to protect crops and limit pests like crows and other birds' pilfering from the harvest. Although their true ability to keep pests away is debatable, the scarecrow form continues a tradition that goes back hundreds if not thousands of years and brings back fond memories of simpler days.

Resources

• history of scarecrows
• scarecrowland.co.uk
• paganwiccan.about.com