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A Look at the American Scarecrow

A Look at the American Scarecrow

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Home Page > News and Society > Culture > A Look at the American Scarecrow

A Look at the American Scarecrow

Posted: Oct 06, 2009 | Comments: 0
| Views: 139 |

Creatures made of straw, dressed as goblins or other dark spirit forces have long been part of America's agricultural lore. They were designed to scare away intruders like crop-eating birds and animals, as well as thieves who would steal garden produce. In some cases it was believed that as advocates encouraged scarecrows abundance. Throughout history there have been crop protectors who could invite in the divine blessings of the food gods like the Greek god Priapus of farmers. In all cases, Whether welcoming or frightening, scarecrows had an important job to do, they took care of the crops when the farmer was away.

Historically, the scarecrow as we know it here in America has strong bonds of kinship with other scarecrow spirits around the world. As a crop protector the scarecrow was the elaborate Slavic "spirits of the Field." The Polish starch (spirit), for example, was reputed to use riddles and difficult questions on suspected thieves, with threats of disease for the trespasser who answered incorrectly.

The Russian field Polevoi spirit passed from the forest to the field at midday and he punished those found doing damage to the crops.

Centuries before scarecrows appeared in the fields, however, children, the task of scaring crows was handled by. According to "Scarecrows" (Storey Books) by Felder Rushing, Captain John Smith and his crew reported noticing settlers in Virginia, "small rounded huts of woven vines and bark perched atop wooden posts. They soon discovered that one of the main children's summer and fall chores was to hide in those small houses basket until crows and deer came into the fields to eat. "

It was noted that the children would then chase away the intruders, making loud noises and beating drums to keep them away.

Taking their cue from Indians the British colonists took to hanging strips of cloth and animal skins in their fields. In the early 17th century these scarecrows, dressed in discarded clothing, began to take on a more human Form.

Thomas Jefferson included mention of three of them in The Book Farm, a farm guide he published in 1826.

By the 19th century the American scarecrow began to be used for decoration as well as for practical purposes. Creative expression became more commonplace and, as, modernized farming techniques such as agricultural chemicals appeared on the horizon, these harvest figures evolved to take on a more ornamental and artistic nature including appearances in film.

The most noted is in The Wizard of Oz There the scarecrow, looking much like the scarecrows of Kansas cornfield that are perched high upon posts So They Can be seen above the corn stalks, guides Dorothy who is lost to the Emerald City where she finds a way to return home. But before that classic film The Scarecrow Came, a 1920 silent film featuring Buster Keaton as a scarecrow that comes to life and gets in the way of machinery Which has forever changed the agricultural landscape.

Today's scarecrow can be found in numerous Harvest festivals and school gardens across the country. Realistically dressed in the finest of clothes with hand-painted faces and wire sculpted bodies, undeniably scary with sinister red faces and black claws, or whimsically placed on bicycles or in family settings such as picnics, they create a unique garden landscape – on the front porch as well as in the garden – that is memorable.

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Karen Pierce Gonzalez –
About the Author:

Karen Pierce Gonzalez is publisher of press folk heart (http://www.folkheartpress.com) and author of "Family Folktales: What Are Yours?" and the soon to be released "Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories." Join ago Folktale Conversation at http://folkheartpressblog.blogspot.com

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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/culture-articles/a-look-at-the-american-scarecrow-1308791.html

Article Tags:
scarecrows , american folkart , agricultural folklore , folk tales , Wizar of oz , early scarecrows

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Karen Pierce Gonzalez is publisher of press folk heart (http://www.folkheartpress.com) and author of "Family Folktales: What Are Yours?" and the soon to be released "Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories." Join ago Folktale Conversation at http://folkheartpressblog.blogspot.com

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