A Look at the American Scarecrow

Creatures made of straw, dressed as goblins oraway the intruders, making loud noises and
other dark spirit forces have long been part ofbeating drums to keep them away.
America’s agricultural lore. They wereTaking their cue from Indians the British colonists
designed to scare away intruders like crop-eatingtook to hanging strips of cloth and animal skins in
birds and animals, as well as thieves who wouldtheir fields. In the 17th century these early
steal garden produce. In some cases it wasscarecrows, dressed in discarded clothing, began
believed that as advocates scarecrowsto take on a more human form.
encouraged abundance. Throughout history thereThomas Jefferson included mention of three of
have been crop protectors who could invite in thethem in The Farmbook, a farm guide he published
divine blessings of the food gods like Priapus thein 1826.
Greek god of farmers. In all cases, whetherBy the 19th century the American scarecrow
welcoming or frightening, scarecrows had anbegan to be used for decoration as well as for
important job to do; they took care of the cropspractical purposes. Creative expression became
when the farmer was away.more commonplace and, as modernized farming
Historically, the scarecrow as we know it here intechniques such as chemicals appeared on the
America has strong bonds of kinship with otheragricultural horizon, these harvest figures evolved
scarecrow spirits around the world. As a cropto take on a more ornamental and artistic nature
protector the scarecrow was the elaborate Slavicincluding appearances in film.
“spirits of the field.” The Polish starchThe most noted is in The Wizard of Oz. There
(spirit), for example, was reputed to use riddlesthe scarecrow, looking much like the cornfield
and difficult questions on suspected thieves, withscarecrows of Kansas that are perched high upon
threats of disease for the trespasser whoposts so they can be seen above the corn stalks,
answered incorrectly.guides Dorothy who is lost to the Emerald City
The Russian field spirit polevoj passed from thewhere she finds a way to return home. But
forest to the field at midday and punished thosebefore that classic film came The Scarecrow, a
he found doing damage to the crops.1920 silent film featuring Buster Keaton as a
Centuries before scarecrows appeared in thescarecrow that comes to life and gets in the way
fields, however, the task of scaring crows wasof machinery which has forever changed the
handled by children. According toagricultural landscape.
“Scarecrows” (Storey Books) by FelderToday’s scarecrow can be found in numerous
Rushing, Captain John Smith and his crewHarvest Festivals and school gardens across the
reported settlers in Virginia noticing “smallcountry. Realistically dressed in the finest of
rounded huts woven of vines and bark perchedclothes with hand painted faces and wire sculpted
atop wooden posts. They soon discovered thatbodies, undeniably scary with sinister red faces
one of the children’s main summer and falland black claws,  or whimsically placed on bicycles
chores was to hide in those small basket housesor in family settings such as picnics, they create a
until crows and deer came into the fields tounique garden landscape – on the front porch
eat.”as well as in the garden - that is memorable.
It was noted that the children would then chase