Scarecrow

Revision as of 00:51, 18 May 2016

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A scarecrow is a faux human that is propped up in a garden or on a farm for the purpose of frightening away birds that would eat newly sown seeds. Typical scarecrows are made with old and worn clothes that are draped or attached to a post; a prop head, usually made out of a stuffed burlap bag or a pumpkin, is then set on top. Some scarecrows’ bodies are stuffed with leaves, twigs, straw, and bramble to give them more similarity to the human torso. Overalls and floppy wide-brimmed hats are iconic pieces of scarecrow attire. Scarecrows have been around longer than recorded history, and there have been many scarecrows in pop culture and mythology.

Scarecrows and Other Species Technically, scarecrows are constructs, similar to elementals, that have somehow become alive and conscious. Scarecrows are definitely not human and fit better into the monster category; however, it is not unheard of for a scarecrow to believe it is human and attempt to adjust to their culture and society. An even fewer number of scarecrows might have actually been human at one point.

Scarecrows and Crows Apparent by their name, scarecrows and crows, and possibly other avian species, have an obvious relationship. For scarecrows, scaring crows is an instinct and quite literally the reason they were created. However, this does not mean that every scarecrow has disdain for crows; some merely see the act of scaring crows as “just doing their job.”

Scarecrows and Flying Monkeys As shown in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” the Scarecrow was easy prey for the witch’s winged primate minions. It is unknown whether all scarecrows have a weakness to the feathered chimps, but the rumors and tall tales have been enough to at least inspire a bit of fear. Regular monkeys may be met with some caution but far less than the flying counterparts.

Scarecrows and Combat Many swordsmiths and warriors would use strawmen as training dummies, so it is not a farfetched idea that scarecrows could have learned how to fight from this practice.

Style Because scarecrows have no true bone structure, they lack joints and flow with their movements; this creates a ragdoll-like effect. Observers have often said that their fighting looks like an awkward dance.

Weapons As guardians of the crops, scarecrows can use most any weapon kit. However, they do tend to have an affinity toward weapons that are based off of farming tools: flails, sickles, kama, scythes, etc.

Scarecrows and Intelligence Many stories that involve scarecrows are also associated with intelligence, suggesting that scarecrows may be naturally intelligent. Whether they know this or not is a different story. Two of these intelligent scarecrows are Kuebiko and the Scarecrow of Oz: Kuebiko is an ancient Japanese Shinto deity of agriculture and knowledge. This legendary scarecrow is rooted in place but knows everything about the world. The Scarecrow of Oz is famously known as not having a brain, but it is revealed by the Wizard of Oz that the Scarecrow had a brain all along. Other characters also stated that he was “probably the wisest man in all Oz.”

Scarecrow Themes There are many objects, symbols, and seasons that have some meaning to scarecrows:

Crows Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns Burlap Floppy, wide-brimmed hats Overalls Leaves and straw Autumn Halloween Patched clothing

Alternate Names Since many cultures have a history of scarecrow use, they are many words for scarecrow. Here are some notable examples:

Hayman Strawman Tattie Bogle Gallybagger Mommet Mawkin Murmet Kakashi

Known Scarecrows: Acrid the Scarecrow of Barad’Dun (Las Vegas)