Scarecrows are used around the world by farmers, and are a notable symbol of farms and the countryside in popular culture. The common form of a scarecrow is a humanoid figure dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. [1] .
For most Americans, scarecrows are synonymous with autumn. They pop up in corn mazes and crop fields at harvest festivals, on hay bales in grocery store displays, and as set dressing or...
The most famous scarecrow is the fictional character in The Wizard of Oz who is in search of a brain. Another notable scarecrow is in the short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne called “ Feathertop” about a scarecrow brought to life by a witch.
scarecrow, device posted on cultivated ground to deter birds or other animals from eating or otherwise disturbing seeds, shoots, and fruit; its name derives from its use against the crow.
Perched quietly in fields with outstretched arms and hollow eyes, scarecrows have long captured the imagination of farmers, children, and storytellers alike. Equal parts guardian and folklore figure, these humble guardians are one of the oldest tools in agricultural history.
Although they haven't always looked the way they do now, scarecrows have been around a long time and have been used in a number of different cultures. In the fields of ancient Greece, wooden statues were placed in the fields, carved to represent Priapus.
Today’s scarecrows can be linked back to medieval times in Britain and Western Europe. There, scarecrows replaced children in the fields to scare off wildlife damaging crops, as the children were needed more for farm and other work.