Scarecrow Magick 

by Lynne Stutevant

They have been known by many different names through the centuries. Scarebirds. Jacks-of-Straw. Tattybogles. Watchers of the Corn Sprouts. Terrifiers. Although we call them scarecrows, these eerie human effigies frighten more than birds. Countless legends describe scarecrows who come to life under the Full Moon or serve as hosts for dangerous, disembodied spirits. Though friendly, clownlike scarecrows dominate today, the jack-of-straw's traditional, more sinister nature lurks just beneath his tattered cloak.

Scarecrows are as ancient as agriculture, and many different types developed around the world. The Zuni and Navaho hung dead crows from poles in their corn fields. They hoped the sight of rotting carcasses would serve as a warning to other birds. The ancient Greeks placed wooden statues of the ugly god Priapus in their vineyards, and the Germans took Witch figures to the fields in early spring. After the Witches drew the evil forces of winter from the ground, they remained as scarecrows until the fall harvest. During the years of the Black Death, British farmers began making "modern" scarecrows by stuffing old clothes with straw.

The Pennsylvania Dutch erected scarecrows in pairs. A male figure, called the bootzamon or bogeyman, stood at one end of the field. The bootzafraw or bogeywife stood at the other. The two worked together and kept each other company. This custom may be the source of the folk belief that scarecrows travel in groups. As soon as one is placed in a field, others are sure to follow, mysteriously springing up overnight.

Japanese farmers invited the god of agriculture to leave his home in the mountains each spring and enter their scarecrows, called kakashi. The kakashi could see everything, and the birds who landed on them whispered secrets to the god. When the autumn harvest was completed, the kakashi were taken down and stacked in a pile. The farmers prepared rice cakes to thank the god for his service and to provide food for his long journey back to the mountains. After the rice cakes were placed around the kakashi, the pile was set ablaze and the god was released. The ceremony was known as "The Ascent of the Scarecrow."

Even in this day of farming as big business, the scarecrow still performs his ancient duties. Agricultural supply companies sell inflatable scarecrows with moving arms and legs. A glow-in-the-dark version is even available. But why not honor the ancient traditions and make your own frightening tattybogle?

The goal is to create a figure that suggests a human being. The simpler the form, the more menacing its appearance will be. Before you begin construction, decide where you will put your scarecrow. If he is going to be outside for an extended period, he will get wet. Keep that in mind as you select your materials.

What you'll need:

• Old coveralls or pants or jeans
• An old long sleeved shirt
• Old boots
• Safety pins (a bunch)
• A pair of flesh colored rubber gloves, or twigs
• A hat
• A wig (optional - an old mop dipped in black paint works)
• A pair of flesh-colored nylon stockings
• Pillows or old sheets or rags or paper towels for stuffing
• Tempura paint or marking pens

For a hanging scarecrow:

• A broom stick
• A mop handle (for a cross piece to hang the scarecrow
• and his head)
• Rope or duct tape (to secure the cross piece)
• Hammer

How To Do It:

1. Stuff the pants and shirt with your old towels, sheets and rags until your scarecrow is full and lifelike. Stuff the shirt into the pants. If you're going to hang your scarecrow, pin the shirt to the pants with safety pins.
   
   
2. Stuff the rubber gloves with paper towels. You can also fill the gloves with water and tie the ends off. Secure the gloves inside the shirtsleeves with safety pins.
   
   
3. Stuff the boots with rags and then push the boots up inside the pant legs.
   
   
4. Stuff the nylon stocking with more old nylons or with rags or paper towels.
   
   
5. Paint a face onto the stocking. It can be a man or a woman, with glasses or a beard. Make it as scary or as funny as you like. You can get creative as well, try a bucket, pumpkin, milk jug, old stuffed pillow case...use your imagination!
   
   
6. Put the wig and the hat on top of the scarecrow's head. Add a hat or clothe your scarecrow with a hooded sweatshirt.
   
   
7. To hang your scarecrow, find the spot in the yard that will be the center of your pumpkin patch. Pound the broom stick into ground with a hammer.
   
   
8. Have a girlfriend hold the mop handle or stick up near the top of the broomstick. Tie the rope or tape around both sticks until you are sure the cross piece will hold the scarecrow.
10. Situate your scarecrow comfortably in the garden, then give him a small offering: a flower, some kernals of corn, a handful of seeds, or a green tomato. Don't neglect him. Check on him from time to time, especially after storms. When the growing season ends, be sure to thank him for his hard work. You can store your scarecrow and bring him out again in the spring. But if you believe in the old legends, that won't be necessary. Scarecrows despise the cold. As soon as the first frost touches the fields, they will vanish on their own.