1 . You may have seen them standing alone in a farmer’s field. With thin arms and a strange smile, they stand guard over the crops day and night.     1    

Scarecrows have been around since at least the time of the ancient Egyptians. Back then, farmers covered wooden frames with nets to protect wheat fields.     2     Around 2500 BCE, the Greeks made the first human-like scarecrows. They added a face which was similar to that of the Greek god Priapus.     3     The Romans later copied this design and brought it to Europe.

Centuries after the Romans marched through Europe, people around the world were creating their own scarecrows. In Japan, scarecrows were shaped like people in raincoats and straw hats. In Germany, scarecrows were made to look like witches.

    4     In the oldest book of Japanese literature, The Kojiki, a scarecrow named Kuebiko appears. Though he can’t walk, Kuebiko is a kind of all-knowing god. In the mid-19th century, writer Nathaniel Hawthorne brought scarecrows into literature with the short story “Feathertop.” In this tale, a witch who prays to the Devil brings a scarecrow to life.

Then there is the most famous scarecrow. His name is simply “Scarecrow,” and he appears in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the children’s novel, Scarecrow joins Dorothy, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion on an adventure to meet the wizard of the magical land of Oz.     5    

Aside from these examples, scarecrows have featured in rock songs and as characters in comic books. On Halloween, they are brought out as scary decorations. Both practical and creepy, scarecrows continue to capture our imagination.