Scarecrows

A scarecrow is a life-sized effigy of a human being, traditionally used by farmers and propped up inside of a corn field to “scare crows” (as well as other birds ) from eating their crops.

Traditionally, a scarecrow is put together using baggy clothes such as jeans, overalls and flannel and stuffed with straw. The head is usually a sack or pumpkin of some kind, also filled with straw and adorned with a large hat.

Scarecrows are associated with Halloween in many ways and are used as costumes but also as well as creepy decorations outside people’s houses.

Scarecrows in fiction

There have been a number of living scarecrows in speculative fiction.

  • The Scarecrow is a character in the Land of Oz created by author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow.
  • The Scarecrow is depicted as one of the most enduring enemies of the superhero Batman (DC Comics) and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.
  • There are many B movies involving scarecrow monsters. Jeepers Creepers being the most popular with several horror movies written and directed by Victor Salva where various people are pursued by the Creeper, a demonic serial killer that looks like a scarecrow.