a blog by Teresa Soule and Garden Shoes Online
Ever heard of a Bird-scarer, a Moggy, a Bogeyman, a Shuft, maybe a Rook-scarer or a Kelson, Hodmedod or a Tattie bogle? How about Priapus?
Let me enlighten you, Priapus was the son of Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Priapus was a protector of gardens and orchards, and is typically portrayed as a hideous looking man. Birds tended to avoid fields where Priapus resided, so Greek and then Roman farmers soon adopted the practice of carving wooden statues that resembled Priapus in thier gardens to keep crows from eating the corn.
So now you know a quick history of where scarecrows came from. We tend to only use them as decorations that represent fall harvests these days. Who amongst us doesn’t enjoy seeing a scarecrow overlooking a lush vegetable garden. I know I do.
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November 11th, 2009 at: 1:31 am
Hi T,
LOVE this post. Not only am I a #1 fan of Wizard of Oz, I love Greek mythology. Great information. Did you make that bird scarer yourself? (I hadn’t heard of some of those other terms. Cool to know.)
November 11th, 2009 at: 2:38 am
Teresa, I am fascinated with this information. I had no idea where scarecrows originiated, but I had just said something about that to someone. Thanks for all the neat info as well as the great pics. Love your scarecrow.
Happy OW to you…
XO,
Sheila
November 11th, 2009 at: 7:07 am
Such an entertaining and educational post. Love the photos that went along with your post also.
My O W is a nearby marshland with waterfowl and Autumn colors…and a surprise L N Monster visit!!!
Come by and see
November 11th, 2009 at: 8:51 am
Great post and photos on the scarecrows.
November 11th, 2009 at: 10:01 am
Beautiful photos and a little learning on the side. We still see homemade scarecrows here in the south in gardens and fields. Mama used to tie aluminum pie pans in the garden.
November 11th, 2009 at: 12:09 pm
I love to learn new things and learn I did! Thanks for sharing the history lesson and your photos with us. This was a great post. Have a wonderful Outdoor Wednesday.
November 11th, 2009 at: 7:44 pm
This was a fun post. Thanks for the scarecrow history, which was all new to me.
November 11th, 2009 at: 8:03 pm
Waht a great and informative post. I love Greek Mythology and still have my books from high school and college! Your scarecrow is too cute!
Thank you for sharing the history of the scarecrow with us!
~ Tracy
November 11th, 2009 at: 9:43 pm
What a fun and informative post. I love scarecrows, it was fun to learn more about their origins.
November 11th, 2009 at: 10:18 pm
Love all the information on scarecrows. Yours looks a great one!!
November 12th, 2009 at: 10:59 am
Great post, Teresa! Fun and educational.