Olivia and Misty talk about Scarecrow Festivals

_Elsa_

Olivia calls Misty to discuss what she wants to do about creating a scarecrow.

“Hi Misty, I found so much information online regarding scarecrows,” Olivia says. “This is what one article mentions”.

‘In the fields of ancient Greece, wooden statues were placed in the fields, carved to represent Priapus. Although he was the son of Aphrodite, Priapus was also hideously ugly, and his most prominent feature was his constant (and huge) erection. Birds tended to avoid fields where Priapus resided, so as Greek influence spread into Roman territory, Roman farmers soon adopted the practice.

Pre-feudal Japan used different kinds of scarecrows in their rice fields, but the most popular one was the kakashi. Old dirty rags and noisemakers like bells and sticks were mounted on a pole in the field and then lit on fire. The flames (and presumably, the smell) kept birds and other animals away from the rice fields. The word kakashi meant "something stinky." Eventually, Japanese farmers began making scarecrows that looked like people in raincoats and hats. Sometimes they were equipped with weaponry to make them look even more frightening.’ (Info here)

Misty shares that she has also been looking for ideas and she came across a scarecrow festival that is held in Japan every year.

‘Each autumn, some farming villages crank up their creativity and put on kakashi (scarecrow) displays in rice fields. Unlike the utilitarian North American scarecrows made of straw, flannel shirt and old blue jeans, Japanese scarecrows can be cute, scary, or just plain weird! . This scarecrow festival runs alongside the famous Saga International Balloon Fiesta, which attracts huge numbers of spectators from all over Japan and overseas. The event began as an alternative in case inclement weather prevented the balloons from flying. Over 120 scarecrows made by locals will be on display. For their 10th year, the scarecrow theme is “From Heisei to Reiwa, and to the future”. If you’re going to balloon watching, don’t forget to check out the scarecrows, too!’ (Info here)

“Too bad they don’t have scarecrow festivals here,” says Olivia. “But one step at a time. At least we can all create them and have them on display in town.”

Let’s continue here - Tiffi searches for an idea

Start at the beginning - Seasons come and season go – the scarecrow