Throughout the years, scarecrows have made many appearances in popular culture. 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-knowinggod.
In the mid-19th century, writer Nathaniel Hawthorne brought scarecrows into North American literature with the short story “Feathertop.” In this tale, a witch who prays to the Devil in the town of Salem brings a scarecrow to life.
Then there is the most famous scarecrow in the whole world. His name is simply “Scarecrow,” and he appears in L. Frank Baum’s 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. When they find him, Scarecrow hopes to ask him for the one thing he lacks—a brain! Since the release of the book, Scarecrow has appeared in films and plays around the world.
Aside from these examples, scarecrows have featured in rock songs by bands like Pink Floyd and as characters in comic books, like the well-known villainin the Batman series. On Halloween, they are brought out as scary decorations. Both practical and spooky, scarecrows continue to capture our imagination.
