On high sticks and in second-hand clothes
Using two simple sticks or wooden poles, straw, old clothes, a hat, and worn-out rubber boots, the birds are fooled into thinking they are not unobserved. The classic scarecrow is a human-shaped figure. Its silhouette replaces the farmer, who, with waving arms, drives annoying seed and fruit thieves like starlings and crows away from fields and gardens. Ideally, the scarecrow, in addition to its deterrent appearance, is also equipped with special effects such as movement, light, and noise elements. Glittering and reflective fluttering ribbons, movable sleeves, or clanking chains made of tin cans prove to be helpful accessories. In Styria, the scarecrow variant that drives birds away from vineyards with its clattering is called a "Klapotetz"; however, it looks more like a wind turbine. However, since birds get used to the presence of the strange figures over time, it is recommended to change the location of the scarecrows more often or to change their outfits every now and then.
Assistants from the Country as a Novel
Scarecrows emerged soon after the introduction of gardening and agriculture. They are still used today in Asian rice paddies and in the USA, where they are called "scarecrows." Folk customs around the world are linked to them. They have also enjoyed successful literary representation. Shakespeare incorporated the scarecrow into his play Henry VI; the poet Heinrich Heine affirmed: "However tempting the cherry, the scarecrow frightens even more," and in 1854 Ludwig Tieck wrote an entire novel entitled "The Scarecrow." And in "The Legend of the Scarecrow," the scarecrow even played a leading role. It is a touchingly sad children's story about a lonely scarecrow who longs for friendship with the birds, saves the life of a blind crow, and is ultimately punished for it.
