Scarecrow appears to be a relatively new creation of modern folklore but what makes it special to horror symbolism, is how it borrows some of its characteristics from the ancient mythology.
The scarecrow in some fundamental ways partakes of the In Between concept familiar to many fans of mythology. It looks like a human silhouette, without fully being one.
Its presumed function is to scare birds away from the harvest, yet many representations of it paradoxically feature those very same birds perched on its shoulders.
It is immune to the heat, yet, for the sake of appearances, is forced to wear a protective hat.
Aside from being in between, the scarecrow also shares some characteristics with the archetype of the Harvester. Like most Harvester figures, the scarecrow guards the harvest that he himself cannot enjoy.
When you think of many mythological Harvesters, from those spirits of the Corn, to various Death representations, the Harvester’s duty is often to secure the harvest for someone else, to do his duty to his office as Harvester.
But being an outsider to the system guarded, the Harvester often has no direct way to utilize the harvest himself, only to prevent theft of it by unwelcome intruders who violate his boundaries.
Additionally to sharing certain properties of the Harvester and other In Between figures of folklore, the Scarecrow also has elements of a sacrificial figure.
The straw on the scarecrow is reminiscent in part of the Wicker Man, the spread position as demonstrated in some horror movies, intentionally, presents him often as Jesus like figure on a cross.
With a little stretch of the imagination, the body of the scarecrow, itself empty of essence, might be filled with all kinds of supernatural potency, as is aptly portrayed in more than one movie.
The Scarecrow is surely yet another guardian of the boundary and for that reason the horror movies find endless inspiration in its characteristics as they often do with mythology old and new.
