When did scarecrows first come about?

According to Thom Sokoloski and Jenny McCowan at thomasandguinevere.com, Cindy Murphy’s article for Grit and Lori Rotenberk’s article for Modern Farmer, scarecrows have been around as long as people have grown crops, but they haven’t always looked like the ones you might be familiar with. The early Egyptian scarecrows, constructed along the Nile River, didn't look like people at all. Egyptian farmers had a problem with wild quail, so they built wooden frames with nets and had people herd the quail into them. Famers in pre-feudal Japan sometimes used a scarecrow called a kakashi. A kakashi consists of old rags and other bad-smelling items mounted on a pole with bells and other noisemakers and set afire. The smell and smoke would keep birds away.

Ancient Greek and Roman scarecrows were more humanoid. They built statues of their fertility god in their gardens and fields to protect against birds and other thieves. In Britain during the Middle Ages, actual children would work in the fields as “crow-scarers,” knocking together blocks of wood to scare away the birds. Some Native American tribes and early settlers also employed the human bird-scarer technique. With population fluctuations and a need for more farmers to be working the field, this job was passed on from actual people to stuffed sacks gourds for heads, the precursors to scarecrows as we know them today.

Today, farmers can use high-tech gadgets to scare away birds, such as chemicals or ultrasonic waves, but the old-fashioned scarecrow is iconic. In America it is used as a symbol of the autumn, particularly of Halloween, and many towns have festivals celebrating scarecrows of all shapes and sizes. Scarecrows can be used to frighten and to entertain, but they will always be associated with the harvest.

What is the golem?

“Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman have a new book out called The Golem of Paris. What exactly is the golem?”

The golem is a humanoid creature from Jewish folklore. It’s built, often from clay, by a righteous person with great knowledge of Kabbalah. The creature is given life when its maker inscribes a sacred word (often the name of God) on the golem itself or on a piece of parchment which is then placed on the golem or in its mouth.

Legends of the golem date back to medieval times and take different forms. They typically portray the creature as a hardworking, if overly literal, servant, with superhuman strength that made it useful for physical labor. In many stories, though, the rabbi then loses control of his creation and must destroy it in order to end its rampage. The golem can be destroyed by removing or erasing the sacred word that brought it to life. In some legends, the golem is inscribed with the Hebrew word for truth, emet. Erasing the first letter changes it to the Hebrew word for death, met, and thus the golem is returned to dust.

One of the most well-known golem legends is that of the golem of Prague. In it, the Maharel (which is an acronym that refers to Rabbi Yehudah Leib ben Betsal’el, whose name is also transliterated as Judah Loew ben Bezalel and Yehuda Loew) creates a golem to protect his people from anti-Semitic attacks. There are different endings to the story. In some, the Maharel simply disables the golem when it’s no longer needed. In others, he must destroy it when it becomes too large and violent. David Wisniewski’s Caldecott-winning interpretation blends the two. In his book, Golem, the Maharel destroys the rampaging golem, but only after the emperor guarantees the safety of the Jews. 

“Golem” was originally a Hebrew word that could be translated as “shapeless mass” or “unformed substance.” In Yiddish, the word is also used disparagingly for a clumsy or unintelligent person.

We found much of our golem information in the YIVO Encyclopedia, A Treasury of Jewish Folklore, and The Facts of File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend.

The Kellermans’ The Golem of Paris is actually a sequel to The Golem of Hollywood. Both books center around a Los Angeles detective whose family has a connection to the legendary golem of Prague. We own both books at the Newton Falls Public Library, along with David Wisniewski’s retelling, Golem, and Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni, a historical fantasy about a golem and jinni meeting in early-1900s New York City.

Will squirrels only eat half a buckeye?

“I heard that squirrels will only eat one side of a buckeye because one side is poisonous and the other isn’t. Is that true?”

We checked Grizmek’s Encyclopedia of Mammals: Volume 3, the Peterson Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Warner Shedd’s Owls Aren’t Wise and Bats Aren’t Blind, The Ohio Nature Almanac, and Osmond P. Breland’s Animal Life and Lore to see if there was any mention of this bit of folklore. While we learned a few interesting facts about squirrels (that they aren’t strict vegetarians, for example – along with nuts, seeds, and mushrooms, squirrels will sometimes also eat eggs and insects), we didn’t find any mention of squirrels only eating half a buckeye.

Looking around online, we found that Cindy Decker, a writer at the Columbus Dispatch, had already tackled the question. She went all the way back to the 1913 edition of The North American Journal of Homeopathy. In the journal, Dr. H.L. True writes of the experiment their friend Mr. C.H. Morris did on squirrels. Morris caged three squirrels and provided them with buckeyes to eat. The squirrels did not all start eating on the same side of the nut. While none of them ate their whole buckeye in one sitting, they would eventually go back and finish it when they got hungry enough.

According to a fact sheet provided by the Ohio Division of Forestry, while the buckeye can be poisonous to people, it doesn’t affect squirrels. It’s not their preferred food, but they will eat it if they can’t find anything better.

For more information about squirrels, check out Richard R. Thorington’s Squirrels: The Answer Guide, available through CLEVNET.

Why Do People Knock On Wood?

"Why do people knock on wood?" While all of us here on the Newton Falls Public Library staff are familiar with the expression "knock on wood," typically used after remarking on one's own good fortune, none of us were sure where it originated.

According to A Dictionary of Superstitions, edited by Iona Opie and Moira Tatem, "knock on wood" (or "touch wood," which is the British equivalent of the expression) has been around for a long time. In nineteenth-century England, it was already considered an old superstition.

While there's no hard-and-fast explanation for how the custom came about, Peter Lorie gives a few theories in his book, Superstitions. It may have something to do with the cross of Jesus being made from wood, or it may date back to the ancient Celts who viewed trees as having spiritual significance. According to Lorie, touching wood grounds evil spirits and renders them harmless.

Matt Soniak in his Mental Floss article "Why Do We Knock on Wood?" also traces the superstition back to the Celts. They may have touched trees when asking for a favor or to show gratitude to the spirit inside it. The custom eventually morphed to touching wood after mentioning a streak of good luck. It may also have originated from the belief that loud noises scare away evil spirits, so the sound of knocking is meant to frighten away any lurking nearby.

For more information on superstitions, Ferne Shelton's Pioneer Superstitions is available at the Newton Falls Public Library. Stefan Bechtel's The Good Luck Book and Deborah Aaronson's Luck: The Essential Guide are both available for borrowing through CLEVNET. 

What is a Devil Strip?

“I’ve never heard this phrase before, a devil strip. When I asked someone at work, they said it was the strip of land between the sidewalk and the road. I’ve always lived where there are no sidewalks. Why is it named that?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff was familiar with the term, but had no other knowledge about it.

We began our search by searching a variety of books such as the Oxford English Dictionary, TheCassell Dictionary of Slang (1998) by Jonathon Green, and Descriptionary [a Thematic Dictionary] by Marc McCutcheon. Failing to find the information we needed, we extended our search online.

Two sources seemed to fit our patron’s need. UrbanDictionary.com, defined it as the “grassy area between the street and the sidewalk. This term is unique to the Akron, Ohio area.” The second, SummitCountyMyths.com, quoted Dictionary of American Regional English( vol II; 1991) stating that a “Devil Strip (or Devil's Strip) is the grass between the sidewalk and street in the front yard.  The phrase is not unique to Akron but can be heard throughout Northeastern Ohio.  Some versions of the legend hold that it keeps the devil out of your house.  The term is more likely derived from the area being a no-man's land between public and private property

How Do You Catch a Leprechaun?

This reference question came up several years ago when a local teacher used to send her students on a leprechaun hunt, but is still timely. “How do you catch a leprechaun?” The question had the Newton Falls Public Library staff thinking about how handy it would be to have a pot of gold.

Carol Rose’s book, page 196 of Spirits, fairies, gnomes, goblins: an encyclopedia of the little people, describes leprechauns as fairy shoemakers who like to play pranks on humans and have a reputation for guarding crocks of gold. In the book, Leprechauns and Irish Folklore by Mary Pope Osborne, they are described as the bankers and richest of the fairy folk, originally hiding their gold from the Vikings. It is an Irish legend that they hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows, keeping very busy always moving it around. If a leprechaun is captured, he will supposedly promise to give you his gold for setting him free. Once coins are given and he is free, the silver returns magically to his purse and the gold turns to ash. People will try to trap them in boxes in gardens. Beware that you don’t nab the wrong one; they have similar appearing cousins named clurichauns who move into homes, drink all the wine, and refuse to leave.

An online search revealed numerous suggestions for catching the tricky wee folk. Traps are baited with money, shoes to be repaired, or poteen, an Irish alcohol usually made from potatoes. Some suggest using nets to catch the leprechaun. Others fear that the expansion of cities is causing them to go underground, reducing the likelihood of seeing one. While many legends and tales speak of the unfortunate consequences that often resulted in capturing a leprechaun in the past, none of the sites tell of any recent, successful catches.

Why is a New Ship Christened with a Bottle of Champagne?

The caller on phone line number two wanted to know, “Why is a new ship christened with a bottle of champagne?” This is one of those practices that the Newton Falls Public Library staff is aware of, but never really thought of the reason behind it.

Page 791 of Popular Beliefs and Superstitions: a compendium of American folklore: from the Ohio Collection of Newbell Niles Puckett, under the heading Christening of a Ship; The Name of a Ship includes the following beliefs: “Christening a ship with champagne will bring it and its crew good luck” and “It is bad luck to christen a boat with anything but champagne.” The section also one that said “A ship must be christened with the breaking of a bottle of wine . . . to be safe and lucky.”

Library staff members remembered hearing of bottles containing fluids other than champagne being used. To discover if this was so, we looked online and found that the Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center has a website dedicated to Naval History and Heritage with frequently asked questions. Christening, Launching, and Commissioning of U.S. Navy Ships by John C. Reilly (Head, Ships History Branch)[www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq108.htm] relates the history of this practice back to 3rd millennium BCE Babylon. Later, Jews and Christians used water or wine to ask God to protect the ship. Ottoman Empire residents prayed to Allah and sacrificed a sheep and then feasted. Beginning in the 19th century in the United States of America, women began to customarily “sponsor” or christen ships. It was during this time that champagne began to be used, perhaps for its elegance, and has continued except for during Prohibition. Over the years, wine, cider, holy water, sea water, spring water, river water, whiskey, and brandy have been used.

Death Comes in Threes

American English is filled with interesting sayings and phrases. The Newton Falls Public Library staff recently had patron wondering where another one came from. “With the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson, I got to wondering where the expression, death comes in threes, originated? Another staff member has family who says a birth, a wedding and a death all come together. This got us to wondering if the expressions are linked.

Our staff searched the phrase, slang, and idioms books in the library’s collection and was unsuccessful in locating either expression, even though there were numerous listings for the words but not those particular phrases. Even McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs by Richard A. Speares, which has many pages containing death, come, and threes, does not have either of the sought after phrases.

Trying to consider other ways of looking at this; what if it is not a phrase but rather a superstition? Pioneer Superstitions by Ferne Shelton has a sampling of oral tales and beliefs. Ohio State Buckeye fans will be happy to know that “If a buckeye is carried in a chest pocket, all enemies become kind to you. If carried in a lower pocket or purse, expect prosperity [p.12].” Superstitions by Peter Lorie refers to death, birth, and marriage as milestones of life and offers interesting superstitions related to each, beautifully illustrated by paintings and photographs. Popular Beliefs and Superstitions: a compendium of American Folklore from the Ohio Collection of Newbell Niles Puckett is where we were partially successful. In volume 2 there is a section titled, Numbers, Counting in the Lore of Death. Most of the notions in this section included references to one death or funeral followed by two more. In the same volume, Love, Courtship, Marriage, etc. as Death Tokens, we found the belief that marriages, births and deaths will come linked together in families.

We were unable to find anything definitive either in print or online as to the origins of these beliefs, each of which deals with three events. One reason which might be considered is the prevalence of human beliefs focused on the number three. In the May 28, 2001 issue of Telephony [telephonyonline.com/mag/telecom_rule_threes/index.html], Jason Meyers writes in his article Rule of Threes [p.84], “Dividing things into threes is universally acceptable. There's Aristotle's principle of the three unities of time, place and action. There's Freud's id, ego and superego. There's the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three strikes and you're out. Third time's a charm. Bad things happen in threes, and for some reason things are also supposed to be funnier in threes.”

What Does the Half-moon on the Outhouse Door Mean?

“What does the half-moon on the outhouse door mean?” Since the Newton Falls Public Library catalog had no books specifically about outhouses, the staff began to look other places. Books on inventions, such as Eureka! An Illustrated History of Inventions from the Wheel to the Computer, The History of Invention: from stone axes to silicon chips by Trevor I. Williams, and Oh, Yuck: the encyclopedia of everything nasty by Joy Masoff, yielded a great deal of information about toilets. In the late 16th century, Sir John Harrington installed a water closet in his home which could be flushed from an overhead tank. Oh, Yuck [p.178] described how reading in the bathroom began, and takes the reader back to the 1700s when American colonists built outhouses over large buckets or pits. No information was given on the meaning of the half-moon. Even Foxfire 11, in its chapter The Old Homeplace, lists the hog scaler, the cornhouse, and the sorghum furnace, but not the outhouse.

The article The Outrageous Outhouse by Joe Curreri and Therese Nolan in Antiques & Collecting Magazine, May 2005 addresses this question. The cut outs in the doors served as ventilators, let in light and often a much needed draft as there were usually no windows. As few people could read, the crescent moon was for the ladies and the masculine star was for the men.

An online search revealed the website, Outhouse Moon [http://www.blogger.com/www.tumbleweedcrossing.net/OuthouseMoon] with answers to an earlier Yahoo search. The three answers included discussed the crescent moon for women and the star for men. In the third answer paraphrased from Nature Calls: The History, Lore and Charm of Outhouses by Dottie Booth, it says that “the moon symbol comes from the ancient symbol for femininity, Luna. . . Folklore tells us that women took better care of their outhouses, hence, more survived, and the moon became a lasting symbol associated with the outhouse. One reason women's outhouses outlasted men's involved porcupines chewing on the seats of men's outhouses (for the salt found in urine on the seat).” At this site there is also information about an Outhouse Preservation Society.

The Smoking Mountain News Archives/Mountain Voices, February 14, 2001 [http://www.blogger.com/www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/2_01/2_14_01/back_then.shtml] quotes the book, The Vanishing American Outhouse: a history of country plumbing by Ronald Barlow. Barlow agrees that the half-moon symbolized the ladies room, “while a sunburst pattern indicated male use. While some had circles, hearts, diamonds, triangles, and V-shaped notches mirroring those on early barns and outbuildings.”

How Can I Sell My House?

“I know the housing market is terrible now, but I need to sell my house. Are there any books that have ideas of things I can do?” In today’s market this is a real concern to Newton Falls Public Library patrons who are moving or downsizing.

Home Makeovers That Sell: quick and easy ways to get the highest possible price by Sid Davis has many ideas of small changes you can make to ensure that your residence is more appealing to buyers. My Home, My Money Pit: your guide to every home improvement adventure by Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete includes a chapter called Home Selling Tips. Homeowners can follow some very simple styling suggestions to increase the value of their homes. Things like reducing art, tidying rooms, and banishing odors which take very little time or money can make big differences when prospective buyers do a walk through. 52 Weekend Makeovers: easy projects to transform your home inside and out includes many colorful photographs, a list of tools and gear, what to buy and even alerts as to what can go wrong with a project to help you avoid problems. Even if you are not moving, the ideas in these books can make where you are living feel like a new place.

Energy efficiency is attractive to buyers who may inquire about monthly utility costs. Energy, Use Less--save more: 100 energy-saving tips for the home by Jon Clift & Amanda Cuthbert has both spend nothing - save money and spend a little – save more suggestions. One way to reduce your water consumption, lower your water and sewer bill is by collecting rain water to be used to water your outdoor plants. The Carbon-free Home: 36 remodeling projects to help kick the fossil-fuel habit by Stephen and Rebekah Hren has instructions for a rain barrel that can be made in an afternoon for as little as $20. As buyers begin to look at the actual monthly costs of owning a home rather than just the exterior appearance, being ready with some changes you’ve made from The Home Energy Diet: how to save money by making your house energy-smart by Paul Scheckel may make your home more desirable.

When all else fails, one of the library staff members mentioned burying a statue of St. Joseph, earthly father of Jesus and the patron saint of carpenters, in the yard. The online article Selling your house? Bury a statue by Darci Smith details what many people are doing to increase their chances of selling their home quicker. Ms. Smith relates some of the popular tales of the origin of this belief. One of the most popular “is that an order of European religious sisters in the Middle Ages buried a St. Joseph medal and asked the saint to help them acquire land for a convent [http://www.saintjosephsellshomes.com/anecdote2.html].” She also reminds the reader that after the house is sold St. Joseph should be dug up and kept in a place of honor.

Selling a home can be fraught with problems, so it is wise to prepare yourself by reading How To Buy & Sell Your Home Without Getting Ripped Off! by Patricia Boyd and Lonny Coffey. The authors include advice about understanding real estate trends and finding a realtor with whom you will be able to work well. If you choose to sell without using a realtor, How To Buy/Sell Your Own Home Without a Broker or Lawyer: the national home sale and purchase kit by Benji O. Anosike would be useful to examine.
Don’t get discouraged. Buyers from other parts of the country are beginning to look at the Mahoning Valley as an attractive area to relocate. In Valley comes in 2nd among areas that offer bang for your buck by Denise Dick [Vindicator, September 12, 2008] it is reported that the September 4th issue of Business Week Magazine stated the Mahoning Valley as the 2nd most affordable place to live in the country.