Myth, theory, and the origins of crop circles.

Experts can't figure out why crop circles appear in farmers' fields, which has led to the idea that beings make them from another planet.

 

Crop circles, the enigmatic patterns seen in farmers' fields that sometimes form overnight and are attributed to aliens or UFOs, are not only the fanciful creations of Hollywood screenwriters. Despite popular belief, crop circles do not represent a hoax. The public and media are mystified, delighted, and intrigued by this phenomenon.

 

According to BBC Travel, the rings first appeared in the UK, specifically in South-West England, but have since expanded to dozens of other nations. Hollywood has taken notice, with shows like The X Files and movies like Signs by M. Night Shyamalan being influenced by the enigma.

 

Researchers have tried to answer the question, "Who or what is making them?"

 

Do crop circles only appear recently?

 

A brochure printed on woodblock that some people believe is an early example of a crop circle.

According to The Smithsonian Magazine, many individuals think that reports of crop circles date back millennia. As reported by The Independent, their key piece of evidence is a woodcut from 1678 that depicts what looks like a field of oat stalks set out in a circle. Though it may seem like a first-hand story of a crop circle, a little research into the past will reveal that this is not the case.

 

According to Oxford Reference, the chapbook is named The Mowing Devil. It depicts a legend of a conflict between an English farmer and his labourer, in which the farmer says that he "would rather pay the Devil himself" to trim his oat field. The woodcut shows Satan, replete with his trademark horns and tail, holding a scythe, so the source of the harvest is neither unknown nor mysterious.

 

The Australian Geographic claims that a farmer in Tully, Australia, in 1966 saw a flying saucer emerge from a swamp and take off, marking the beginning of the global crop circle phenomenon. To his surprise, he found a circular patch of wreckage and what appeared to be flattened reeds and grass, which he initially attributed to the alien spaceship but which, according to Australian Geographic, could have been the result of strange animal behaviour. The media has been calling these formations "flying saucer nests," so this isn't a crop circle tale but a UFO story.

 

Considering that the shape was not constructed in any crop but rather in plain grass, the case for it being tied to crop circles is very weak, much like the rationale for the 1678 mowing devil legend. No supernatural explanation is required for a spherical impression on the grass (as anyone with a kiddie pool in the backyard knows). RHS says that the mysterious circles people see in the grass worldwide and often blame on fairies are caused by fungus.

 

Crop circles of today and tomorrow

 

In reality, simple circles first appeared in the English countryside in the 1970s, making them the earliest examples of modern crop circles. In the 1980s and 1990s, more and more complicated circles were made, according to an article in Nature. These circles could show anything from simple mathematical formulas to complex algorithms.

 

According to Harry Eilenstein ("Crop Circles for Beginners," BoD 2021), one of the world's most complex and spectacular crop circles formed in Wiltshire, England, in July 1996, just across a highway from the mysterious and internationally renowned Stonehenge. While some simple or rough circles might be explained as the product of a peculiar weather occurrence, this one displayed intelligence due to its complex fractal design known as a Julia Set. The only mystery was whether or not this intelligence originated on Earth or elsewhere in the galaxy.

 

According to BriteEvents, the circle allegedly appeared in less than an hour during the daytime, adding to the mystery of the design because such a feat would be extremely difficult for hoaxers to pull off. In time, the crop circle gained notoriety as one of the most significant and well-known in the world.

 

How do they get started?

 

There is no question that crop circles are "actual," unlike other enigmatic phenomena like psychic powers, ghosts, or Bigfoot. There is an abundance of proof pointing to their existence. Instead, we need to ask what causes them, and we have the means to find out.

 

Crop circles can be assessed using both internal and external evidence. The physical structure of the crop designs is part of the external information. The content and meaning of the designs are part of the internal information. Does anything suggest that any information in the "messages" came from another planet?

 

Crop circle fans have come up with many theories, from the credible to the bizarre, concerning what causes the designs, as reported by National Geographic. In the 1980s, the Washington Post reported that one popular theory suggested the mysterious circular patterns may have resulted from the horny hedgehogs' very active sexual behaviour. Kent Heberling says that the circles have been linked to ley lines, energy fields and meridians on Earth that can't be seen by science, as well as to localized and precise wind patterns.

 

The New Zealand Herald reports that certain experts, like molecular biologist Horace Drew, think that time travel or aliens are the answers. He speculates that human time travellers from the far future might have created the patterns to aid them in navigating our planet. Taking it as given that the designs are meant to convey meaning, Drew interprets crop circle symbols to read "Believe," "There is good out there," "Beware the carriers of deceptive gifts and their broken promises," and "We fight deception" (all, presumably, in English).

 

However, the authenticity of the crop circles is called into question by the presence of these bizarre pseudo-biblical messages. These aliens could have given humans everything from contact information to engineering secrets for faster-than-light travel. Instead, they sent deliberately confusing messages about deceptive gifts, broken promises, and hope for humanity, along with what seems to be a reference to a popular "X-Files" slogan.

 

According to Lockhaven University, many people who believe in an alien explanation say that aliens must use physical means to create the patterns. Other people, the BBC reports, think the patterns are the result of human rather than alien intellect and intelligence and that they are not the work of hoaxers but rather divine intervention.

 

Even though there is a lot of speculation, human activity is the only proven reason for crop circles. A pair of guys admitted in September 1991 that they had made the patterns for decades as a hoax to make people believe UFOs had landed, ending a decades-long mystery about their creation. The Australian Geographic claims they were motivated by the Tully UFO report from 1966. Their fraud sparked a worldwide craze without claiming credit for every crop circle.

 

Despite the fact that most crop circles are generally thought to be the work of hoaxers, experts continue to look for unexplained ones (or "real crop circles," as The Smithsonian Magazine calls them).

 

What characteristics do all crop circles have in common?

 

While there are always unique examples, most crop circles exhibit consistent features.

 

Circles. As the name suggests, crop circles often consist of circles rather than other shapes like triangles, rectangles, or squares, though some patterns may also include straight or curved lines. There's a good chance that it's no coincidence that hoaxers find circles the most convenient pattern to fake.

 

It was the work of the night. Farmers and curious onlookers alike often catch sight of crop circles the morning after they form. The full moon is a favourite time for hoaxers to work, but there is no evident reason for aliens or earth energies to only work at night.

 

They are being uncomfortable in front of the camera. Historically, no instances of crop circles' creation have been documented (except, of course, for those created by hoaxers). If unexplained forces on Earth or aliens are at work, then there's no reason to believe that they wouldn't manifest when cameras are rolling, making this highly suspicious behaviour.

 

The availability of roadways. Typically, farms near major roads and highways are the ones where crop circles develop. Only in the most inaccessible locations will you find them. As a result, drivers on the road will typically begin to notice the patterns a day or two after they first appear.

 

While various hypotheses have been put forth to explain crop circles—from extraterrestrials and unexplained vortices to time travellers and erratic wind patterns—none have been supported by sufficient data. Humans are the only foreseeable explanation for crop circles. Crop circles are best seen as a form of public art until the mystery of how they started is solved. 

Reference: https://www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html

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# Myth, ideas, and history of crop circles

# Legends, hypotheses, and the History of Crop Circles

# The myth, beliefs, and history of crop circles