Out Standing In Their Field part 3: The Straw Man, from Crooked Dice

[Rigel]

The Old Ways linger in rural parts. 

 

The harvest is, after all, too important to leave up to chance. The land will bring forth in plenty, but the fields must have blood. This is the ancient compact.

 

 

The ground must be propitiated. Satiated. It is well known. The community is bound tighter together by the ritual, even if they don't care to talk about it.

 

More angles of the vessel for HE WHO WALKS BEHIND THE ROWS:

 

 

]

 

***

 

A great sculpt from Crooked Dice. Brigit the May Queen with the sickle and Mister Mangel the scarecrow are also from there. Reaper's Headless Footman (04031) is acting as the Master of Ceremonies.

While we think of this type of agricultural folk horror as being from the Old World, as in Christopher Lee's "The Wicker Man" and Ramsey Campbell's "Ancient Images," it fits in pretty well with the American Cornlands, too. This intersection of trackless fields, nourishment, and old-time religion is one of Stephen King's obsessions (see Children of the Corn, In The Tall Grass, Secret Window, et al.). I could easily transplant this big guy to the borders of the Weird West and have it fit in just fine. 

[kazmania7]

oh a "Wicker Man", (showing my age) luv it, grats.

[Glitterwolf]

Cool stuff again!!!

[lexomatic]

I like your May Queen

[Chaoswolf]

Brings a whole meaning to 'harvest'.

 

Nice work!

[Iridil]

Great figure - like how you've done it - and as always a top notch setting and story!

[Rigel]

Thank you all! I appreciate it. 

On 12/5/2022 at 11:38 AM, Glitterwolf said:

Cool stuff again!!!

On 12/7/2022 at 11:57 AM, Iridil said:

Great figure - like how you've done it - and as always a top notch setting and story!

I can take only so much credit for a story as old as the hills--remember, you can't spell 'agriculture' without 'cult'!
The painting was simplicity itself, just layers of contrast paints. I think GW Snakebite Leather, Gulliman Flesh, and Plaguebearer Flesh were the most prominent.

On 12/5/2022 at 4:04 PM, lexomatic said:

I like your May Queen

Thank you! She features in the Out Standing In Their Field 2 post if memory serves. I wish the white I used on her were less chalky. but the sheer effect seems to be working,

On 12/5/2022 at 5:56 PM, Chaoswolf said:

Brings a whole [new] meaning to 'harvest'.

Indeed so! Circle of life stuff...the fields need nitrogen and phosphorus and we've just been hoarding the stuff in our bodies selfishly!

On 12/5/2022 at 2:28 AM, kazmania7 said:

oh a "Wicker Man", (showing my age) luv it, grats.

YES. There are some misguided souls who say there was a remake of the Christopher Lee quasi-musical movie, but THAT NEVER HAPPENED. Blasphemy and abomination. 😉

[Grand Slam]

Love the reference to the Tall Grass...underrated, bizarre King at his best.

 

That behemoth is great...it really feels dry and straw-y. I also love the way it's just creepily looming over everything in the pictures.

 

Really great osl on the headless footman. I also love the intensity in Brigit's eyes. This is what fall is all about (plus candy).

 

 

 

[Rigel]

7 hours ago, Grand Slam said:

Love the reference to the Tall Grass...underrated, bizarre King at his best.

That behemoth is great...it really feels dry and straw-y. I also love the way it's just creepily looming over everything in the pictures.

Really great osl on the headless footman. I also love the intensity in Brigit's eyes. This is what fall is all about (plus candy).

Thank you! The man hates corn like Robert E Howard hated snakes or Lovecraft the deep sea and Italians. 
I'm happy with the ambiguity to just what extent the Straw Man has agency and mobility!

The Headless Footman is a great sculpt for OSL. I've posted him before, here.

[Magic Lantern]

Beautifully painted I love your background! I have the Morris Dancers from this set somewhere painted up as a Dark Morris ( per Sir Terry Pratchett)