Scarecrow (17) {Part Three}
It was daytime when we reached the Community College. The sun was peaking out at all of the plant-life and warming the ground. Normally, I would enjoy this sort of day. Usually I'd be happy and cheery because life was all around us; this place was different. The atmosphere was weird and gave me a strong sense that I, as an outsider, was far from welcome.
Dean and I were standing with Proffessor Rolland once inside the building. We hovered like background music as he tittered about the office.
"It’s not every day I get a research question on Pagan ideology." said Rolland.
"Yeah, well, call it a hobby." I said with a small shrug and smile
"You said you were interested in local lore?" He asked.
"Mmhmm." Dean nodded.
"I’m afraid Indiana isn’t really known for its Pagan worship." said Proffessor Rolland, turning to walk a little bit away from us. I frowned at him.
"Well, what if it was imported? You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over." I said, following him a few footsteps. I knew a lot of this already, I just needed him to narrow the field a little bit more, "A lot of this area was settled by immigrants, no?"
He let out a sigh. It was becoming obvious to him that I wasn't a ditzy college girl and he would have to give me in-depth answers, "Yes, Miss Lovelace, that would be correct."
"Like that town near here, Burkitsville." said Dean. If there was one thing he lacked, it was definitely subtlety. "Where are their ancestors from?"
"Uh, northern Europe, I believe, Scandinavia."
"What could you tell me about those Pagan gods?" Dean pressed.
"Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses."
"We're actually looking for one in particular. Might live in an orchard." I said, deciding that our subtle approach was already ruined.
"Yes, of course." He smiled weakly, "Follow me."
The professor began walking and Dean and I shared a look before following him down several corridors. He turned left into one of the classrooms and headed towards a bookshelf. His finger scanned the shelf absently as we waited behind him patiently. Professor Rolland plopped a large book down on a table and opened it.
"Woods god, hm? Well, let’s see." He leafed through some of the old looking pages.
Dean reached out and stopped him on a page he almost flipped right past. "Wait, wait, wait. What’s that one?"
There was a picture of a scarecrow, much like the one we'd seen at the orchard, on a post surrounded by farmers in a field.
"Oh, that’s not a woods god, per se." said Rolland.
"The V-Vanir?" He read, glancing up to see if he was saying it right. The professor nodded at him.
I leaned in closer to Dean and began reading, "The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male, and one female." I glanced up to Dean's face pointedly and laid a dainty finger on the picture, "Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?"
"I suppose." said Rolland.
"This particular Vanir… its energy sprung from the sacred tree?" Dean asked, his eyes scanning down the page.
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