Strange crop circles have been observed in different parts of the world for centuries. The mysterious phenomenon has been of interest to researchers from various fields of science for decades. Currently, there are many hypotheses about the origin of circles.
Due to the fact that our group has repeatedly participated in expeditions, both together with research groups and separately, went to the fields where people discovered circles, we decided to devote several articles to this topic. We hope this will bring you closer to understanding this phenomenon. Let's start with history.
The earliest mentions of circles appearing in a grain field were recorded in Holland, they were described as early as 1503, and in southern England - in the years 1618-1680.
But the following three editions are considered to be the first documented sources in which the "crop circles" are mentioned:
- Brochure The Mowing-Devil, 1678;
- The Natural History of Stafford-Shire, Robert Plot, 1686;
- Nature Journal, issue July 29, 1880
Promotional video:
The brochure "The Mowing-Devil" on theological discourse on the existence of God and the Devil summarizes the story of a farmer in Hertfordshire in August.
One morning, pilgrims came to a farmer in Hertfordshire and told him that they had seen flames over his field at night. The farmer got scared, deciding that his field was burned down. He ran to look and when he arrived at the place, he found that his ripened oats were not only whole, but also mowed, and the ears were folded one by one in a bizarre shape in the form of a circle.
When people found out, they attributed the incident to the hands of the devil. This was recorded in the illustration in the brochure, which was called "The Devil-Mower".
In the book "The Natural History of Stafford-Shire" (by Robert Plot), circles are also mentioned, but this time in a field with wild grass. It also describes attempts to understand the origin of circles, as well as describes their shapes, proportions, differences.
The journal Nature dated July 29, 1880 describes the case of the discovery of circles in the field, a description of the form of this formation. They even talk about the sketch made by the observer, but, unfortunately, nothing is known about the fate of the sketch further.
Interest in circles has been manifested to a greater extent since the middle of the 20th century, with the emergence of Ufology, as a quasi-science dealing with the study of the UFO phenomenon and related phenomena.
By now, there are many documented sources of this phenomenon. More than 30 hypotheses have been put forward for the appearance of crop circles. But the true nature of the phenomenon has not yet been revealed.
Continuation: "Crop Circles: Hypotheses of Origin. Part 1"