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Crop Circles Meder 26
Crop Circles Meder 26
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2005
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iE
ËiE
Robbert vên den Broeke (Hoeven, 1999). lrlønet i! the lørge$ and rnort im?ortønt onc. We books, which all come down to the same ques-
Photo: Ben Steffen. Source: BN De Stem
are the waÞert of the crop circle here lø$ lear.'11 tion: were the gods of the past actually alien
(9 juni 1999). beingsì His answer is - of course - affirma-
No doubt this messâge matches up with the tive. Von Däniken's first book, entitled. Erin-
image humans seem to have created of ET nerangen an diz ZøÞunft, was published in
quite well. Fact is that it can not be ån answer Ge¡man in 19ó8. It was translated into English
from star cluster Ml3, because our binary in 19ó9 âs Chøriot: ofthe Galr. The same year,
code has to travel for another 250 cemunes ro the book was t¡anslated into Dutch under ¡he
get there! Incidentall¡ the crop circle forma- title of Wøren de goden kormonøaten? (Were the
tion is a mirror image of the binary code, iust Gods Spacemen?) and has been reprinted for
like it has been printed in mirror image in over thirty times since. ra Äccording to Yon
some books by mistake. Still, the formation is Däniken, many ancient artifacts, myths and
intriguing, even if it is man-made. In that case, scriptures bear witness of the fact that we were
it gives us insight in human creativity, and in visited (and experimented on) repeâtedly by
the way man fântâsizes and theorizes about aliens, whom primitive cultures have considered
extraterrestrial life. to be gods: cave paintings show gods with space
suits, antennas and space crafts; the epic of
The extraterrestrial connection Gilgamesh speaks of contact with aliensi demi-
I said there is no New Age bible. Still, as far as gods are human-alien halfbreeds; myths and
New Age notions on cosmology and extrater- legends about giants are actually about aliens;
restrial civilization are concerned, two leading the superb Sumerian cosmology must spring
authors - sceptics call them myth makers - from alien knowledge; ancient Egyptian archi-
need to be mentioned here: Erich von Däniken tecture, art and rituals cannot exist without
¿nd. Zechaùa Sitchin. Both had an enormous alien involvement; the statues on Easter Island
influence on contemporary New Age thought suggest extraterrestrial contact; the pyramids,
with their 'ancient âstronâut hypothesis'. 12 the space observatory and the calender of the
They both take ancient myths and legends for Mayas were made with alien aid; the medieval
¿ fact. If one is not fâmiliâr with their theo- Türkish map of the world of Piri Reis is based
ries, my summary will sound too far-fetched on a much copied aerial photo; Peruvian land-
for words. Nevertheless, if the ideas reach you scape art is truly an airstrip for alien vessels
slowl¡ one step ât a dme, they become âccept- (surely alien vessels without brakes, the sceptics
able. Insert the 'mind virus' little by little, and mock); the Bible is full of aliens portrayed as
people will eventually consider the ideas cred- God, angels and 'sons of heaven'; chariots in
ible out of their own free will. This is exactly the skv are ufos¡ Sodom and Gomorrh¿ were
1l Translat¡on based on the UFOnet tos/2000/uk2000ee.html. The last symbol Routledge,2003) 24.
d¡scussion l¡st; the interDretation is based has alternalt¡vely beeñ ìnterpreted âs: l3 On th¡s subject T. Meder: 'Modern
on the views of the Br¡t¡sh crop c¡rcle 'lhis message wês sent by a solar pan- Exempla: Crop C¡rcle Tales ¡n the New
researcher Paul V¡gay (see: http://wwv,. elled satellite.'The offic¡al SETI response Age Era'and ln grcanc¡*elkingen. Een
cropcircleresearch.com/art¡cles/arec¡bo. (http://www.seti.org/generê l/ao_mes- etnolog¡sch ondetzoek naar nar@tíeve
html) and on an ¡nterview with Dutch sage_crop.html) that we are not deal- getuigenissen uit de grcnswetenschap lto
crop c¡rcle researcher Robert Boerman ¡ng with an alien response, has been be published).
on Februêry 12,2003 (tape record¡ng, removed from the¡r webs¡te. 14 E. von Dàniken, Warcn de goden
'Goldon Tunnel' hoax at N¡euwerkerk
Meertens lnstitute archives, Amsterdam). 12 C, Partr¡dge:'Understanding UFO kosm on â uten ? On o pgeloste raadsels u ¡t
(1997). Photo: Joop van Houdt. Source: For the formalion of 2000 ¡n Chilbolton, relig¡ons ênd êbduction sp¡ritualit¡es', ¡n: het verleden lDevenler: Ankh Hermes,
prlvâto colloctìon Remko Delfgaauw. see http://!vww.l ucyprin gle.co.uk/pho- C. Partr¡dge (ed.): UFO Relig¡ons lLoñdonl '1998) is the 32nd impr¡nl.
annihilated by a nucleâr blasti the Deluge was the supreme Anunnaki scientist, Noah built
caused by aliens to destroy their unsuccess- a kind of submarine and was able ro survive a
ful experiments with mankind; the Arc of the deliberate Great Flood to destroy mankind.
Covenant was an electric¿l radio-transmitter; After this, the Sume¡ians developed the frrst
the prophet Ezechiel described an amphibi- advanced civilization, with expert knowledge
ous helicopter and so on, and so forth. By the of mathematics and astronomy, with the help of
way: as ân experiment, Von Däniken suggested the Anunnaki. It was the Anunnaki who built
to draw a circle and a triangle in an enormous the pyramids in Egypt and Peru. They once
wheat field with a laser, to make ourselves had a base on Mars, which they are probably
known as an intelligent species and attract the using again today.
âttention of alien beings.15 Would that not look The return of the god-like Anunnaki is
like a huge crop circlel near, perhaps in 2012 - when for instance
\Mhereas Von Dâniken does not knoÌ¡i/ who the calendar of the Mayas ends. In New Age
rhe aliens are, and where they come from, circles, the year 2012 is often mentioned as a
Zecharia Sitchin does. t6 Zechari¿ Sitchin was turning point: a new Deluge, Armageddon,
born in Russia, raised in Palestine, and gradu- or the transition to a peaceful age or a higher
@ ated from the Universiry of London with a dimension are expected.
degree in economic history. He worked as ¿ Alrhough they certainly have opened
journalist in Israel and emigrated to the United up new horizons in thought, to my humble
States in the mid-1950s. His first book, entitled opinion, Yon Däniken ¿nd Sitchin underes-
The 12tb Planet, was published in 197ó, fol- timate the imaginative, creative and scientifrc
lowed by several other volumes in the 'Earth capabilities of mankind in general and ancient
Chronicle' series. After studying Sumerian clay civilizations in particular. Human art, religion,
tablets, Sitchin reached the conclusion thât the knowìedge, imaginâtion and achieyements do
alien beings are called the Anunnaki ('those not have to be attributed to alien influence at
who came to Earth from heaven'). These all. Human artifacts and texts need not be as
Anunnaki live on the planet Nibiru ('the cross- mysterious as claimed. The interpretâtion of
ing planet'). In some wa¡ this planet belongs historic¿l sources by Von Däniken and Sitchin
to our own solar system: it is our tenth planet is basically anachronistic. From an ethnologist's
(or twelfth celestial bod¡ including the sun point of view though, Von Dâniken is almost
and the moon). The orbit the planet Nibiru right: not that the pâst gods of man were really
describes is enormous: it takes approximateþ aliens. Man today - and Yon Däniken first
3ó00 years to re¿ch our solar system and Eârth - is just in the process of transforming these
again. 17 This is why the aliens can only visit us gods into aliens. From a religious point of view,
at long intervals. The Babylonians gave Nibiru Von Däniken and Sitchin are not wrong at all: 'Fe-male Project' hoax at Nieuwerkerk
the name Marduk. In the Bible the Anunnaki ifpeople believe they are right, so they are. (1999). Photoì Joop van Houdt. Source:
private collection Remko Delfgaauw
are called Anakim or Nephilim. The descrip- Religions, myths and legends are only being re-
tion of the Creation in Genesis is basically interpreted. The studies of Von Däniken and
right, says Sitchin: first came the stars ând Sitchin place the crop circle phenomenon rn â
planets, then the creatures of the sea, then the wider perspective. Several publications make an 15 Von Däniken, Warcn de goden kos- adds: "There is no such planet" (e-mail, netwerk, Het ufo-mystetie in kaaft
birds and the creatures of the land, including effort to fit crop circles into the alien theory, monauten?,193. April 25th,2002). Cf. lM. Keulemans,'ln de gebracht (Deventer: Ankh Hermes, 1996),
the dinosaurs. This evolutionary knowledge and interpret them as cosmic signs, re l6 See for instance Z. Silchin, Aan Gen- ban van Nibiru. De dre¡gende komst van P. Fiebag, Eúgenamen van kosñische
es¡s voorbij lBaarti T,rìon, 2000), in wh¡ch Planeet X', in: Skepter 15 l2102l 4, 14-19, kennis. Buitenaadsen en hun ¡nvloed op
of the Hebrews dates back to the Babylonians
Croo circles in the Netherlands he recapitulates his theories, and links 18 This alternat¡ve account of the creê- de Maya's en Hopí. De Maya-híérogl¡efen
e and Sumerians, whb were informed - not by
them up w¡th biblicaltexts such as Gen- t¡on of man according to Sitchin, has ontcijfed (Baah: nrion, 1997) and S.
God, but - by the Anunnaki, who h¿d studied Wirhout any doubt, England is the cradle of esrs, recently been retold on Dutch telev¡sion Moran, Buitenaatdse kunst - getoond
the Earth's evolution. Of course, the creation crop circles. In 2001, a total of 197 crop cir- l7 W¡th such an orb¡t through deep at prìme tìme. The nârrâÎor was the op de aarde lLissei Zu¡d Boekprodukt¡es,
days of Genesis are to be understood as eras. cles have been reported in fourteen countrres space, one can imagìne how dêrk ênd comed¡an / music¡an and New Age guru 1998), ìncludes a foreword by Erich von
Then the Anunnaki actually created mankind worldwide: 520lo of these formations werc cold this planet must be - too cold to l¡ve Bram Vermeu¡en (1946-2004);'ln Den Dän¡ken. See Robert Boerman's theory
.9
by means of genetic engineering. Adam was the found in England. Germany comes rn sec- on? S¡tchin claims there must be a (rad¡o- Beg¡nne...', RVU, Nederland 3 (January 5, further on.
first test tube baby. This human hybrid - half ond with 12010, Canada is third with 90/0. The
active?) source of heat within the planet s 20041. 2o Sources: http://inv¡s¡blecìrcle,
Ê core, ênd that gold was needed to keep 19 For example see H. Hegge & M. de/mueller and http://www.dccê.nl/arl
Anunnaki, half homo erectus - lacked some Netherlands end up fourth with I0/0 of the crop the warmth ins¡de the plânet s atmos- Hesemann, Boodschappen uit de Kos- ¡cca01-nl.htm.
vital DN-A. in order to make him submissive, for circles. Most of the formations were found, iust phere. Dutch êstronomer Prof. dr Vincent mos, Het ñyste e van gfaanc¡*els en
R the humans were supposed to work as slaves in before harvest, in July and August.20 lcke of Leiden University considers this anderc fenomenen ¡n het veld \Baa.n
iF the goldmines. rs Thanks to the advice of Enki, Crop circles have been found in the Neth- to be highly ¡mprobable and he bluntly ïrìon, 1995). T. Paìjmans, Kos¡nrsch
was inspired by the Julia-set and was called the
Golden Tunnel Project.
Hebrew letters appeared some days later. In beets. The makers were ignorant of the fact
199ó, a double helix was found, symbolizing that the lâst part of the field was halfwheat,
our strings of DNA. In short' the messâges halfbeets, and started off from the wrong
would be like this: 'I am Enki, also known as tramline.
Ea and Ptah; I am the Anunn¿ki scientist who Ir¡efutable evidence for a hoax was the hole
E
created mankind through geneÌic engineer- in the middle of the circle: this is where the
:ò ing.'So crop circles are secret messages from makers planted the pole to attach the roPe to,
our creators. They can be decoded by means enabling them to draw a perfect circle.
:!! of numerology and the Hebrew alphabet. The On the 1óth of August, I visited a forma-
numerological combinations leave room for ¡ion in Stadskanaal, which, according to the
multiple translations. Apart from this, there cereologists, turned out to be a 'real' crop cir-
are crop circles with astronomical pictures ând cle - 'real' in their terminology meaning 'not
f{ The circle was discovered and
ancient symbols, which point to Nibiru and the made by man'.
Anunnaki. The reason why most crop circles photographed on the 1st of August by dentist
appear in England is simple: the British are Hans Hesselink, who happened to be passing
oii
E€ still using the ancient system of inches, feet by in an Ultra Light Aircraft. Photos and a
:;
¡è and yards, which is needed for measuring and first report were published on the Dutch Crop
-c< interpreting the messages. Boerman thinks Circle Archive website of Robert Boerman's
cìó that crop circles are preparing us for a maior PTAH Foundation. Because of the shape, the
change in the near future. Probably the return formation - about 40 meters in diame¡er - was
of the Anunnaki in the year 2012 and the tran- soon called the Scorpio. ln a newspaper inrer-
sition into a higher spiritual dimension (due to view, dentist Hesselink admitted he believed
upcoming DNA alterations). People who call the Scorpio to be a 'signature of a higher intel-
this a load of crap, are just looking for a safe ligent being or group'.3e On the night ânother
excuse not to think things over, Boerman says. crop circle in the neighbourhood appeared,
campers had seen strange lights in the sky'
Two Dutch cases in 2001 Hesselink said.
In 2001, seyenteen crop circles have been In their report, cereologists Robert Boer-
reported in the Netherlands. Apart from cer- man and his nephew Jan Willem Bobbink
eologists and journalists, the formations are stated they found wheat stems with blown
being visited by believers and tourists, although nodes and nettles with burnt leaves. Using a
not on such a l¿r8e scale as in England. I will dowsing rod, Bobbink found some twenty ley
discuss two cases here: Leþstad (Flevoland) lines crossing the Scorpio circìes.
Ë and Stadskanaal (Groningen). On July 31, the Some days later Eltio Haselhoff, Jan Wil-
newspaper ,$l* printed a photo of an ingenious lem Bobbink and Robert Boerm¿n returned for
€3
crop circle in Lelystad, heading: 'Farmer Piek further investigation and sampling. Boerm¿n
puzzleð,,'37 took some photos and pole shots of the Scorpio
93
EC By the time I paid 35-year-old Pleun Piek with its ei sht-circle tail.
a visit, on August 2, he was not puzzled any
more.33 Although his Australian wife at frrst
believed the crop circle was 'real' and even felt
the cosrnic energy tingling in her hands, Pleun
Piek soon concluded it was an act of sheer van-
p! dalism, which had cost him âr least 900 euro, 37 'Boer P¡ek staat voor een raadsel', in:
Spifs (July 3'1, 2001).
o:È bec¿use flattened crop cannot be harvested
with a combine. After the esoteric researchers
38 Tape recording and f¡eldwork report,
at
ao. had examined the formation, 100 meters in dia-
August 2, 200'1. Meertens lnst¡tute
archives, Amsterdam.
meter, they too decla¡ed it a hoax. Footprints 39 Roel Toering,'Nog meer graancirkeìs
oð
had been found, for instance. On the night the in gemeente Stadskar\aal', iñi N¡euwsblad
-, ll) circle was made, neighbours spotted a white van van het Nooden lÀugust 2, 2001).
It was for the second season this farmer had ted like ordinary whole wheat buns. 'There is
crop circles on his acres. Adams told me that he no wheat in it from within the circle, only from
believed the crop circles were man-made, alt- the outside,' the baLer told me. 'I had to put
hough he could not explain how the ninth tail in 500/o flour of my own to make it work,' he
ci¡cle h¿d come into being. He witnessed the added.as
cereologisrs flee in panic when he was coming
towards them from an adiacent freld. According Some exolanations
to the f¿rmer, Bobbink's sketch of the ley lines and interõretations
was nonsense: if earth energy created the cir- Throughout the years, all kinds of explana-
cles, why were there no ley lines drawn that tions have been given for the existence of crop
could have predicted the ninth tail circle? Still, circles.a6 QLite a common opinion is that they
the farmer would not rule out the possibility Artist makes bread out of crop cìrcles are all made by prankstersaT - in 199ó, an eye-
that crop circles were made by electromagnetic (2001). Photo: Henk Oosterhuis. Source: witness even claimed to have seen a crop circle
forces. He mentioned another peculiar fact: Angelo Vergeer, "M¡ssch¡en krijg je wel being made by a helicopter.as Then there ¡vere
Cìrcle in the grass (Stadskanêa1,2001) how come so many formations like the Scorpio voelspr¡eten'. Kunstenaar maakt brood
all kinds of meteorological explanations, like
Photo: Theo Meder. van graancirkels', ¡n: De Telegraaf, \29
appeared at the 53rd degree of latitudel ,They local whirlwinds. The patterns in the fields
(o augustus 2001).
are aÌÌ exactly on a straight line,' he said. could have a biological origin: geese walking
When I walked to the crop circle, I met 2ó- around, mating deer, pollution, even fertilizer.
After he had changed position, Boerman - to year-old Roland Koning who worked at a local Cereologists tried to warn the general public When I was in Lelystad, a visiting mother and
his utter amazement - noticed there suddenly radio station. He came to visit the circle out of though: due to radiation, wheat from crop cir- her son had become overly receptive to circles
were nine tail circles! Within a matter of minu- curiosity. As I was putting an interview on tape cles may have biological abnormalities. The ¿nd had seen them in other crop fields as well.
tes, while the cereologists were in the field, an with him inside the circle, he said he believed buns may taste bad, ând in the worst case, they Pleun Piek went out to look ând declared the
extr¿ circle had formed! the circles rvere man-made. He rvould not be are radioactivel 'That's why I'll let my mother- wheat was down due to an overdose of ferti-
They all went to the new circle and noticed surprised if the cereologisrs mâde the ninth cir- in-law have the frrst bite,' ar¡ist Chris \Mesten lizer. Mother and son had become the victim
that it was still warm. Haselhoff wanted to take cle themselves, just as 'a publicity stunt.' \ /hen responded tongue-in-cheek. The farmer told of quasi-ostension: a misinterpretation of natu-
a picture, but the battery of his digital camera we yisited the ninrh circle, we noticed there me: 'I didn't harvest the crop circle, just the rally occurring events in terms o[ an existing
was dead all of a sudden. Then Boerman and was ¿ hole in the centre, about a finger deep wheat around it. It's impossible to haryest flât- 'legend'.ae Furthermore, it has been said that
Haselhoff experienced a distincr pâin in their (some time later Robert Boerman stated that tened wheat with a combine. By the wa¡ I crop formations are actually distress calls from
limbs. By means ofhis dowsing rod, Bobbink the hole was not there when they discovered grow wheat for pigfeed, not for bunsl'aa For a Mother N¿tu¡e. I already mentioned the sup-
sensed that the ninth circle was not finished the circle). When Roland and I w¿lked back to while it just looked like a cheap publicity stunt, posed influence ofley lines, balls of light and
yet. The reseârchers ran away in terror. It took our cafs, we came across the three grass circles. because no buns were sold during Christmas, ufos. All of these explanations returned in
them h¿lf an hour to regain their courage and 'How hard can it be to make another onel' or Easter for that matter. Still, in the end 5000 the surveys I held between 2000 and 2003.50
return. \ /hen iou¡nalist Roel Toering arrived, Roland asked and trampled around through the buns were baked and sold on 'QLeens Day', The first questionnaire was sent to a group of
the battery of his digital camera failed as grass. A few seconds later there were four cir- April 30, 2002. They looked, smelled and tas- mosdy elderly men living in the countryside.
well.ao Back home, Haselhofffound out thar all cles in the grass!
his photo files were corrupted, except for one I must confess that I saw or felt norhing out
photo he had made ourside rhe crop circle. of the ordinary that dây in the Scorpio forma-
A few days later, cereologist Ina Kliffen tion. The only thing that surprised me was rhe
visited the crop circle. She encountered three poor quality of my tape recording inside the 40 See also Roel Toer¡ng:'Graanc¡rkels, graancirkelbroodjes' and'Dê'grêancirkel' 48 'Getuìge ¡n Gronings plaatsje:
klaar terwijl u wacht', ¡n: Westetwolde broodjes zijn klaar', ¡n: http://wwwdcca. "Helikopter maalde graancirkels
circles in the grass in the vicinity of the Scor- crop circle, due to a disturbing rustle, Could N,eurvs (August 8, 200'l). nl/artlbrood.htm and htt p://www. d cca. Meeden"', in: Noord-B rc bants Dag bl ad
pio. Using her pendulum, she measured unusual this be electromagnetic noisel A technician 4f B. Creme, 'Ontstaan graancirkel n l/a rtlb ro od 2. htm . {August 7,1996).
energy values. All these extraordinâry events assured me it was the sound of the wind and waargenomen', ¡n: Sharc Nede ande, 44 Phone call with the farmer on April 49 Ellis, A/,er¡s, Ghosts and Cults,163.
were not only published on Boerman's website the waving of the wheat. (October 2001) 10. 4.2002. 50 The Jull results have been publ¡shed
.9 and rn Frontier Magazine, a Dutch magazine lor This is not yet the end of the story. Late 42 Tape recording and f¡eldwork report, 45 Phone call w¡th the baker on Aprìl on the lnternet: T. Meder, 'Onderzoek
mysteries of science, but also found their way August 16, 2001, Meertens lnstitute 23,2002. naar graancirkels: "Betaalt de overheid
August, a local artist called Chris \Mesten hit
to the news media inside and outside the Neth- arch¡ves. Amsterdam, 46 See R. Nanningê,'G¡appenmakers ìn dit?" U¡tslagen van de enquêtes u¡t
the news, because he had decided to buy the
erlands. Benlamin Creme, a Scottish medium
43 See Roel Toer¡ng,'Kunstenaar koopt het graân', ¡n: Skepfe¡ 9 (1996) 3, '10-1'1. 2000 en 2001'. ¡n: http://members-chello.
wheat l-rom the Scorpio ro bake 'crop circle graanc¡rkel Stadskanaal', iñi Wester- 47 The most outrâgeous example nUm.jong9/map2lgraanc¡rkel.html and
and prophet of world teacher Maitreya, stated buns'.43 The artist found a miller to make flour, wolde Níeuws and Nieuwsblad van het seems to be P Huston, Scams froñ the T. Meder,'U¡tslag vân de graancirkel-
.9
õ that the Scorpio was made by a spaceship frorn while around Christmas time, baker Geert Noorden (August 24,2001); Robert Jan Great Beyond, How to Make Easy Money enquête 2002-2003', ¡n: http://www.
É Mars.ai Bos from Stadskanaal would make and sell the Oosterhaven,'Kunstenaar bakt graanc¡r- Off of ESe Asvology, UFOs, Crop Circles, meertens,nl/medewerkers/theo.meder/
'When kelbrood'. ¡n: Metrc lAugust 27 , 2OO1l, Cattle M ut¡lat¡ o ns, Al i en Abd uct¡ons, Graôn2002en3.html. The Iast survey was
I visited 52-year-old farmer Jan Hen- buns. The profit would be spent on a charitable
Angelo Vergeer, 'Kunstenaar mâakt Atlantis, Channeling, and Other New Age held after the crop circle mov¡e Signs
drik Adamsa2, I told him I w¿s a researcher, cause: meals for the poor. Chris \Mesten con-
z brood van graancirkels', ini De Telegraaf /Vor¡sence (Boulder: Paladin Press, '1997) (2002) had been released, showing no
¡nd rsked:(What kind of people are coming to siders crop circles to be a rura.l form of art, not (August 29.2001). On this subject see signif¡cant shift in opin¡ons in the Nether-
117-119,122.
# this crop circlel' 'People like you,' he answered. a supernatural or extraterrestrial phenomenon. also T. Meder: 'Het veruolgverhaal van de tanos.
They gathered human inte¡ference and small that crop circles are a hoax. They are right. faith or superstition. What the beLever sees (i.e. untrue, superstitious), is not for ethnolo-
twisters were the most plausible explanations. Other people believe in crop circles as 'holis- or experiences is true, whether he or she sees gists to decide. The stories should be inte¡-
The second and third survey were held on tic signs of the time'. They are right too. For orbs of light or an apparition of Mary - no preted within the context of the obvious
the Meertens Institute website and atrrâcted ¿ considerable number of people, the matter discussion possible. What really matters here longing for the re-enchantment of the wo¡ld.
slighrly younger, higher educated people - is unclear: they do not know what to belieye, âre the human rituals, their interpretations of
quite a lot of believers too, because the Dutch And they are right as well! A genuine ideologi- forms and phenomena, their mentâl construc-
Crop Circle Archive made a link to my sur-
vey. Again hoaxers were considered to be the
cal battle is fought out berween the (sceptics' tiois and their roots in traditional folklore. \À/e rersonaila
and the 'believers'. For the first group, crop haye to acknowledge th¿t å lot of crop circle
most likely explanation. This rime, borh earth circle stories are just contemporary legends, tales are firmly rooted in the 'Heavenly Mes- Theo Meder (19ó0) is sinds 1994 werkzaam op
energy and exrraterresrriâl inrelligence came in for the latter, the tales are exemplø and personal sengers' rradition,'creating its own institution- de afdeling etnologie van het Meertens Instituut
second. I also asked what message crop circles nârratiyes thât strengthen their spiritual New alized system of belief, ritual, philosophy and te Amsterd¿m. Als senior onde¡zoeker bestu-
could haye. (Mân wants to be deceived' was a Age convictions. The ethnologist has no right mythology.56 For those who believe, stories deert hij Nederlandse volksverhalen in heden
much repeated reply. A minority thought rhere to take sides: he or she should be a scientific about crop circles or ufos bea¡ witness to an en verleden en treedt hii op als coördinato¡
was a serious message. I distinguished ecologi- observer who iust has to explain the human esoteric, supernatural, extraterrestria.l or high- van de Nederlandse Volksverhalenbank (http://
cal (i.e. signals from Mother Earth), supernaru- behaviour inyolved: why people believe what tech truth. The only thing we c¿n do is take www.verhalenb¿nk.nl). Hij heeft onder meer
ral and extraterrestrial messages. Either way, they believe.52 this expanding faith just as seriously as other onderzoek ve¡richt naar de vertelcultuur in
@ crop formations are conside¡ed as signs of the Although crop circle tales âre contemporâry people's scepticism. de multiculturele samenleving en publiceerde
times51, as a warning that man is making a mess and are considered to be legends by many, for twee belangrijke volksverhaalcollecties uit 1900,
of things: a warning against hatred, chaos, war, a specific group of narrators they are part of onder de titels Verîelcahaar ìn Warerlßnd (2001)
cruelry egoism, capitalism, pollution, pesricides,
genetic enginee¡ing or the End of Days... A
an elaborate beÌief system
- a modern faith
even -, which is more than can be said of the
Summary en Vertelcahøar in Nederlønd (2005). Sinds 2001
heeft hii zich verdiept in het fenomeen gr¿an-
new era may be coming - more than once the average 'Mexican Per' or 'Runaway Crand- Crop circles can be found in the UK since the cirkels, en binnenkort verschiint van zijn hand
circles are regarded as signs of the arrival of a mother' story. SeveraÌ parallels can be drawn 1970s and in the Netherlands since the 1980s. de studie In graancirÞelÞringen. Een etnologìrh
superior alien civilization, which will help us between modern crop circle belief and the Although many people consider them to be onderzoeþ nøør nørrøtìøae getuigeniren uit de
solve our problems. mo¡e traditional religious movements. s3 New man-made hoaxes, a Dutch minority is con- grenruetenrcba?.
Somehow, there seems to be a growing fascina- Age researchers and writers can be considered vinced that they are supernatural, ecological or
tion for mystery ând spirituality in a cold and priests, and reading their literature or hearing extraterrestrial signs of the times. The stories dr. Theo Meder
careless society - mind you: it is darn exiting their lectures can be compared to reading the these believers tell about crop circles function Meertens Instituut
to stând in a crop circle that might represent holy scripture or listening to the good word. as (religious) exempla, and are in most cases Postbus 942ó4
some kind of mysterious messagel It looks Like tråditional ¡eligions, the New Age ufo- part of a more elaborate (New Age) belief sys- NL-I090 GG Amsterdam
like the success of New Age thought can be cult movement knows tales about the creâtion tem. Most of these stories have thei¡ roors in T + 31 (0)20 462 85 58
explained as a reaction on the moral and reli- of man, and their prophets have visions about the so called 'Heavenly Messengers' tradition. F + 11 (0)20 462 85 55
gious void in which modern European society the return of the god-like aliens, the end of \Mhether o¡ not these sto¡ies are lesends Theo.Meder@Meertens.knaw.nl
finds itself, after a period of disenchantment, times, or the dawning of a new peaceful era.
secularization, ration¿lizafion and consumer- Other tales about crop circles can be compared
ism. There seems to be a longing for a neq to traditional religious exempla: they bear wit-
re-enchanted world, in which inner peace, haF ness to the truth. Visiting crop circles can be
mon¡ care for each other and nature prevail, considered a pilgrimage to holy places ('tem-
and in which there is room for miracles, the porary temples'), ¿nd meditation in the circle 51 De Blécourt, 'Cirkels in de tijd' and Predator, Men ín Black, lndependence in which to teach the public that crop
'Tekenen des tìjds', Day, Battlefield Eafth a.,d Wat of the c¡rcles are for the GOOD OF MANKINDI'
supernatural and the extraterrestrial. People is like prayer. Those who seek physical recov-
52 Cf. L. Dégh, Legend and bel¡ef. D¡a- t4lo¡lds. August/September 2002, the first One could say that most (Dutch) 'crop-
seem to crave for - preferably heavenly - solu- ery or mental relief, those who look for balls lect¡cs of a folklorc gen¡e {Bloomington : crop c¡rcle movie, called Sigrs' appeêred, p¡es' and 'cereologists'are 'Positives'
tions involving world problems and personal of light are actually looking for miracles and lnd¡ana Un¡versity Press,2001)317-318. feêturing Mel Gibson as a'town rever- (cf. Partridge 2003,'Understanding UFO
worries. From within the existing vacuum, wondrous apparitions. As we know: those who 53 Cf. Partridge,'Understanding UFO end, whose faith ¡s tested in the journ€y religions and êbduct¡on spiritualities', on
they tend to search for new yalues and spiritual seek, shall eventually find. Finall¡ the urge for religions and abduct¡on spìrìtual¡t¡es'. to f¡nd the truth behind the c¡rcles' (http:// abductees).
e
anchorage, be it on an eclectic and individual contact with aliens can be compared to contact 54 See L. Dégh, 'UFO'S and how folk- www.signsmovie.co,uldmoviel.html). 55 Partrìdge,'Understanding UFO reli-
lorists should lookallhem'.ini Fabula Again the al¡ens are portrayed as sâvage gions ênd abduction spiritualities', 19,
base. with the gods, who are capable of solving our 1811977) 242-248. Hollywood movies and host¡le (ês ¡n the low-budget r¡p-off 56 Dégh, Legend and belief,213.
problems.sa Or as Partridge puts it:'We are in sometimes visual¡ze these peaceful '(Silent) Warn¡ngs', which was released
The ethnologist's position need of salvation from space.'s5 Fortunatd encounters, lìke Steven Spielberg's C/ose in 2003). On Apr¡l 5,2002, a worr¡ed Paul This article ¡s an extended ônd updated
.9
õ To believe or not to believe... that is the ques- everyone is free to choose elements of belief Encounteß of the Th¡rd Kínd and E f, and V¡gay wrote on the Cropc¡rcleResearch- version of lhe pêper presented at the
tion. As soon as narratives about croo circles or to his or her liking on an individual basis. Hell Ron Howard's Cocoon. Feat ol an aggres- list: 'Onìy one th¡ng could be worse than twentieth conference of the lnternatìo-
ufos are called'legends' by eLhnoìogìsrs, rhey nor comm¿ndments need to be part of the deal sive encounter, which can hardly be the Doug and Dave scam, for crop circle nal Society for Contemporary Legend
automarically ger quali6ed as false stories, as found among the believers, gave r¡se to cred¡b¡lity - and that's giving the ¡mpres- Research ¡n Sheffield (England), July
nowadays.
Ë a flourìshing genre of Hollywood movies, s¡on they're a sign from the Dev¡l or 24-27,2002.1would like to thank Ms M.C.
superstition. Who are folklorists to judgel The In m¿itters of religion, ethnologists should like lnvasion ofthe Body Snatchers,the something. [...] We have three months
I main thing is: a majority ofpeople is convinced not distinguish between true or false, between Star Wars-saga,lhe Alien.ycle, Staryête, before the mov¡e is released in the US
de Jong, lvl.A. for her help ¡n writing the
Engl¡sh text,