The Mowing-Devil

The Mowing-Devil

On a summer night in 1678, a strange light was seen glowing over a field of oats in Hertfordshire, England. By morning, the crop had been mowed into a perfect circle—so precise, so geometric, that no human hand could have done it. A pamphlet published that same year told the story: a farmer had quarreled with a laborer over the cost of mowing his field, swearing he would rather the Devil himself do the work. That night, the Devil apparently obliged. The “Mowing-Devil” pamphlet, with its famous woodcut illustration of a demonic figure scything a circular pattern in the crop, has become central to one of the most contentious questions in paranormal research: Are crop circles a modern hoax, or evidence of something far older?

According to documented history, “The Mowing-Devil: Or, Strange NEWS out of Hartford-shire” was a cheaply printed pamphlet published in 1678, part of the flourishing trade in sensational news-sheets that characterized the early modern period. The full title set the tone for the supernatural tale within:

“The Mowing-Devil: Or, Strange NEWS out of Hartford-shire, being a True Relation of a Farmer, who Bargaining with a Poor Mower, about the Cutting down Three Half Acres of Oats, upon the Mower’s asking too much, the Farmer swore That the Devil should Mow it rather than He. And so it fell out, that very Night, the Crop of Oat shew’d as if it had been all of a flame: but next Morning appear’d so neatly mow’d by the Devil or some Infernal Spirit, that no Mortal Man was able to do the like. Also, How the said Oats ly now in the Field, and the Owner has not Power to fetch them away.”

The pamphlet was a single sheet, illustrated with a now-famous woodcut that has become iconic in crop circle literature.

The narrative, as presented in the pamphlet, unfolds as follows:

A farmer in Hertfordshire needed to hire a mower to harvest his three and a half acres of oats. A poor laborer approached, offering his services. When the farmer asked the price, the laborer named his figure—and the farmer flew into a rage. The amount was too high, far more than the miserly farmer was willing to pay.

The two argued bitterly. According to the pamphlet, the farmer finally declared in anger that he would rather “give it to the Devil to mow than give [the laborer] so much.” The laborer, offended and perhaps frightened by the invocation, replied that “the Devil should mow it” for all he cared.

That very night, witnesses saw the farmer’s oat field glowing with an eerie light, “as if it had been all of a flame.” The strange illumination persisted through the darkness, visible to neighbors but unapproachable—anyone who tried to investigate found themselves driven back by fear or some unseen force.

When dawn broke, the farmer discovered his field had indeed been mowed. But not in the conventional manner: the oats had been cut in a perfect circular pattern, laid down with impossible precision. The workmanship was so exact, so geometric, that the pamphlet declared “no Mortal Man was able to do the like.”

Most disturbing of all: the farmer found himself unable to harvest the mowed oats. Every time he tried to gather the crop, something prevented him. The grain lay in the field, untouchable, as if the Devil had claimed payment for his work.

The pamphlet’s illustrated woodcut has become one of the most reproduced images in paranormal literature. It depicts:

• A dark, demonic figure at the center of the image
• The Devil holds a scythe in mowing position
• He stands amid a field of grain
• The crop around him forms a clear circular pattern
• Concentric rings of oats lay flattened in a spiral
• The Devil’s posture suggests active mowing rather than static observation.

The image is crude by modern standards—17th-century pamphlet printing was not sophisticated—but it clearly shows a circular formation in a crop field, with the stalks bent or laid in a pattern. This visual depiction is what gives the Mowing-Devil its significance to crop circle researchers.

When the modern crop circle phenomenon exploded in the 1970s and 1980s—primarily in the fields of southern England—researchers began searching for historical precedents. The Mowing-Devil pamphlet became a crucial piece of evidence for those who argued that crop circles were not a modern invention.

Arguments for connection:

• The pamphlet clearly describes a circular formation in a crop field
• The woodcut depicts a spiral or concentric ring pattern similar to simple modern crop circles
• The phenomenon occurred overnight
• Strange lights were associated with the event
• The location (Hertfordshire) is in the same general region as many modern crop circles
• The supernatural explanation suggests locals had no mundane frame of reference for what they witnessed

Arguments against connection:

• The pamphlet describes the crop as “mowed” (cut), not “flattened” or “bent”—modern crop circles involve bent but living stalks
• The story is clearly presented as a moral tale about a miserly farmer invoking the Devil
• No evidence of a continuous tradition of crop circles between 1678 and the 20th century
• The pamphlet may be entirely fictional, a cautionary tale rather than a news report
• Similar “devil” stories were common in the period, often explaining unusual events through supernatural means

Understanding the Mowing-Devil requires understanding the pamphlet culture of Restoration England:

The pamphlet trade: Cheaply printed, single-sheet publications were the tabloid journalism of the 17th century. They reported sensational news, strange events, monstrous births, and supernatural occurrences to an increasingly literate public hungry for entertainment.

Moral framing: Virtually all unusual events were interpreted through a religious lens. Strange happenings were signs from God, punishment for sin, or the work of the Devil. The Mowing-Devil pamphlet fits this pattern perfectly—the farmer invokes the Devil and reaps the consequences.

Truth vs. entertainment: Modern readers cannot easily determine whether pamphlets like the Mowing-Devil reported genuine events, embellished rumors, or complete fabrications. The line between journalism and fiction was not clearly drawn.

Similar stories: The period produced numerous accounts of “devil” involvement in everyday affairs—deals gone wrong, supernatural punishments, unexplained phenomena attributed to infernal agency.

Several explanations have been offered for what the pamphlet might actually describe:

Crop disease: Certain fungal infections can cause grain to flatten in circular patterns as the disease spreads outward from a central infection point. This natural phenomenon might have been interpreted supernaturally.

Weather damage: Localized wind patterns, small whirlwinds, or lightning strikes can flatten crops in roughly circular areas.

Animal damage: Deer bedding down in fields, or birds feeding in circular patterns, can create crop markings.

Complete fiction: The entire story may have been invented as entertainment or moral instruction, with no basis in any actual event.

Mundane vandalism: Someone may have actually cut the farmer’s field as a prank or act of revenge, with supernatural elements added in the retelling.

The Mowing-Devil was largely forgotten for three centuries, surviving in a few archival collections. It gained renewed attention in the 1980s when crop circle researchers, seeking historical precedents, uncovered it.

The pamphlet was republished, analyzed, and debated. For cereologists (crop circle researchers), it provided evidence that the phenomenon predated the modern era and could not be dismissed as a late 20th century hoax. For skeptics, it demonstrated only that unusual events in fields had always attracted supernatural explanations.

The original pamphlet is held in the British Library, where it remains a curiosity of 17th-century printing and a touchstone for ongoing debates about crop circles.

Modern scientific consensus holds that most crop circles are human-made:

The Doug and Dave confession: In 1991, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley claimed responsibility for creating crop circles since 1978, demonstrating their techniques to the media.

Subsequent hoaxers: Multiple groups have since created increasingly complex crop circles, documenting their methods.

No historical continuity: There is no documented tradition of crop circles between the 17th century and the late 20th century.

The proliferation pattern: Crop circles appeared almost exclusively in southern England initially, spreading to other countries only after media coverage increased.

However, some researchers continue to argue that certain crop circles display characteristics that defy human explanation—extreme precision, electromagnetic anomalies, or formation times too short for human creation. The debate continues.

Regardless of its actual meaning, the Mowing-Devil pamphlet holds a unique place in paranormal history:

• It is the earliest known published account resembling a crop circle description
• Its iconic woodcut has become synonymous with crop circle research
• It demonstrates that unexplained circular formations in crops attracted attention and supernatural explanation long before the modern era
• It serves as a reminder that unusual phenomena and the human desire to explain them are not modern inventions.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “The Mowing-Devil”