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Reported Crop Circles from 1847 -
General area of the Midwestern USA
 Henry
L. Schoolcraft, while
doing Indian ethnography work in the Midwestern states of
the USA, collected an oral tradition which seems to contain
a reference to a crop circle. This legend seems to originally
been of Algonquin origin, but other tribes also have a derivative
of the same story:
- In
Shawnee: "Waupee", or the "White Hawk"
discovered the circle.
- In
Algonquin: “Algon the Hunter” who chooses a
white hawk feather, discovered the circle.
- In
Chippewa: “White Hawk” discovered the circle.
As
this appears to be a widespread mythology, this would indicate
a much earlier origin of the incident, perhaps dating back
several hundred years.
“The
information was collected and prepared under the direction
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs per act of Congress of March
3rd, 1847.
The Magic Circle in the Prairie
by Henry R. Schoolcraft, L.L.D.
A
young hunter found a circular path one day in a prairie,
without any trail leading to, or from it. It was smooth
and well-beaten, and looked as if footsteps had trod in
it recently. This puzzled and amazed him. He hid himself
in the grass nearby, to see what this wonder should betoken.
After waiting a short time, he thought he heard music in
the air. He listened more attentively and could clearly
distinguish the sound, but nothing could be seen but a mere
speck, like something almost out of sight. In a short time
it became plainer and plainer, and the music sweeter and
sweeter. The object descended rapidly, and when it came
near it proved to be a car or willow (osier) basket containing
twelve beautiful girls, who each had a kind of little drum
which was struck with the grace of an angel. It came down
in the centre of the ring, and the instant it touched the
ground they leapt out and began to dance in the circle,
at the same time striking a shining ball.”
The
tract continues, and Algon the Hunter goes on to have many
interesting adventures. You can read the rest of the mythology
here.
Crop
type: grass
Source: Historical and Statistical
Information Respecting the History, Condition and Prospects
of the Indian Tribes of the United States, United States
Bureau of Indian Affairs, March 3, 1847, Published Part
1 by Lippincott, Grambo and Company 1851
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Henry
Schoolcraft's "Magic Circle" Writings:
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