According to folklore, the tradition of carving eerie faces into pumpkins originated from Ireland. But is this truly the case? In fact, long before that, people were crafting faces on turnips—much more readily available vegetables in ancient Ireland and Scotland. During that time in America, there was an abundance of pumpkins, so they embraced the Irish concept and adapted it to their own context. Thus, the Jack-o’-lantern came to be.
It’s fortunate that the custom became associated with pumpkins, as they are far more appealing and delicious. Just imagine: a turnip pie or a spiced turnip latte? Yikes!
The creator of today’s build, Robert, whom we’ve already met, was inspired by the concept of pumpkins. Now that he has constructed a lovely house, he decided to delve into more eerie themes. We present to you the “Scarecrow Meadow” featuring a giant Jack-o’-lantern head looming over a pumpkin patch! This project was developed for a contest focused on the scariest pumpkin. Scarecrow Meadow draws from Robert’s childhood memories: “The pumpkins in the field remind me of the pumpkin monsters I once saw in Scooby-Doo. This sparked the idea to create menacing glowing eyes, a whirlwind of dark magic, and craft a chilling backstory.”
“Pumpkins are the outcome of agricultural studies,” Robert shares. According to his accounts, the local spirits were overly exhausted from the farming experiments, as all their nightly wanderings were accompanied by mutated crops. “The pumpkins appear gloomy,” Robert states, “but at night, they seem even more sinister.”
The photographs reveal that the eerie scarecrow truly shines in the darkness, which poses a significant challenge in Minecraft. Most builds do not appear as stunning during the day as they do at night. To tackle this issue, one needs a powerful computer capable of running the ray tracing version. However, Robert views nighttime as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. “I enjoy constructing builds at night; the lighting enhances their visual appeal.” The pumpkin heads are illuminated by lanterns placed behind stained glass, casting orange and purple hues onto the ground, making the build feel even more vibrant.
Despite the astonishing level of detail in the project, Robert only spent six hours on it. “I try to build manually as much as I can. This way, I have greater control over the intricacy of my work. However, to speed up the process, I use WorldEdit to copy and paste certain sections,” he explained.
Many builders in Minecraft meticulously plan their creations, but Robert enjoys a more spontaneous approach. He doesn’t follow a strict blueprint and often completely reworks his designs when inspiration strikes. “I inevitably find myself looking back and thinking that I could have done some things differently. But it’s also amusing to see how the build evolves and unfolds like a surprise.” Like a farmer tending to his crops, Robert began his project with a scarecrow, particularly focusing on its large, glowing face. “This is my favorite part of the build, and at the same time, it’s the centerpiece since the contest theme was ‘Spooky Pumpkin Carving.’
“I wanted at least a pumpkin,” says Robert, “but I ultimately decided to participate and create something for the contest.” This was tied to magic, pumpkins, ghosts, and a farm. Robert considered adding crows but eventually settled on a creepy, solitary pumpkin creature.
The possessed pumpkin has vines wrapping around it, giving the illusion of limbs. It certainly looks beautiful during the day, but I’m sure that a spooky pumpkin with vine-like arms is not what you would want to encounter at night. But do you know what’s even scarier? There isn’t a single pumpkin block in the assembly! “I keep forgetting about their existence in Minecraft Bedrock.” We forgive you, Robert. But the pumpkins—no way.
