Justo Espantoso

This article is about the Ardispherian folk tradition associated with Justo Espantoso. For the historical person linked to this folkloric character, see Justo Picard.

Justo Espantoso is an Ardispherian folk tradition associated with the fall harvest (which, being the southern hemisphere, occurs in late March or early April each year). As the straw is gathered in the fields after harvest, numerous scarecrows (espantapájaros) are erected in the fields, which are often elaborately dressed or decorated by children over a period of weeks. Then on the night of the second full moon after the harvest, the scarecrows are all lit on fire and allowed to burn. The custom is symbolically associated with a kind of purging or emptying out of the detritus of the summer months, and an effort to ensure a good growing season the following year.

The name derives from a real-life individual (see Justo Picard) who went by the nom-de-guerre Justo Espantoso in the mid-18th century in the Lower Hierro Valley region (modern day Ciudad Quiroga, DS), in the Ardisphere. Leading a group of bandits and highwaymen, Justo Espantoso had a custom of burning the scarecrows in the fields in an effort to terrorize the local inhabitants and let them know he was in the area and would be demanding tribute. He was a fearsome figure with a notorious habit for unnecessary cruelty, and even today the figure of Justo Espantoso is summoned to terrify children in late-night campfire tales. The custom itself, however, is probably based on a much older Altazorian tradition that was adopted by the original Ingerish, Karolian and Castellanese colonists when they first settled the region.

There is a small town and train stop called Justo Espantoso (on the Ferrocarriles Orientales RUTA 24), in the area southwest of Ciudad Quiroga where Picard and his men supposedly made their final stand against the colonial constabulary in the 1760s. Each year, the town holds its Justo Espantoso festival, including a nighttime parade and many burning scarecrows. The town has developed the theme into a significant, year-round tourist draw, with over 200,000 visitors annually. Recently, an "Espantoso"-themed water park (called Reino Acuático Muy Espantoso) has opened near the town, mixing metaphors with some unrelated pirate-themes, but nevertheless proving a huge commercial success.