Alternativt Nettverk nr. 5/2000
THE NORWEGIAN CROP CIRCLE GROUP
By Erik Svenke Solum
You’ve probably heard about the phenomenon; a field of ripe crops is decorated with a serene and beautiful geometric pattern. These patterns are often intricate and impressive, and in a scale that makes it difficult to believe they are all pranks. Many have become interested in the phenomenon that had its “breakthrough” in the early nineties. Partly due to the two English pensioners Doug and Dave who came forward and claimed to be responsible for the formations.
They eagerly told how they had proceeded; a cap on the head with a piece of wire attached for a sight and a piece of plank under the feet to press the grains down into the desired pattern. Night after night for several years they allegedly visited numerous fields around the entire southern England. Later it became clear that there was no way these two eccentrics could have accomplished what they claimed, namely to have made all English crop circles so far. But there might of course be other tricksters around.
- There are reports of crop circles in England that date back to the 17th century, tells Eva-Marie in the Norwegian Crop Circle Group. She does not believe that humans can be behind the whole phenomenon.
- Some crop circles are doubtlessly man-made, but humans cannot be behind the entire phenomenon. One example is a crop circle close to Stonehenge some years back. A pilot had flown over the area twice during an hour, and between these two flights a large and spectacular formation had appeared. The guards at Stonehenge confirmed that the crop circle had occurred within a short period of time.
- When did you found the crop circle group?
- I had been interested in the phenomenon for some time, but I couldn’t find any information about crop circles in Norway. At a conference this winter I met two other persons who shared my interest, and we agreed that we ought to do something in Norway. We contacted other persons whom we thought might be interested, and we have now got a web site running. We have people who can go out to photograph and register Norwegian crop circles when they occur. We’ve also collected information about previous Norwegian crop circles. In 1999 alone four formations occurred in the outskirts of Oslo.
- What kind of registrations has been carried out in crop circles?
- The laboratory of Dr. Levengood in USA analyse samples of plants from crop
formations. They have made quite sensational findings. It turns out that the flattened plants have physically changed and even that their growth rate has altered. The nodes of the plants have been elongated and perforated. Chemical substances have been found in the soil inside the formations that cannot be found in the standing crop outside the formations. A form of radiation, probably microwaves, seems to be involved. This radiation appears to flatten the plants by heating them up from the inside, and sometimes the heat make the nodes explode.
In England the crop circles are the objects of great interest every summer. The tabloid press often writes about the phenomenon, but their focus is mostly on whom claims to have made the particular formation. Every now and then patterns occur that are known from computer games or that are well-known cultural symbols. Crop pictograms, for instance representations of cars, are even created for commercials.
Nevertheless, numerous eyewitnesses tell of observations that do not fit into the “man-made” theory. Frequently luminosities, the size of basketballs, are seen moving across the fields. Some of these witnesses even claim to have seen the same luminosities, in some few seconds, actually create crop circles. British military helicopters seem to be very interested in the balls of light and have been observed following
the luminosities for up to 20 minutes. On inquiry the Military refuse to give any satisfactory explanation for this interest.
- Which explanation do you favour?
- I think that the crop circles represent the greatest mystery in modern times. I choose to trust the many eyewitnesses. That does not mean that the circles cannot be created by a kind of natural force. But behind this force there must evidently be a sort of intelligence. I also think they represent a kind of messages. Not necessarily messages that we are to consciously understand, nor in a kind of language that we can decode. The formations affect us in some deeper way. Finally, if nothing else, the crop circles are extremely beautiful and have a great value on an esthetical level.
- We hope to be able to function as a central for the future interest in crop circles here in Norway. We are well on our way in collecting information about previous Norwegian crop circles, and a lot more will eventually be available at our home page, closes Eva-Marie Brekkestø. She also points out the Crop Circle Group is in need of active participants, and that they are eager for more information about the crop circles that have occurred and doubtlessly will occur in Norway.