All language subtitles for 3. Enigma of the Crop Circles - Part 2.ENG

(woman vocalizing)
(dreamy music)

- [Steve] Under the shadow

of nearby Cissbury Rings' hill fort,

Roger Seer can be found
testing the strange

and wondrous effects

of what he affectionately
calls a witch's ring.

In the circle of swirled corn,

he's already noticed the needle
of his compass go berserk,

been aware of an electrical
burning-type smell,

and received a static electrical shock

from his bicycle parked nearby.

Now, he is testing the
magnetization of a pocket watch

and knife that he has stuck into the soil

whilst aware of a strange
tickling sensation in his feet.

A nearby dog still refuses
to enter the circle,

and he can feel a headache coming on.

This may sound like a modern
scientist experimenting

on the latest phenomenon
we call crop circles.

But it is actually 1927,

and recorded disturbances of
this sort have been occurring

in this area of Sussex
since at least 1830.

In fact, way back in 1678,

a pamphlet was released
entitled "The Mowing-Devil:

or Strange News out of Hartford-shire,"

telling how a strange fire
illuminated a farmer's corn

the night after he refused to
employ the neighborhood mower.

The next morning, he found
circles of flattened corn

that he thought too perfect

for mortal man to be able to do the like.

Many more examples of
fairy rings, crop circles,

and associated phenomena can
be found littering the pages

of folk history since time memorial

into the late 20th century

until they finally became a report

in the "Wiltshire Times"
on August the 15th, 1980.

The photos of three
circles of flattened corn

below the hill fort of Bratton

grabbed the attention of
scientists and amateurs alike.

And the crop circle investigator,
or croppy, was born.

Initially, the circles
were just that, circles,

in singles or multiples,

which led to the first
tentative explanation

that they were created
by stationary whirlwinds.

It was soon noted though that
they seemed to appear close

to hill forts and other
megalithic constructions

as well as areas containing
large amounts of water

and that their appearance
was often accompanied

by strange light shows

and eerie, high-pitched
electrical chirping sounds.

The whirlwind itself seemed
to get more intelligent

and increase its ability

as circles became
accompanied by both rings

and lines of flattened corn

with patterns being
added to at later dates,

and various swirls and weaves being found

in the underlay of these formations.

Explanations had to be found

and included wild, young
farmers with string and planks,

interference with mobile phones,

and even flocks of artistic birds.

But no one could explain how the bends

in the corn appeared to be
almost steamed into place,

causing no subsequent damage

to the plants' continued development,

flowering, in the case
of canola, and growth.

The whirlwind theory was
further stumped in 1990

when a new formation appeared
at Chill-ken Farm in Wessex.

Two circles connected by
a ruler-straight runway,

flanked by four rectangular boxes

formed the first ever pictogram.

The most famous of these
pictures in the corn,

that seemed more akin to early
petroglyphs and hieroglyphs,

appeared at Alton Barnes
and made international news,

drawing crowds from all over the world

to experience, what for some,

was a life-transforming encounter.

With the crops being surveyed night

and day by scientists and journalists,

it seemed inevitable that, at some point,

they would be copied by hoaxers,

as in the case of a human-made circle

sponsored by the Daily Mirror
to increase its ratings.

On September the 9th, 1991,

the Today newspaper announced that two men

in their 60s were responsible

for the entire crop circle phenomena

with the aid of a baseball
cap, ping pong ball,

and some well placed moonlight.

In the meantime, crop circles

and pictograms were
appearing all over the world

and not only in corn,

but ice, snow, sand, and even rice fields.

In Canada where there are
no tram lines to give access

to formations and no signs of entry,

an unfortunate porcupine seemed
to have got itself caught up

in the circle-creation process,

leaving a trail of swirled
skid marks made by its quills,

leading to its completely
flattened body in the center.

The patterns themselves
have transformed many times

over the '90s and into this century,

becoming more complex, larger,

and involving greater and
greater amounts of elements

from mandalas and Julia sets appearing

in minutes within sight of Stonehenge,

to complex geometrical and quantum figures

materializing close to
scientific and military bases.

The phenomenon seems to amend

and revise itself from year to year,

always staying one step
ahead of the current theory,

always challenging the
existing speculation.

Whether manmade or resulting

from a multi-faceted, energetic reaction,

this landscape art can
only be truly experienced

by riding high in the sky
in a helicopter or plane.

The pictures themselves
transcend spoken language

and seem to talk to
some on a higher level.

But unless you have stood in the center

of hundreds of yards of flattened corn,

the full impact of these cosmic designs

cannot make any sense.

(children laughing)