Astraw man (ritual doll) is adummy in the shape of a human usually made up entirely out ofstraw material, or created by stuffing straw into clothes.
Straw men are commonly used asscarecrows, combat training targets,swordsmiths' test targets,effigies to be burned, and asrodeo dummies to distract bulls.
In theUnited Kingdom, a straw dummy representingGuy Fawkes is burnt as an effigy onGuy Fawkes Night, the anniversary of theGunpowder Plot.[1][2]
In the sport ofrodeo, thestraw man is a dummy, originally made of a shirt and pants stuffed with straw. The straw man is placed in the arena during bullriding events as a safety measure. It is intended to distract the bull after the rider has dismounted (or has been thrown), with the idea that the bull will attack the straw man rather than attack its former rider. Two so-calledrodeo clowns – people dressed in bright colors whose job it is to distract the bull if the rider is injured – are in the ring as well and are usually far more effective than the straw man.[citation needed]
