Scythe

A traditional wooden scythe

A scythe (IPA: [sαɪð], most likely from Old English siðe, sigði) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing and reaping grass or crops. Commonly used in Japan and China.

Structure and use

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Using a scythe

A scythe consists of a long (about 170 cm) wooden shaft called a snath (modern versions are sometimes made from metal and/or plastic) with a perpendicular handle at one end and another roughly in the middle. The handle at the end of the snath could be omitted but the handle in the middle of the snath is a must for farming versions, as it is used to control the position of the blade. A long blade (roughly 60-80 cm, approx. 26"-30") with a slight curve perpendicular to the snath is mounted at the other end.

A scythe is used by holding the handles such that the blade is approximately parallel to the ground (with the heel nearly touching the ground) and, on completing the length of the acres in question by walking in a straight line, one performs the very last cut by rotating one's torso from side to side, as the arms maintain the blade's constant position over the ground.

Sharpening a scythe blade is done by peening the leading edge of the blade. In some uses, such as mowing grass, the blade-edge is flattened to a thickness resembling paper. After peening, the edge is finished and subsequently maintained with a whetstone.

History

A modern scythe

According to the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities of Sir William Smith, the scythe, known in Latin as the falx foenaria (as opposed to the sickle, the falx messoria), was used by the ancient Romans; for illustration, Smith shows an image of Saturn holding a scythe, from an ancient Italian cameo.

The scythe appeared in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries. Initially used mostly for reaping grass. It replaced the sickle as the tool for gathering crops by the 16th century, the scythe allowing the reaper to stand rather than lean over. The addition of fingers behind the blade cutting edge produced the cradle which soon replaced the scythe in grain harvesting. In the developed world, all of these have now largely been replaced by motorized lawnmowers and combine harvesters.

The Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet in Sheffield, England is a museum of a scythe-making works that was in operation from the end of the 18th century until the 1930s. This was part of the former scythe-making district of north Derbyshire, which extended into Eckington. Other English scythe making districts include that around Belbroughton.

The Allen Scythe was a motorized grass cutter with a toothed blade which slid back and forth across a stationary toothed blade to produce a scissor action. It was manufactured between 1935 and 1973 in Oxford, England.

The naming of the haymaker punch is said to have originated from the use of the scythe - due to the similarity in the movement of the body during each movement.

Scythes in national culture

The curved blade of the scythe is clearly shown

The scythe is still an indispensable tool for farmers in developing countries and in mountainous terrain.

In Romania, for example, in the highlands landscape of the Apuseni mountains, scything is a very important annual activity, taking about 2-3 weeks to complete for a regular house. As scything is extremely exhausting physical activity and is relatively difficult to learn, needing years of experience to perform the action properly, farmers help each-other by forming teams. It is also why after each day's harvest, the farmers tend to celebrate by having a small feast where they dance, drink and eat, being careful to keep in shape for the next day's hard work.

Among Basques scythe-mowing competitions are still a popular traditional sport, called segalaritza (from sega: scythe). The contenders compete to cut a defined extension of grown grass before his rival does the same.

The Norwegian municipality of Hornindal has three blades of scythes in its coat-of-arms.

Mythology

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The Grim Reaper

The scythe also plays an important traditional role, often appearing as weapons in the hands of mythical beings such as Chronos, Father Time, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Grim Reaper (Death). This stems mainly from the Christian cultural interpretation of death as a "harvest of souls." Kali, the Hindu Godess of Death also used a scythe.

Military uses

A war scythe has had its blade transformed so that it extends upright from the staff, and is used much like a halberd. It was widely used by Polish peasants (kosynierzy) in the 18th and 19th centuries.

External links

Two handles used for grip

• Antique Farm Tools
• The oldest European style scythe maker in the USA: The Marugg Company established 1873
• Scythe Connection information page on the scythe
• A Czech translation of Scythe Connection and a member of the Scythe Retail Network