The Scythe as a Weapon
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- čas přidán 30. 08. 2023
- Is the scythe a dangerous weapon or merely a harmless farm tool?
I apply my knowledge of using a scythe as a tool to explore its potential uses in fighting and warfare.
Paulus Hector Mair lived from 1517-1579. During his lifetime he undertook to compile a compendium of books in the arts of fencing, including how to fight with a scythe.
Access to Mair's manuscript courtesy of the Saxon State and University Library, Dresden (Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden), obtainable in the public domain from hroarr.com/study/manuals-book...
CZcams videos illustrating the fighting technique with the scythe: • Scythe techniques from...
See my channel for more videos on growing an orchard and looking at how, historically, the land would have been managed: / @iboughtafield
The reason the Grim Reaper holds a scythe and is called the "Reaper" is because the action of cutting down wheat for harvest with a scythe or sickle is called reaping, thus, the Grim Reaper's primary tool for reaping (harvesting) the souls of the dead is a scythe.
He uses the souls for soul food.
There are some beautiful Dutch paintings that subvert the Grim Reaper. Death is depicted as a woman in white with a small hand scythe (like gardening shears)
@@ejsmith7626 That's now one of my favorite depictions of a living death, that alongside Mr.Death from that one Twilight Zone episode where he's this man in a suit who just holds your hand and gingerly walks you to the afterlife after a quick therapy session in the case of the old lady who was previously terrified of him.
Duh
In Greek mythology, Chronos, the father of the main Greek gods, had a scythe and after being killed by Zeus Demeter, the farming goddess.
The real danger presented by a scythe is that is reduces the labor required to harvest crops over simpler tools such as a sickel, freeing up more men from the field for use in combat roles.
That is quite thought provoking.
@iboughtafield I watched a video on introducing the scythe to India. It was rather recent, in the last 10 or so years, while Britain had been in control of India from 1858 to 1947.
In all of that time, Noone had introduced the scythe. They were still harvesting using the sickel.
They tested the two tools side by side and the sickel required about 10 times the labor to harvest the same area.
The only reason that I can fathom for not "modernizing" the agricultural practices on the continent was because it was convenient to tie more people to the food production. Whether that was from a lack of alternative employment for them or to avoid the troubles created by idle people, or to avoid creating combatants is difficult to say.
@@fhorst41 How interesting. Amazing quite how much quicker a scythe is than a sickle.
I quite like using a sickle for small jobs, but most of the time I will just pick up the scythe straight away. It's a fantastic tool.
@iboughtafield It was a simple technology that failed to be exported on a large scale. The American colonies were perhaps the exception, with European settlers from many countries all bringing their own modifications. You can still find examples of many styles of scythe in the antique markets. Differences in handles, shape of the shaft, length, width, thickness of blades. And also the addition of catch baskets that make neat piles right at the end of a swing on grain crops. It's a highly developed tool. Sophisticated in it's approach to cutting crops and grasses. And easily maintained by the owner through regular peening and the application of a stone.
I thought the danger would be sharpening the sythe. That's a lot of sharp blade. You could easily rub a finger or palm along the length of the blade by accident. Dying of an infection from a wound was a common thing before antibiotics.
While some scythes throughout history have been altered to make better weapons, they tend to be the epitome of "Looks cool, lacks practicality."
But to be fair, they look REALLY cool.
It also makes someone think twice before attacking you. Intimation is a real factor of combat.
They're usually altered to conform to the shape of spears, which are generally a more effective weapon.
War scythes honestly look cool and are effective and practical, but they share very little with regular scythes.
This is it. War scythes are very niche weapons that are very hard to make useful.
Maybe in a world you face inhuman enemies it can be better against beings like kobolds maybe but there is a reason you don't see it at battle scenes
as a Pole, this coment hurts me deeply
"Thousands of people through history have died just because of sharp pointy sticks" wise words indeed
But what if they are attacking you with a banana? How would you defend against such a dangerous man?
@@danieloceansmith3156
There is no defense against bananas, they are our deadliest artifact, right next to the Hydrogen Bomb
@@davisdf3064the might of the potassium alone is a force to reckon with
I think that "thousands" is a severe underestimation. With all the humans that ever lived, and all the early wars that have been waged, it must go into the hundreds of millions. Just by sticks.
sometimes not even pointy sticks. just regular old sticks. long stick has always been a good murder tool, not just pointy ones
may the algorithm bless you
edit: seeing this video go from hundreds of views to hundreds of thousands of views has been such a treat, and the replies are so wholesome too. Hope for a million views soon 🙏
Haha, thank you 😊
🙏
Got to say sir, very nice video. With the algorithm change, this is the first actually interesting but very random recommendation it served up for me. Thank you for this scythe-based knowledge and a scythe-based hypothetical.
@@mtkz4698 Thank you :)
It has. It brought his channel the honor of my momentary attention.
In the first place, the reaper holding a scythe shows that he doesn’t view you as dangerous, that he only views people as something to be culled, no better than blades of grass.
Yes, exactly this. It's not ever implied that death would kill humans with the scythe. It's meant to invoke a feeling of inevitability. Humans are the grass, death is the reaper, slowly and mercilessly advancing, with zero remorse. Just like how a farmer doesn't care about an individual blade of grass, he's just doing his thing.
If you're a farmer during one of the plagues, this is exactly how it must feel. You hear that the plague has broken out two villages away. Then one village away...
I thought The Reaper had a scythe to protect the lost spirits on the way to the afterlife?
@@kingstondaking7877 I thought it's just a symbol to show he harvests the souls of the living like a farmer
Fundamentally wrong, the Reaper uses a scythe as a tool to harvest the dead.
It's not some cringe, edgy tiktok hidden meaning behind it. He simply uses the tool as intended.
@@kualajdm a skeleton ferryman reaping souls isn’t a metaphor. Got it.
I always knew a scythe was a farming tool, but I never really understood just how effective it was so it was really interesting seeing you cut grass with it.
Thank you for watching
@@iboughtafield it was a pleasure!!! It was a really relaxing video. And my limited attention span really appreciated the clips on the side of the screen demonstration what you were talking about. I’ve seen a lot of videos in this style where they talk about weapons, but rarely to the have close ups or demonstrations of what they’re talking about, just a video of them holding the weapon and talking. So thanks for making a good video I enjoyed it :))
@@iboughtafieldi just want to let you know you can make outer edge of the scythe sharp. When you hold with your hands and the blade is towards the exterior, you can twist with your whole body and deliver lots of cutting force while hitting your target with the exterior side of the blade.
All content creators dont think of that modification. Personally idk how effective my idea is since I tested in video game and it's quite effective, but ifk irl
I'm fan of scythe but honestly swords are more versatile. To do the kind of attack I mention, you have to get into a stance while the sword can block and run at your opponent without needing perfect timing unlike the outer edge scythe trick. But I believe due to the shape of the scythe, the way you twist can really amplify the force you deliver.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe
With the references to death and his scythe, many people want to also assess the scythe with death. In reality, Death was a farmer, not a killer. He represented "reap what you sow" that was why he carries this tool instead of an actual weapon like a sword.
I can watch the scythe cut grass for hours. So oddly relaxing.
It is very relaxing to do as well. If I have a stressful week, then I love to go out to the field with the scythe and unwind.
yea why use lawnmovers this is way nicer
@@Vinni-2Kyeah it also reduce the amount C02 released in to the atmosphere
@@Zuion_Art true
Despite the fact that scythes are my favourite fantasy weapon, I've always known in the back of my head that they'd be highly impractical, but never bothered to look into how. Good video
Thank you :)
Same, but they’re usually modified to be a very good weapon,so yea you can use them as a weapon,
Historically scythes were basically only used as a weapon by fixing the blade to the haft in a way that turned it into an axe shape.
It’s not a great weapon, but in a time when battles weren’t generally fought to the death and you might need every hand on deck, it was enough. Big pole + blade gives reach and intimidation, in nothing else
Overall agree with the notion that scythes were only used as weapons by modifying them into something that isn’t a scythe.
@@AshrellStudios753 Yes, although the modified versions look quite different, with the blade in-line with the shaft. I think it this unfortuately makes it seem less cool.
@@sideways5153 Thanks for the comment :)
When I saw how scythes are actually used, my thought of their viability as a weapon became:
“Oh… Scythe wielders would be the ankle-biters of combat…”
Or more likely, the first to die ^_^
Leave them at the back of the fight for intimidating purposes lol
Send them up front to mess up a shield wall as there vision is slightly blurred you could cut into the femoral or you could use them to go over and hook the shield hand maybe still not ideal though but then the only people Who used gym were peasants went they were drafted but then they would use anything pointed even the 3 pronged wooden rake
Scythes are like the weapons you use to say “ I don’t use the skilless messy meta cuz I have no skill “
Scythe-wielders would be the 100-foot tall frost giant armies mowing down the greek phalanxes.
I like the D&D version because it makes sense. The weapon deals low damage compared to other weapons, but it deals 4x critical damage instead of 2x, because if you hit with the the point of the weapon (the ones in the game are Scythes specifically made as weapons and not as tools), then the damage would be insane as the whole weight would focus on the point of the blade
Well despite media depictions, there have been several instances in history where Farmers used Farming Tools and adapted them for warfare, in Japan the most notable were what became the Ninja clans and were made into an unrealistic depiction through media. The field scythe in particular was a Kama in Japan, but realistically the Kama and Chain Spear are or were more relegated to fantasy rather than reality, were they used to kill a samurai, maybe, but we have no evidence of such. In Europe we have had several instances of adapted Scythes in fact in the Royal Armory of Poland there is a very very nasty War Scythe with serrated inner and outer edge, now is it practical in warfare...Maybe???? it could have been more for decoration than usability considering Poland is known for Mining, Farming, and Blacksmithing, but when you go to Royal armories you tend to see a lot of unpractical weapons more for show rather than use, Its certainly close to a halberd and they were the more dominate used weapon on European battlefields due to reach and lethality. Swords although depicted as some legendary weapon was more in fact expensive to make and quite fragile, they were side arms even in Japan with the Samurai they were a last resort weapon due to how fragile they actually were. Swords though were influences by Scythe type weapons the Egyptians swords were very representational of a scythe and throughout history a curved blade has been used due to practicality, Soldiers were always peasants and a lot of them were not rich so they adapted what they already knew into weapons for the battlefield. Dacian Faux sword as an example was created from a scythe into a sword form.
Also a Scythe with a straightened blade is known as a thresher and was used in certain regions as a scythe they are part of the Scythe family and still considered a scythe but yes in war they actually changed the position of the blade upright and as it turns out it was quite the deadly weapon of peasant farmers on the battlefield. Sickles are also in the Scythe family its a 1 handed scythe meant for smaller areas.
1600 England they used a War Scythe, Countess Emelia Plater in 1831, Guisarme Polearm English was a Polearm influenced by the Scythe from the 11th century to the 16th. also there was a scythe war between farmers in Poland uprising against Russian invaders.
Thank you for all the details. It's interesting how scythes have been adapted for warfare. I'll pin this post to the top of the comments for a view days as I think others will find this interesting.
The description of the thresher you gave reminds me somewhat of a reverse blade naginata
@@iboughtafield Ty for the video, it's great to see people exploring history and ancestors' ingenuity, it's always a delicate balance between fact and fiction in regard to history and historical facts. More videos like your need to be made to be honest because exploration allows us key incites and perspectives we may have never had before especially from modern society looking back at practicality even if we lose the situational adaptive necessity of the situation that leads to interesting ideas.
seems like a custom made Scythe would be better. Then a regular scythe, if you made one custom made, you would have to change the handle, cause a wood handle wouldn't do well vs a sword. A custom made Scythe could have a metal handle. Then you would need a custom made blade so it wouldn't break. Then at this point you might as well use a sword.
Harber is intended for farming fruit while spear for fishing but because war it change to self defense weapon for farmer
Hungarian and Polish war scythes. They began by peasants reworking the blade to point upward and mounting it on a 6-8' stave. They worked well enough that the Poles, in particular, raised units of peasant "sctlythemen" with purpose made "war-scythes." Otherwise, as is, I agree. The scythe is too short and cumbersome to be a weapon of any great effectiveness. They look scary AF, though.
EDIT: And I just noticed somebody already posted pretty much the same below. Sorry...
That's fine. It is a good point and so thank you for reposting :) You also added some extra details.
The script explicitly says that angle change makes it not a scythe by definition
@@vasiliigulevich9202Yeah, well, that's a question of semantics and none of objectivity. Especially since the new thing was called, "war scythe," not, "scythe". Those are two different things and stating that they're at least related is accurate given their history. Historically one would say that if contemporary folks found it to be close enough to still be called a scythe, then it's not up to you to redefine the term centuries later.
@@vasiliigulevich9202 I would consider the blade itself to be the scythe, regardless of which angle it is mounted.
The use of scythes in war is still remembered here in Poland. The phrase "Kosy na sztorc" (mount your scythes upright) is a call to prepare for a desperate and difficult venture.
I’m not going to lie, I never knew how a scythe was used properly as a farming tool before the first couple of seconds of this video-
I knew from the music video "learning to fly"
I myself witnessed one for no reason at my work place at construction,I thought t would be heavier since it's so big but the scythe was less then 3 pounds,I was floating it in my hand
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe
They do basically make “battle scythes”, such as the Kusarigama. Which is basically a mini scythe used for combat. It was used mainly in Okinawa.
Kama
True like the (sica) sickle in Dacian in which were feared by the romans that they had to upgrade their helmet and send 1/3 their army to destroy Dacia.
I actually just had a conversation about scythes as weapons yesterday. I tried to point out several of the same points (I didn't know about the soft steel of the blade), but the other person couldn't get over the "cool" factor. I will admit there is a certain amount of intimidation behind the scythe. My uncle even dressed as the Grim Reaper one Halloween and carried a real scythe with him. People ran away when they saw him.
Wow! Gosh, I'd be running with them :D
Sounds like an impressive costume!
Historically if a farmer needed a weapon and the scythe was all he had chances are that's what he used. Also we have a tendency of making things that were originally meant to be tools into weapons there's a good chance some one out there made a scythe specifically for war
Edit: not sure why I typed mentioned and not meant but it's correctes
@@ExelArtslook up war scythes, it didn't take much to repurpose these things
@@creeper7ech520 I slightly remember hearing an old story someone using a scythe for revenge and supposably he was the inspiration for the grim reaper or something I'm probably remembering it wrong it was years ago
@@ExelArts sounds interesting! I'll have to look into it!
I remember a day in university (I'm an agricultural engineer) and we had a small exhibition of "ye olde farming tools" with a small selection of scythes.
Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, immediately took them and posed for photos and the professor was like "ugh, this happens every year. You're supposed to be adult college students, not children."
Dear professor, adulthood is not an excuse to not get a once in a lifetime cool photo.
Haha, That's great
Right??? Ive honestly never seen one in person, i'd *definitely* take a photo too!
My friend has one and when I went over the first time that was the first thing we did was take epic photos with the scythe
Huh, this gave me a good idea. I was wondering what to do with my scythes after I moved. I should contact the university nearby, thanks!
@@wonno5454 Funny pictures aside, having a hands on exhibition on the advancement of agricultural technology was really helpful at understanding the challenges that the field has had to deal with and a memorable learning experience.
It’s fascinating how although a normal scythe is not good as a weapon, you can theoretically fix the issues just by modifying it, or creating your own weapon scythe. The issue with it not normally being practical too could be fixed through intensive studying and training to the point where it counts as a martial art
I always thought Scythes looked like a really impractical combat tool, like a spear gone wrong...
It's mostly meant for farming, that explains it.
Quality tool for slicing someone achilles tendons though
It's no surprise, a very short history lesson reveals that, and even in Western culture it's merely wielded by the grim reaper.
No actual combat figures are known for using a scythe.
@@kabeljackson6673meh, not even that.
same, with a scythe you can easily be punished if you missed a swing with it, unlike with a spear you can easily recover from every missed swing using it
Tools as weapons - this is why axes were commonly used as weapons. Most households had one.
The Japanese canon of weapons is filled with tools-turned-weapons like this... The sai are for planting rice. The nunchucks are used for harvesting. The bow staff was for carrying water with buckets at the ends. All of these are used so extensively in martial arts that people don't even identify them as the garden tools that they originally were.
@notcrazy6288 Absolutely! Most people couldn't afford to buy special, expensive weapons they would rarely use and then spend time learning to use those unfamiliar weapons. Instead, they used the everyday tools that were most familiar and learned how to apply the ones that were suited to martial pursuits.
Besides, people in power tend to outlaw weapons in the hands of commoners, but they can't outlaw the tools to plant/harvest the food they need to survive, etc.
@notcrazy6288 in the case of the staff, it is actually a great weapon. They can easily break bones. Many people in history used staves for combat even if they had access to daggers or short swords. A simple wooden staff in the hands of a soldier with only a day of staff training is still deadly.
@@notcrazy6288 Were nun-chucks used as flails?
@@Loduwijk The other great thing about training with the staff is that it's directly transferable to spear use. Like you said, the range advantage of the staff-spear gave a decided advantage over the sword. It was also much easier to train a competent spearman than it was to train a swordsman.
The war scythe performed better than you'd expect from a farming tool. They could come in various shapes and sizes, with some looking more like a cleaver. It's pretty much a falx on a pole. Able to go around shields as well as keeping cavalry at bay.
Quite true. The wierd facing blade allows it to easily take the legs of horses or going around practicaly all shields.
If the opponent has no shield, practicaly any other weapon would be better as you lethal range is so narrow and away from you.
Because they weren't farming tools and would be quite useless in a traditional scythe's role.
Unless you are going to suggest warhammers are carpenters tools and various heavy battleaxes lumberjack's tools :p
@@lostsanityreturned You must be real fun at parties.
@lostsanityreturned A weapon axe is usually lighter than a woodsman axe, not heavy. The profile is thinner
Yes, but the question is if "traditional" scythe are good weapons like you would see in games and anime (to which the answer is, no). War scythes are a completely different thing.
Really reminds me of my grandpa. I can still see him put on the porch sharpening his scythe or using it to cut the grass in the field out front his farm.
Glad you mentioned the War Scythe, aka the "deformed" for combat scythe.
Another thing I found, if you want the aesthetic of a scythe, is to look up the War Pick.
All in all, great video.
Thank you, I'll have a look for the war pick
I think the asthetics of war scythes play into the stigma of them, as starters would still use them in the fields. They were a dual-purpose tool. The same way, knives, axes, hammers, and screw drivers can be used as weapons and not be classified as one.
@@seam5818 war scythes aren't usable as scythes. You have to bend the blade up about 90° to turn a scythe into a war scythe.
@rmt3589 they can still be used as a scythe, while yes, not 90 degrees to the handle, they would still be usable, just not effective. Also, it involves slightly different techniques typically.
War scythes were single edged polearms with the blade in line with the shaftand considerably heavier than agricultural scythes. Heck the Persians even mounted scythes on chariots
Ain’t that just a glaive?
@@uh4875 the main difference between the two is that a war scythe always has a recurve blade whereas a glaive can be a more traditional blade profile
@@uh4875 A lot weapon catagorisation terminology is modern and quite arbitrary. It's likely that people at the time just used whichever word they knew. A good example of this is sword classifications, which are largely for archival and academic purposes while beeing a relatively recent invention (for the most part). People probably didn't have specific names for different lengths and shapes of sword and would have just described what they wanted.
Interestingly but completely unrelated to this, the Scythian people were from that region. The name has nothing to do with scythes though.
I feel that a War Scythes are pretty much a completely different thing compared to a traditional scythe.
Growing up in uber-rural southern US, my brother used to lambast me for using my scythe in the lawn and our wild gardens cause the riding mower was faster....and yet i can climb a flight of stairs without being winded despite weighing 2.5 times as much as him. ^_^
I love it! :D
According to competitions recorded on YT, the difference really isn't that big (sometimes the scytheman is actually faster) and the scythe can be used on terrain where you wouldn't drive a lawnmower (such as hillsides).
@@xCorvus7x which is what i predominantly used mine for, the hill that ran along the highway outside our house, since my brother refused to tote the push mower up and down that sumbitch
So as other comments pointed out, warscythes are a thing, but ignoring that, I think a simple way to turn a scythe into a usable weapon would be to change the scythe blade so that it's not only more durable, but the sharp edge is outside instead of inside. Additionally, you can take the Ruby Rose (RWBY) approach and have the blade and handle be a single piece instead of two connecting pieces -(and also have it be a customizable high-impact sniper rifle).-
I love the way this channel has progressed in such a short time, thank you for documenting your field journey!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for watching :)
At first I was just interested in the weapon analysis, but hot damn it’s so satisfying to watch that thing cut grass I repeatedly found myself tuning out the speech and having to rewind to video
Haha, thank you.
It does feel quite hypnotic when scything. I find it almost mediative after a stressful week.
One thing that should be noticed is that in middle ages iron was expensive and medieval pheasants had very little metal at their disposal. Iron was used only where it was not possible to do without it, and most of the instruments, including e.g. pitchforks, were made out of wood. Also, as you have pointed, it was not scythes that were used per se, they were straightened up and used as ersatz spears, for the lack of better weapons.
Interesting with the fact about wooden pitch forks.
@@iboughtafield It is similar to your point about, well, points. A wooden pitchfork is just a cluster of pointy sticks!
I'm surprised pheasants learned to us steel at all
The algorithm has blessed this man
The easiest way to weaponize a large scythe like that would be make a war scythe, they’d essentially just have a blacksmith alter the part where the scythe attaches to the handle to be more like a shovels handle and so the scythe points straight out like a spear, I think the Polish used war scythes on horseback to great effect
Definitely not on horseback, a farm horse was not fit for battle and only peasants used the scythes. But yeah they used altered scythes in an uprising.
@@paciumusiu1225 no I don’t mean polish peasants used it on horseback, it was a proper cavalry weapon wielded by trained cavalry, at least I believe so… I could be misremembering but I remember seeing a article on war scythes and the various times they were used and I remember that the polish specifically used them to great effect though I might be mixing up the cavalry part because it could be they used them ‘against’ cavalry instead of the cavalry themselves using them
@@zyanidwarfare5634 i think it was more of an anti cavalry weapon. cavalry mostly used sabers and pistols at that time. halberds and pikes would be better than scythes so they had to be improvised weapons.
@@zyanidwarfare5634trained cavalry would use a saber or a lance, war scythes were specifically a peasant weapon used when there was no other option
Scythes can be used but the blade must be refit so it becomes like a Naginata. The problem with scythes is that when facing an opponent that has a more robust weapon, the opponent will focus their attack on the blade of the scythe and this is where the scythe will break unless it was built for combat.
Naginatas are specifically Japanese. A broader term is glaive though if you want to be more specific, you could use war scythe
This is not how people fight with weapons in real life. Admittedly we don't know how peasants fought specifically but we can make a lot of inferences based on the historical manuals which have survived, all of which explicitly warn against attacking the weapon rather than the person holding it. It's trivial to move your weapon out of the way and make your opponent overcommit to a swing if they are trying to break it. The only exception being when you are shoulder to shoulder in a pike block and holding onto the end of a 10-20' haft, which is why zweihanders were used to break up these formations, primarily by moving the pikes out of the road. Even if you are unable to completely avoid a collision, it actually takes effort to not to allow your weapon to move which massively dampens the force applied to it. Durability is more a concern when it comes to your own attacks, a softer blade is going to curl and dent if it hits something hard (like bone or armour) with enough force.
I like the serenity of the fields in the background while listening to your explanation about a farming tool 😅
Thank you :)
Cool channel idea and high production quality, nice
scythes may be largely impractical for combat because of their shape but that adds to why I think they make such neat weapons. And great metaphors
Agree with great methaphores :)
Thank you for watching
Sir Pterry Pratchett's take on it was quite fun. A scythe is a device with some weight and length to it, and it's not designed to be used as a weapon, so once it gets moving it tends to keep moving with a momentum all is own, and no one can predict where it's going to go next, not even the wielder
Sometimes an untrained fighter with a badly designed weapon is actually more dangerous, because there's absolutely no way to predict what dumb thing they might be about to do with it
I came to watch awesome unrealistic anime weapon wielding. What I got was watching a man sweep and mow his lawn in satisfying circles and mesmerized by every minute of it.
Haha :D
Ahh thank you. That made me laugh!
what a great chill video,
a well deserved subscription!
cant wait for your older and upcoming videos :)
Thank you :)
Well they can be quite dangerous when you have two scythes in both hands. One is enchanted with frost and the other with blackflame. Makes for a deadly combination when used correctly. I think there was once a woman who lived in a frozen painting who mastered this fighting style. She was soft spoken but had a very cold heart.
It's an improvised weapon with the capacity to kill. There are many better options, though it's a fun fantasy weapon, where things don't have to be totally practical, as magic exists.
Definitely a good fantasy weapon, either as a labourer needing a weapon or as the image of death.
Totally something a paladin or a priest of a death god would use
Nice job. Personally I love the feel of scything along. It's amazing to see how much you can accomplish when you get into the rhythm. Subscribed!
Same here. I find it very relaxing and will use it to destress. I also like it how having dampness in the grass makes it easier - it get me out on rainy days (which if often where I live).
Thank you!
Thank you, I never seen such an informative Kayn guide!
Thank you :)
Quite the lovely video! Incredibly educational- I am glad to have discovered this gem!
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it
Great explanation i couldn't agree more.
I like that you mentioned that a "war sythe" isn't a sythe anymore because id never thought of that and its definitely accurate.
Thank you for watching. Same here, I only thought about it due to researching whether there were references of the scythe being used as a weapon.
If anything, I'd say those historical "war-scythes" would be more properly called glaives. Because at that point, they're basically swords-on-sticks.
Cool that you mention how the schythe kinda stops being a schythe when you turn it, but I think for the peasants it was symbolically important that the schythe was a tool turned weapon- it wasnt the same as a proper military halberd.
Keep up the great work friend! You have something really special here! ❤
Thank you so much!
Great video! Interesting thing about scythes when referring to Grim reapers, the point was to sever the spirit from the physical form of those who have already died. Not to kill people.
They often are shown using them on battlefields and aftermaths of massive plagues.
Often sitting on horseback riding through for individuals or just overlooking the dead & dying , waiting till all is done to free them from their earthly bonds. At times when dealing with individual people they are shown with things like hand sickes or even scissors, much like the Fates of ancient Greece.
This probably lead to a lot of the confusion for those who did not have proper context.
Thank you for the information. I really want to do a video on the grim reaper now and includes facts such as this.
Thank you :)
@@iboughtafield
Thank you for the compliment as well as the informative, awesome content. I will have to subscribe no so I can be alerted of the video if/ when you do!
If you wanted to make a scythe a weapon, while keeping the same outline, a way might be to rework the blade so that it faced away from you, becoming an effective mid range weapon, although you might be at a disadvantage if it came down to close up combat
I heard in my history class that the polish during their second occupation (so a bit before ww2) were using scythes as weapons in their many uprisings, as occupants didn't allow them to own real weapons. And they would do what you said - crook their scythes to point the blade upwards.
So they were basically ambushing enemy soliders with guns, scythe them down, retreat deep into the forest, rest, regroup, repeat. Besides that I also heard they were using hussars in ww1. They were sending chivalry against tanks and scytheman against guns. What a mad nation.
that's german propaganda our cavalry in WWII się fight aganist tanks but with AT guns and AT rifles
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_at_Krojanty
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mokra
@@piotrzareba7876 Oh I don't doubt that. Against tanks even rifles wouldn't be enough, I heard they were actually using granades to deal with them. Still, as I said, they were riding horses into battle while their enemy was riding tanks. Huge balls.
youtube recommended me this video and it's pretty well made!
Hope you keep making great ocntent!
Thank you :)
I’ll say, I really like how algorithm recommended me this. Your style of talking reminds me so much of Tom Scott’s, especially with how informative you are. Great video.
Thank you :)
As you mentioned a scythe with the blade parallels to the shalf would make it better and it was used, they were called war scythes. Still an improvised weapon like early billhooks but it worked decently well for a bit.
incredible production value, not really sure how i got recommended you but i very much enjoy your content and will be sticking around for more, and cant wait to see what gets explored next!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
I would think it is metaphor from when most farmers harvested their crop with a scythe. The idea of death or reaper, is that he is the harvester of souls and would assuredly use the same tool. Ultimately, even though we die to weapons the reaper is not killing but harvesting. As the last point it would be ludacris to people to use and expensive tool in such a way which might add the the unsettling feeling.
Its like i really loved the image(ry*) of the scythe when i was little and today i randomly get this video in my recommendation and now my whole feed is scythes related and i love it
Getting a grandthumb vibe but with garden tools. Simple with a nice touch of great detail, nicely done
Thank you :)
he did go tip to butt
It's fascinating to see how so many weapons originated from farming equipment. Particularly in the east where for example the Nunchaku and Tonfa both originated from a flail used to separate rice, and an axle for a millstone, respectively.
Congrats on this video blowing up, I just dropped a sub and a like. I always want to support people who want to do what they like! Very interesting video, and I love the scenery!
Thank you, I really appreciate it :)
This video was thoroughly entertaining and informative. It's honestly amazing how the media can warp the perception of many things and it's awesome videos like these that set things back into frame.
Wow, thank you so much!
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
@@iboughtafield It's really cool to see someone use a scythe how it was intended, your movements were so graceful and the results were so clean. It's also cool to see technology evolve over time to perform the same tasks but on a grander scale that saves more time and energy. It makes me appreciate the humble beginnings of human innovation and utilization of many tools.
@@Red_Rose_Reaper It is a lot easier mowing around the end of June before the grass starts to wilt. I was out today trying to clean up the last few bits and it is much more difficult.
Thnak you for your lovely comments.
Interesting video. Although the Polish, I believe, would actually turn their scythe blades vertical to convert them into the War Scythe variant. True its not a classical scythe but the blade still defines it as a Scythe blade with or without the snape. Yes far better weapons like the billhook you mentioned, poleaxe, glaive, halberds, etc. The scythe is a peasant weapon fitting for its targets, grassy fields and unarmored flesh. With a good strike and edge alignment I imagine one of these could quite easily cleave through bone. Especially a peasant who is rather strong from working the fields all their lives and are very intimate in knowledge and handling of their scythe. Either way it all comes down to this. No weapon is better than the other as they are nothing without the one to wield them.
Same in Hungary, at history classes we were taught about peasants straightening their regular scythes (not so called war scythes) during several revolts as they had limited access to more professional weapons.
@@gabor222 Yes exactly, The war scythe term was coined many years after these instances.
I might be in more danger from a pointy stick, but I have a feeling I'd be more intimidated by the scythe
Depending on your situation and your needs, the intimidation factor might be pretty valuable
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe
I wonder if anyone has ever tried to really make a scythe fighting style. Prob some practicality there of course but what weapon doesn't have its drawbacks and weaknesses?
@DHankins19 Poland uprising revolts were using them due to lack of proper weapons en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythemen
Very interesting video. Never thought I’d need a whole video just dedicated on scythes but 10/10!
Thank you :)
I truly do hope this video is the blow-up your channel deserves. I have had a brief look through some of your other videos, and I cannot wait to sit back and watch from the start. You are very calming to listen to, and I appreciate how much care you are putting in to this wonderful field. You're like David Attenborough and Alan Titchmarsh mixed together. I wish you all the best, Rob.
Thank you Josh,
Much appreciated :)
This is not a video i ever thought I would have in my YT watched history but here we are. And you more than earned a like from me, that was a very well done video
Thank you :)
War sythes were originally just modified sythes. If you had a couple blacksmith and some farmers, you could raise a make shift army pretty quickly.
I think the scythe is only terrifying in what it implies. Yes, the grim reaper, but more so that it implies cutting people down similar to a field of wheat.
But then we surely should grown again
Well researched, thank you for making this!
Thank you for watching :)
I really think you made a great choice with the music. Also I really like this video.
Thank you.
I enjoyed making it and so I am glad you like it.
Thank you for watching :)
The only people who pick a scythe as a weapon are the same people who steal their moms eyeliner.
Wut?
I love how much information and moments of true insight there are, If this same video was done by a weapon reviewer im sure It would be all. "Yes you could hack someones arms off" type of content.
I'm glad that this was recommended to me. It's so cozy. :)
i just made this account and i already got this in my recommended, the gods are with you this year my boy
Thank you :)
Definitely an decent weapon, the only problem I see in a battle or fighting multiple opponents is that it could get logged into a body making you vulnerable while you try and pull it out. It also probably breaks pretty easily in combat. Cool video. 👍
The worst part is that it doesn't allow you to defend yourself, so you will be stabbed before you get to the point where you can cut someone
This was really interesting and useful (and/or frustrating), as I was aiming to do a world building thing where scythes were the standard weapon. Now I'm wondering how much you would have to evolve or alter the scythe to make it viable.
Thank you for watching :)
You could try looking at the war scythe, however it does look quite different when the blade in-line with the shaft. Or it depends how releastic your players want the world :) Help it goes well.
To be fair, the only thing you'd need to do to make a scythe-shaped weapon functional is to make it double-edged and far more robust in terms of the actual metal.
Back in the day I could see there being some utility in having militia armed with such a weapon disguised as peasant farmers so that the soldiers passing through the area wouldn't know that they were a threat.
If you wanted to allow for something more fantastical maybe have the blade be adjusted via a mechanism so that it can rotate and secure itself in a more suitable position for it to be an offensive weapon: either forming a long weapon with a blade at the end, or something closer to a pole arm.
If it's used for the purpose of ambush something like that could prove to be useful for the beginning of a fight and its fragility could be compensated for with a dagger that could be secreted under loose clothing.
@@casanovafunkenstein5090 I'd imagined something like a circular saw on a pole, which tbh is probably insanely impractical.
My thinking here is that swords just didn't really take off, possibly because they weren't that useful for anything *other* than fighting with. My dagger equivalent would be a sickle.
@@FTZPLTCSwords originated from knives though, and a world without knives cant cut their food :) you could explain that with them wanting to conserve their metal though
Love your video! Very informative and entertaining
Thanks so much!
Some fine insight and information in both the video and the currently pinned comment! Very helpful for some wannabe writer myself. Thanks!
so your telling me that i cant swing a scythe around and cut people in half like i can in POSTAL 2? dang...
My thought of using a scythe would be slicing enemies feet. Just like u do when u cut the grass. Coz u cut the feet of the grass making them fall. That what I thought scythe was going to slice enemies feet so they cannot run anymore. and I also thought u could use its bound blade as protection coz it can protect ur whole body but must make it doesnt push too close to ur own body. And then it could be a strong thrust weapon as if the point stabs a body it would go deep.
The music is so good for such a humble educational video!
Thank you for watching :)
2 thumbs up my fellow man. Good pace keep up the good work.
Thank you :)
The sound it makes is so relaxing...
this is a reminder that good channels still exist on this platform.
Thank you :)
This is great, nice work dude
Thanks :)
YT algorithm has blessed this channel. And I loved the suggestion.
Thank you :)
And here im thinking its my favorite weapon in video games. This video is very refreshing for me and i enjoy the explanations you give based off your knowledge
Thank you :)
Very underated channel! I lov eyour vids, hope you get more subs!
Thank you :)
Please keep up the great content!🙌🏻💫
Thank you :)
@iboughtafield nah thank you, its good to have channels on here that dont just post garbage😂
This was an incredibly well made video, thank you for buying a field to come up with video's like this :))
Thank you for watching :)
A couple of thoughts to consider:
Things that are incredibly impractical to be a primary weapon can be used as a weapon, and when trained specifically for such, can be quite damaging. For instance, an Urumi is essentially a whip consisting or flexible metal blades instead of leather cords as the whipped material. It is incredibly impractical and would be insane for a farmer to choose to use as a weapon if given the option even just to use a stick. However, if when in the hands of a person who trained for many years to use them, they become a quite deadly and quite horrific weapon. I would imagine a similar thing would be the case with a scythe. It is quite unwieldy and would take incredible strength and dexterity to swing at speed with any degree of precision, but this is not dissimilar to an Urumi or many other types of weapons. It is made of dull metal, but this only goes to stop one from "slicing off limbs" as some media portrayals would indicate. If you simply were looking to slice a deep gash into the flesh of a person, that might not be an issue to impede, so much as a purpose to the movements: No limb chopping as an axe, but more slashing the body like a knife. In the hands of someone that trained for many years specifically to use a scythe as a weapon, I imagine it could be quite deadly. This is more what I imagine for when I see it in use in games and fantasy stories, similar to how I'd imagine someone wielding an Urumi, not a common use case but a more specialized and "character describing" as a detail used to make a character, such as the Grim Reaper, who has trained with it for now millennia, stand out.
More to curiosity's sake, you mentioned the toe has a steel tip on it to avoid damage to the blade. What would be the difference if that was instead made to be a sharpened point, similar to the point of a spear or knife? Would that change the effects it could have from "slicing limbs" to instead stabbing and make it viable in a different sense of use? Just curious on that as to your thoughts as a person who uses one regularly.
Either way, absolutely, the Scythe was not a weapon and would not be a weapon in any *common* use cases. It'd only ever be special emergency "I've been attacked while mowing the grass and this blade is the best thing within arm's reach rather than the little clumps of grass around me or my fists" sort of last resort. Even then I'd imagine it'd be unwieldy enough without any combative training with it, I'd just risk my fisticuffs. It could use some normalization and some more popularity as a tool, though, I wish they were more common to find. I'd love to pick one up at a local shop and use it, but the only ones I can find near me are quite expensive as they're antiques, quite expensive due to being handmade and shipped across the world, or aren't traditional scythes.
Congratulations on breaking through the algorithm I never watched anything like this and kept my attention the whole video
Thank you for watching!
This was very fascinating!
Thank you :)
Watching you mow with a scythe is cathartic in a way I can’t quite explain
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video :)
I have no intention of using a weapon, nor having worked in a field, i don't even know why i an here. But the way and the movement you sweep through the grass is amazing. The beautiful combination of rhythm and power with evey step of chopping is almost an art to me.
a boy grew up in the city is impressed.
Thank you!
This is popped up in my suggested every single f****** time I log onto CZcams. While I'm not really interested in it I'm glad you're getting that bag
Thank you :)
Amazing video! Very informative
Glad you think so!
Thank you for watching :)
Very interesting, really great video!!!😮
Thanks! 😃
This man is a genius in disguise. Immediately subscribed 🎉
Thank you. :)
Very interesting subject , thank you for the video I quite enjoyed it , have a great day ..
Thank you for watching :)
In Polish history there was an uprising known as the Kościuszko Insurgency, where an organised Polish army alongside peasants armed with scythes managed to beat Russian army in the famous battle of Racławice (later they lost, but that's how Polish history goes so this is a celebrated victory). However, they pointed the blades upright, making their scythes more of a spear of a halberd, which sounds more practical in combat. Not a scythe anymore indeed but it sure looks rather impressing and dangerous
Such a nice gentleman. I've never seen how a scythe is used, it looks pretty efficient, in a no-horse and no-machinery sort of way. His demeanor is well suited for this methodical process.
Thank you :)