The Scythe as a weapon.

Peter Hudson · 30th January 2023, 02:26 PM

Returning to the original post at #1 on this thread I refer readers to the technique of fighting with the Scythe Weapon seen below. A squad of 12 men could effectively defend against charging Cavalry by mixing Scythe weapons with spear carriers.. It would appear that the greatest danger would be to the horses from the downward slashes of the Scythes. Variant forms are shown in the second chart. Records show that large numbers of Scythemen were included in the Orbat of Polish troops even to the point of over running Russian Artillery positions. Certainly the weapon would have had a psycholigical advantage upon the enemy and the damage would have been enormous.

Peter Hudson.

fernando · 30th January 2023, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

... A squad of 12 men could effectively defend against charging Cavalry by mixing Scythe weapons with spear carriers.. It would appear that the greatest danger would be to the horses from the downward slashes of the Scythes. Variant forms are shown in the second chart. Records show that large numbers of Sythemen were included in the Orbat of Polish troops even to the point of over running Russian Artillery positions. Certainly the weapon would have had a psycholigical advantage upon the enemy and the damage would have been enormous. ..

Impressive !

Peter Hudson · 31st January 2023, 07:17 PM

Further weapons made from Scythes.

Peter Hudson · 31st January 2023, 08:04 PM

I note from Forum athttp://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=97452 #5 the picture below

Peter Hudson · 2nd October 2023, 06:12 PM

Please see https://www.cambridge.org/core/journ...3D72E20A96F73D

I think the above reference well supports the idea of the Scythe used in war.

Regards, Peter Hudson.

urbanspaceman · 2nd October 2023, 07:00 PM

Fantastic account of Monmouth's ill fated rebellion. I mentioned it briefly in my Shotley Bridge history but had never delved deeply into the affair. Brilliant account. Thank-you.

A. G. Maisey · 4th October 2023, 03:42 AM

The scythe as a weapon is something that has puzzled me for a long time, principally because 60 or so years back I had a weekend job clearing neglected building blocks that had become overgrown with grass, and I used a scythe to do the work, I could not understand how a scythe blade could possibly be mounted on a pole, the way the pictures I had available back then showed it as a weapon, the tang & mounting hook on the only scythes I knew where not straight, but were bent at a couple of angles.

Then there was the memory of what I had been taught in high school, that the English scythe had absolutely nothing at all to do with the Scythians known to the Romans, apparently the word "Scythian" & "Scythia" as they were Anglicised , had come from an old Persian word meaning shepherd(?), and that old Persian word had gone through several transliterations and corruptions before it came into Old English in a form that can no longer be spelt with English letters, thus another corruption took place & we finished with with "scythe", & that was a tool.

Is it possible that the tool we now know as a scythe is in fact not related at all to the sword-like weapon that resembles a scythe in form? Thus two objects, a tool, & a weapon that do have similarities, but are of totally different origin.

Can anybody clarify this matter for me?

Thank you.

31st January 2023, 07:17 PM	#3
Peter Hudson Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 311	Further weapons made from Scythes. Attached Images

31st January 2023, 08:04 PM	#4
Peter Hudson Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 311	I note from Forum athttp://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=97452 #5 the picture below Attached Images

2nd October 2023, 07:00 PM	#6
urbanspaceman Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Tyneside. North-East England Posts: 518	Monmouth rebellion Fantastic account of Monmouth's ill fated rebellion. I mentioned it briefly in my Shotley Bridge history but had never delved deeply into the affair. Brilliant account. Thank-you.

30th January 2023, 02:26 PM	#1
Peter Hudson Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 311	Returning to the original post at #1 on this thread I refer readers to the technique of fighting with the Scythe Weapon seen below. A squad of 12 men could effectively defend against charging Cavalry by mixing Scythe weapons with spear carriers.. It would appear that the greatest danger would be to the horses from the downward slashes of the Scythes. Variant forms are shown in the second chart. Records show that large numbers of Scythemen were included in the Orbat of Polish troops even to the point of over running Russian Artillery positions. Certainly the weapon would have had a psycholigical advantage upon the enemy and the damage would have been enormous. Peter Hudson. Attached Images Last edited by Peter Hudson; 30th January 2023 at 04:52 PM.

2nd October 2023, 06:12 PM	#5
Peter Hudson Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 311	War Scythes. Please see https://www.cambridge.org/core/journ...3D72E20A96F73D I think the above reference well supports the idea of the Scythe used in war. Regards, Peter Hudson.

4th October 2023, 03:42 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,747	The scythe as a weapon is something that has puzzled me for a long time, principally because 60 or so years back I had a weekend job clearing neglected building blocks that had become overgrown with grass, and I used a scythe to do the work, I could not understand how a scythe blade could possibly be mounted on a pole, the way the pictures I had available back then showed it as a weapon, the tang & mounting hook on the only scythes I knew where not straight, but were bent at a couple of angles. Then there was the memory of what I had been taught in high school, that the English scythe had absolutely nothing at all to do with the Scythians known to the Romans, apparently the word "Scythian" & "Scythia" as they were Anglicised , had come from an old Persian word meaning shepherd(?), and that old Persian word had gone through several transliterations and corruptions before it came into Old English in a form that can no longer be spelt with English letters, thus another corruption took place & we finished with with "scythe", & that was a tool. Is it possible that the tool we now know as a scythe is in fact not related at all to the sword-like weapon that resembles a scythe in form? Thus two objects, a tool, & a weapon that do have similarities, but are of totally different origin. Can anybody clarify this matter for me? Thank you.