Some time ago in a post entitled Weekend in the Country I suggested that the scythe had been introduced to Poland in the 1930s and that this was rather shocking since the rest of the world had apparently been using them since the Middle Ages. An avid and insightful reader, who goes by the name of Jolanta, has suggested that this was a bunch of misinformed nonsense. It seems she is right, much to my shame, and has provided impeccable evidence to prove it.
Exhibit 1: Kościuszko pod Raclawicami (Kosciuszko at Raclawice), a painting by Jan Matejko, 1888. (Fragment)
These guys definitely have scythes, although they’ve cunningly been converted into devices for stabbing Russians. It just goes to show you shouldn’t take the word of white-haired old gentlemen wielding viciously sharp blades. Having said that, the second guy from the left does bear an uncanny resemblance to A’s grandfather…
Exhibit 2: Badge of the 303 “Kościuszko” Fighter Squadron (1940–46)
Definitely crossed (adapted) scythes.
If some of your readers have become fascinated by the kosa controversy, I suggest that they also examine the Rennaisance and Baroque images of Death in the Polish so-called Dance Macabre paintings; he definitely holds a scythe in all of them.
Or, alternatively, they can go back to school and read “Rozmowa mistrza Polikarpa ze Smiercia” (Master Polikarp’s dialogue with Death) which was probably written in the first half of the 15th century or about 1463.
” Ma kosa, wisz, trawe siecze,
przed nia nikt nie uciecze” (As you know, my scythe cuts the grass so no one can escape it).
Uszanowanie
Jolanta
PS. Actually, I have enjoyed reading the dialogue after all these years.
Jolanta: orz
I wish I could read Master Polikarp’s dialogue with Death. I have to teach (or remind) this phrase to A’s grandfather. I can see the grin on his face now.
In Polish:
Ksiązka “Konopielka” ( film) przedstawia sytuację wsi (tuż po zakończeniu II wojny światowej, w której kosy używano wyłącznie do koszenia trawy (ale kosa była znana). Użycie przez głównego kosy do koszenia zboża zostało w niej przedstawione jako złamanie tabu. Wcześniej zborze ścinało się wyłącznie sierpem.
Może dziadek wspomina ten okres włsnie
In English:
Look at the “Konopielka” movie..
Pozdrawiam
Jacek
Jacek: thanks for the comment. I think I get the gist of it, but I will ask intelligent and well-informed people to enlighten me further. It’s a funny idea: a village where using a scythe to cut anything other than grass is seen as sacrilegious! I wonder if I can find a copy of Konopielka anywhere with English subtitles.
Dear Author,
As far as I know, you can easily find “Konopielka” with English subtitles, probably in the Empik in the Main Square; there is no guarantee that you will get a sufficiently witty translation, though. Edward Redlinski’s book might have been translated into English too; it cannot be treated as a reliable source of information simply because it is satirical fiction which makes fun of the backwardness of the Polish village.
I am afraid it is not true that as late as just before WWII only the sickle was used to harvest; in fact, in the better developed parts of Poland (especially in the former German partition) the combine harvester had been introduced much earlier.
Jolanta
PS. The National Museum Of Agriculture in Szreniawa near Poznan is really worth visiting!