The Structure of Scythe, Hay Mowing, and Ethnic-Cultural Adaptation of Ukrainians of the Carpathians (Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries)

Abstract

The author examines the structural features of the Carpathian scythe and specificities of its technological use in order to argue that any cultural phenomenon may be seen as an outcome of adaptation to certain environmental conditions, settlement pattern, and land use. He concludes that, even within the same general environmental conditions of the Carpathians, there may emerge different adaptation models in different landscape zones and among different ethnic groups.