The First
International
Scythe
Symposium
and Festival
The Role of the Scythe in the Human Experience
of
the 21st Century
Molln, Austria
July 11 to 18, 2004
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| "An individual relates himself in action to his society through the use of tools that he actively masters, or by which he is passively acted upon. To the degree that he masters his tools he can invest the world with his meaning; to the degree that he is mastered by his tools, the shape of the tool determines his own self-image."
Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviviality
Note 1 |
The First International Scythe Symposium and Festival
will take place in Austria from July 11 to 18, 2004.
Participants from many countries will join in eight days of reflections, brainstorming and celebrations!
Our Symposium will examine the degree to which this tool - the scythe - still deserves an honoured and useful place in the human experience of today and on into the cleaner, less fossil-fuel dependent future.
The agenda of this groundbreaking event embraces a broad spectrum of topics, and will, we hope, stimulate the birth of many creative ideas.
We invite the participation of:
- ethnologists and social ecologists
- researchers in human-powered tools and appropriate technology
- representatives of agricultural co-operatives from the so-called "underdeveloped" parts of the world as well as those representing the many outreach/agricultural aid organizations
- scythemakers and those who presently distribute this tool around the world
- caretakers of landscapes where noise and pollution are primary concerns (nature preserves, parks, spiritual retreat centres, monasteries, museum grounds...)
- those active in the various "alternative" agriculture movements (Biodynamic, Permaculture...)
- holistic health practitioners
- environmental activists, deep ecologists and others who speak on behalf of a sane and sustainable planet
- and, of course, aware and enthusiastic farmers and gardeners because it is they who have been using and continue to keep alive this "convivial tool".
(What exactly does convivial mean? Those unfamiliar with the term used in this context, please read
Note 1 It is highly important because, along with an attempt to preserve some "genetics of very unusual craftsmanship" and inspire people to cut grass in a non-polluting manner, this Festival is also about conviviality in general.)
Hay Harvest |
We will also contact the environmental departments of those governments who signed the Kyoto Protocol. (Huge amounts of pollutants are spewed into the atmosphere by engine-driven "alternatives to the scythe" while performing "small scale" tasks which a 2000 year old representative of sustainable technology could accomplish just as well. Yes, it would be slower, but in many instances much more cost effective in the long run and we would all be healthier as a result.)
The variety of specific topics will be explored under the following themes:
- The application of the scythe
- in landscape maintenance and energy conservation in the "North"
- in ecological and independence-supporting agriculture of the "South"
- for the promotion of health, well-being and quality of life around the globe
- Tendencies of worldwide scythe supply, its shortcomings and strategies for improvement
- Scythes and Mowing as themes of Folk Culture.
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During the outdoor activities our attention will focus on:
How to Use the Scythe
that is, how grass can be cut with it in the most comfortable manner
(mowing should be therapy ~ for body and soul as well as the environment!)
Daily workshops include:
- custom fitting (sizing the snath and blade in relation to person's height and
specific task)
- blade maintenance (hammering, honing and edge repair) and adjustments
- ergonomic snath making - using only hand tools and scrap wood available
nearly everywhere
- and, of course, the actual dancing in the meadow with the scythe in hand, which will include special sessions for the very young and those "over 64".
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Folks from numerous countries, competent in their region's mowing style, are being invited to demonstrate an array of blade models and snath designs in action, as well as the Art of Haymaking, traditional in their respective localities.
Note 2
This first-of-its-kind opportunity for a cross-cultural exchange on the subject should be of great interest to ethnologists, since so little in terms of comparative studies on the scythe exists in writing.
The proceedings will be recorded in detailed written and visual form and are to provide the basis for a book and a documentary film.
As a form of "educational entertainment" some light-hearted obstacle course and design mowing competitions will take place throughout the week.
A Cultural Exposition of art, poetry, and prose featuring the scythe will complement the practical aspects of the event.
The Festival will open on Sunday, July 11, 2004 in conjunction with traditional yearly festivities in nearby Schmiedleithen (an old scythe factory settlement) and close the next Sunday July 18 with final celebrations in Molln. During the week several excursions (Scythe Museum in Micheldorf, working scythe factory in Rossleithen etc.) are also planned.
Kalkalpen National Park is contributing to the event by hosting the Symposium's presentations, discussions and the Cultural Exposition in its large new centre in Molln.
The Upper Austrian association Eisenstrasse (literally "Iron Road", established in order to promote cultural awareness associated with the steel processing and tool making industry's long contribution to the economic and social developments of that region) has graciously accepted the responsibility for all the complicated organizational aspects.
With specific inquiries and presentation proposals, as well as other offers of support, please contact Eisenstrasse at: sensenfestival@eisenstrasse.info
And finally, The European Union is the chief financial sponsor of this non-commercial event.
Of related interest and scheduled within our agenda, the Umweltschutzverband (an Austrian Environment Organization) is planning a special Symposium on Wildflower Meadow Management which will include excursions to the surrounding mountainsides.
This announcement was posted at www.scytheconnection.com on Nov. 5, 2003
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