전통낫의 형태와 원리 연구

Abstract

One of the oldest steel agricultural tools is sickle[鐵鎌]. Since the use of half-moon shape stone knife to pick grains during the prehistoric times, until now it has become the sole harvest tool. Of course, sickle has been used in various ways such as a woodworking tool, seaweed picking tool, wood chopping tool, murder weapon, etc., besides as a reaping tool. Various utilization of sickle includes the function of it, such as chopping woods, cutting thin things as grasses or seaweeds, or hitting. Cutting and hitting is closely related to the morphologic characteristic of sickle, since the blade of sickle is proper for cutting, the neck of sickle is proper for hitting, and cutting function is maximized when a long handle is connected with a long blade. Utilization of sickle in a simple form made of sickle blade, sickle neck, and sickle handle can be utilized as a tool to maximize the relevant function. The form of the tool is closely related to the function, and each function includes the information such as working environment and efficiency, etc., accordingly, the researcher intended to comprehend the cultural significance of sickle through the form of it. Since the New Stone Age till before use of tractor, an agricultural tool, sickle has been steadily utilized for a long period, and the morphological characteristic is searched per each era, accordingly, the researcher intended to comprehend the significance of the period implied in the period. Besides, the researcher comprehended the natural environment, the characteristic of the era per region, and living habits of the local residents along with the morphological meaning, since the sickle of the Korean Peninsula also has the peculiarity per region. Traditional sickles can be categorized in five types when dividing them according to their form, Short sickle blade appears in ‘northern type’, long blade and short neck appear in ‘central district type’, thin and long blade and neck with short handle appear in ‘southern type’, and there are ‘seaside and island area (west coast of Chungcheongdo type, islands of Jeollado type, Jeju type), and special type utilized in various use. Morphological characteristics of such sickles were comprehended based on the scientific principle of dynamics(力學), on the basis of elementary knowledge. Differently from knife, this research intended to divide the structure of sickle, a tool to cut in ‘ㄱ’ shape, into blade, neck, and handle, and comprehend the function of each structure and the significance of its morphological transformation by applying the dynamic principle. The interpretation attained through the elementary principle became more distinct in the function of each morphological characteristic as the result of applying the change of period and regional characteristic to the comprehension. The researcher comprehended the correlation among the operational direction of the sickle, work efficiency, work speed, and length. As the result of analyzing the temporal meaning through the medium of the form of the sickle, socioeconomic background of each period and utilization of sickle was able to be traced back, and the researcher could approach the background information of natural environment and regional characteristic, etc. of each type through 5 categorization and respective regional distribution of regional traditional sickles. Henceforth, this can be utilized as a standard to divide the cultural district of the Korean Peninsula.