Sickle

Using a sickle

A sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crops before the advent of modern harvesting machinery. It consists of a curved blade with a short, one-hand handle attached. The inside of the curve is sharp, so that the user can swing the blade against the base of the crop, catching it in the curve and slicing it at the same time. It is sometimes referred to as a 'grasshook'. A similar tool is the scythe. The most noticeable difference between a sickle and the scythe is the scythe's longer handle and larger blade, allowing more efficient harvesting.

A sickle and a scythe

A blade which is used to cut the silica-rich stems of cereal crops acquires a characteristic sickle-gloss, or wear pattern. When this pattern appears on ancient stone tools, it can indicate early use or development of agriculture.

Sumerian Harvester's sickle, 3000 BCE. Baked clay. Field Museum

In Greek myths, the sickle was used as a weapon by Cronus and Perseus.

Additional uses

The Sickle is used as part of the well known symbol of the Hammer and sickle, which is the symbol of Communism or Revolutionary Socialism. The sickle represents the agricultural working class or peasantry in this symbol.
Sickle is a fictional unit of money in the Harry Potter series: see Money in Harry Potter.
SS-25 Sickle is the NATO reporting name for the RT-2PM Topol intercontinental ballistic missile.
Tacitus reports that golden sickles were used in Druidic rituals.

Sickle

Additional uses

See also