scytheman

thumbnail|Scythemen of the 2nd Kraków Grenadier Regiment in 1794. thumbnail|Polish scythemen of the January Uprising in 1863–1864. thumbnail|Scythemen in 1831, led by Emilia Plater. Gouache by [[Jan Rosen.]] Scythemen, also known as scythe-bearers is the term for soldiers (often peasants and townspeople) armed with war scythes. First appearing in the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794, scythemen quickly became one of the symbols of the struggle for Polish independence and for the emancipation of the serfs.

==History== In Poland the scythemen formations are best remembered for their decisive role in the Battle of Racławice during the Kościuszko Uprising. Through this battle, well known in Poland, and because of Kościuszko's influence and pro-peasant stance, the kosynierzy became one of the symbols of the fight for Polish independence, as well as a symbol of self-identification of the peasantry with the Polish nation. The kosynier Wojciech Bartosz Głowacki, recognized for his bravery in the battle of Racławice, became one of the most famous Polish peasants, a symbol in his own right, attracting what some described as a cult following.