Homi (tool)

''Homi'' ( ko, 호미), also known as a Korean hand plow, is a short-handled traditional farming tool used by Koreans. It is a farming tool that removes grasses from paddies and fields. It is also used when plowing a rice field, planting seeds, plowing up soil, and digging potatoes in fields. It is a farming tool similar to the hoe. It is an important extension of agriculture from the ancient times because the ''homi'' was excavated in the Bronze Age historic site of the Pyeongnam Mangsan Daepyeong-ri and the early Iron Age historic site of Yangpyong, Gyeonggi Province.

Homi is distributed nationwide, but they are characterized by locality. In other words, homi is classified into Plowshare-shaped(보습형), Sickle-shaped(낫형), and Triangle-shaped(세모형) depending on the natural conditions of the local area and the characteristics of agricultural management.

Shape

''Homi'' is made of iron and consists of a blade, a tang, and a handle. The blade is the iron plate used to dig or pull grass. The handle is made from a circular piece of wood and is located at the end of the tang. The tang connects the blade to the handle. The shape of the blade is usually an inverted triangle as the lower part is pointed and the upper part is broad.

Names

The name of the tool tends to vary according to region. Some common names include ''homaengi'' (), ''homei'' (), ''homu'' (), ''hommi'' (), ''homani'' (), ''heome'' (), ''heomi'' (), and ''huimi'' (). The name of the tool can also vary depending on its shape, the shingles, the clogs, the shovels, the ear ''homi'', there are ''gyeongjigi'' (), ''makjigi'' (), ''gotjigi'' (), ''gwi-homi'' (), ''nal-homi'' (), ''pyeong-homi'' (), ''dongja-homi'' (), ''bupae-homi'' (), ''byeotsoe-homi'' (), ''susuip-homi'' (), ''kkaennip-homi'' (), ''yonggang-homi'' (), ''byeorugae'' (), ''gakjaengi'' (), ''golgaengi'' (), and ''byeokchae'' ().

Classification

By shape

Plowshare-shaped

''Boseup-hyeong'' (, plowshare type): In the case of ''boseup-hyeong homi'', it is also called ''non-homi'' (, paddy field ''homi''). The pointed end of the blade and the broad blade are effective for digging soil and turning the soil upside down. The blades strength gives it the ability to weed a rice paddy. ''Boseup-hyeong homi'' is often used in paddy farming, and is wrapped with straw or hemp cloth to prevent slipperiness caused by damp soil. It can be seen mainly in Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheong-do, and some parts of Jeollabuk-do province. ''Boseup-hyeong homi'' (weight about 400g) enables a man to weed a rice paddy of 300 pyeong (roughly 1,000 m² equivalent) a day.

File:Homi 40.jpg, ''Boseup-hyeong'' (plowshare-type) homi

Sickle-shaped

''Nat-hyeong'' (, sickle type): The blade is longer than the width like a sickle and its tip is sharp. It is convenient to use where many obstacles are present such as gravel. It is called ''bat-homi'' (, non-paddy field ''homi''). It has fewer blades than ''boseup-hyeong homi'', the angle between blade, and the ''homi'' is gentle. It is mainly used in Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeju-do, Jeollanam-do, island regions, and mountainous regions.

File:Homi 29.jpg, ''Nat-hyeong'' (sickle-type) homi

Triangle-shaped

''Semo-hyeong'' (, triangle type): This type takes the shape of a long triangle with the length of the bottom is longer than both sides. The blade and handle of this type is the longest allowing people to stand up. This makes it convenient to uproot the grass of a wide field like barley, corn, and wheat. It is not suitable to use on paddy fields as the power to plow up the soil is weak. It is mainly used in northern parts.

File:Homi 18.jpg, ''Semo-hyeong'' (triangle-type) homi

By use

For paddy fields

''Non-homi'' (, paddy field ''homi'') has a sharp blade. The top width of the blade is about 10 cm and the length is 20~25 cm. The blade is convex. Therefore, using this ''homi'' can turn over the soil well. It is of great use when making a furrow or pulling out the weeds in a rice paddy. Its handle is wrapped in Saekki(hangul: =straw rope) to prevent wet hands from slipping. The homi in the central region has a wide blade. The southern ''homi'' has a narrow blade and a pointed tip. Tools with four ends at the end of blade are called ''non-homi''. It is mainly used in Jeolla-do to plow up the soil between the furrow and pull out the weeds.

File:Homi 63.jpg, ''Non-homi'' (paddy field homi)

For non-paddy fields

''Bat-homi'' (, dry field ''homi'') has various shapes. It is used for all crops except aquatic rice. It is lighter and smaller than the ''non-homi''. There are two kinds of ''homi'': ''Oegwi-homi'' (, single-ear ''homi'') and ''yanggwi-homi'' (, double-ear ''homi''). The end of ''oegwihomi'''s blade is pointed like ''non-homi''. ''Oegwihomi'' in the seaside district has more smaller and pointed blade. This phenomenon is noticeable in rainy regions. The ''homi'' of Jeju Island called ''golgaengi'' () has a sharp and small blade like hooks. This is because the roots of crops fall deep into the ground in rainy region.

File:Homi 32.jpg, Single-ear ''bat-homi'' (dry field homi)
File:Homi 34.jpg, Double-ear ''bat-homi'' (dry field homi)

History and tradition

History

''Homi'' was a unique tool of Korea, as ''homi'' was called "Eastern hoe (; the "East" referring to Korea)" in the '' Essays on Rural Life and Economy'' written by Seo Yugu during the years 1806–1842. It stated ''homi'' as a useful tool in the Eastern nation (Korea). It can be seen in the relics from Anapji in the Unified Silla period, and the shape of ''homi'' in the Goryeo period is the same today. The ''homae'' reported in '' Farming in Korea'' and ''homi'' from the painting of Gisan show that the short ''homi'' of old times is much longer than the current ''homi''. The name of long handle ''homi'' which pulls out the weed was changed to ''gajiip-gwaengi'' () or ''susuip-gwaengi'' ().

In Guui-dong ruins, 7 iron ''homi'' was excavated. The neck of the ''homi'' was made with iron plate to insert the handle. The blade was made in trapezoidal or rounded rectangle shape.

In the Goguryeo area, the neck of a ''homi'' blade is short and the blade is slightly outward curved. The edges of the blade are rounded. It was excavated mainly with U-shaped ironware. ''Homi'' was found not only in the tomb but also in many historical sites such as buildings and castles.

As the region entered the unified Silla period, the blade of ''homi'' has changed from wide shape to narrow and sharp shaped as it is today. In Anapji, wide bladed ''homi'' assumed as long handle ''homi'' was excavated with ''nat-hyeong'' (sickle type) ''homi'' having narrow blade. This ''nat-hyeong'' (sickle type) ''homi'' is most similar to today's ''homi''.

Tradition

Goyang Songpo ''homigeori''

''Homigeori'' (), also called ''homissisi'' (), means that after finishing the farming of the year, farmers wash the ''homi'' and hang it for the farming of the next year. It is based on the '' dure'' (farmers' cooperative group) community, which was active in farming areas. It is done in July when weeding is finished. Hanging ''homi'' on an agricultural machine actually means ending the farming. In 1984, it won the General Excellence Award at the Gyeonggi Province Folk Art Competition. In 1998, it was designated as the Gyeonggi-do Intangible Cultural Asset No. 22.

It is said that it is not done every year, but only when it is judged that the farming was done well by some degree of the farming about the year. When ''homigeori'' is determined, the villagers prepare the feast by checking the musical instruments and flags to be used in the play and preparation of the food. Before the dawn, the men gathered in front of the flag and performed ''Sangsanje'', playing the ''Marching Song''. Next, the women set the table ''sirusang'' and performed ''Daedongje'' in the yard. ''Sangsanje'' means wishes for good farming of the next year. ''Daedongje'' means wishes for no disease and no injuries to the villagers.

After the end of ''pungmul,'' ''Daedongje'', people head to the village entrance to greet neighboring '' durepae'' (farmers' cooperative group people) with their flags. And neighboring ''durepae'' gather in a yard with a cart with liquor barrels. As people do ''gijeolbatgi'' () and ''gisseulgi'' (), people play with the ''pungmul''. When it is sunset, Neighboring ''durepae'' returns. After neighboring ''durepae'' return home, they do ''jipdori'' (visiting several houses) and finish the ''homigeori''.

The Songpo ''homigeori'', which contains the power and soul for the arts, was discontinued at the end of 1931, but recently it has been partly reproduced by the efforts of the Preservation Society of Songpo ''homigeori''.

Outside Korea

The common ''homi'' in Korea is emerging as an "it" item abroad. It is being reinterpreted as a revolutionary farming tool. It is also emerging as a farming tool that gardeners use outside Korea. ''Homi'' is sometimes written with a hyphen as ho-mi outside Korea. On the site Amazon, over 130 companies sell ''homi''.

On YouTube, guide videos are available to explain how to use a ''homi''. A farmer outside Korea began to introduce digging the soil with ''homi'' and removing weeds while gardening.

Gardeners' attention to ''homi'' outside Korea is due to the high demand for equipment that can do delicate work in the United States where the landscape culture has developed. Most people used shovels to plow fields before they knew ''homi''. Due to the fact that the scope of digging the land is large, the crops had unwanted scratches and people also used much power. However, ''homi'' can only dig in the ground of the desired part, and has the advantage of being able to cut grass like a knife at a time.

In 2018, it gained traction abroad, mainly the United States, and orders began to pour in. It was later proclaimed the hottest gardening tool of spring 2019 by Quartz.

In popular culture, ''homis'' were referenced during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, when RM from BTS performed a new verse for Old Town Road with Lil Nas X, called "Seoul Town Road". In the context of hip-hop, ''homi'' is also a homophone of '' homie'', usually a term for a friend used often in hip-hop. BTS confirmed the wordplay on Twitter: "Seoul Town Road with my Ho-Mi @LilNasX", along with a picture of a ''homi''.

See also

* Hoe
* Weeder
* Guna

References

External links

The University of Maine - Weed Ecology and Management

{{Garden tools

Farming tools
Korean culture