Yoke
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A yoke is a wooden beam which is used between a pair of oxen to allow them to pull a load (oxen almost always work in pairs). There are several types, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen. A pair of oxen is also called a yoke of oxen, and yoke is also used as a verb: "to yoke a pair of oxen".
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[edit] Etymology
The word "yoke" is believed to derive from Proto-Indo-European *yugóm (yoke), from verb *yeug- (join, unite). This root has descendants in almost all known Indo-European languages including German Joch, Latin iugum, Ancient Greek ζυγόν (zygon), Sanskrit युग (yugá), Hittite 𒄿𒌑𒃷 (iúkan), Old Church Slavonic иго (igo), Lithuanian jungas, Old Irish cuing etc. (all meaning "yoke").
[edit] Bow or neck yoke
A bow yoke is a shaped wooden crosspiece bound to the necks of a pair of oxen, or occasionally horses. It is held on the animals' necks by an oxbow, from which it gets its name. The oxbow is usually U-shaped and also transmits force from the animals' shoulders. A swivel beneath the centre of the yoke, between the animals, attaches the pole of the vehicle (when the animals steer the vehicle) or chains (traces) that are used to drag a load.
Bow yokes are traditional in northern Europe and in the United States, Australia and Africa.
[edit] Head yoke
A head yoke is a yoke that fits onto the head of the oxen. It usually fits behind the horns, and has carved-out sections into which the horns fit. The yoke is then strapped to the horns of the oxen with yoke straps. Some types fit instead onto the front of the head, and ox pads are then used for cushioning on the oxen's foreheads. A tug pole is held to the bottom of the yoke using yoke irons and chains. The tug pole can either be a short pole with a chain attached for hauling, or a long pole with a hook on the end that has no chain at all. Sometimes the pole is attached to a wagon and the oxen are simply backed over this pole, the pole is then raised between them and a backing bolt is dropped into the chains on the yoke irons in order to haul the wagon.
Head yokes are widely used in southern Europe, much of South America and in Canada.
[edit] Withers yoke
A withers yoke is a yoke that fits just in front of the withers of the oxen. The yoke is held in position by straps and/or a pair of wooden staves either side of the ox's withers; the pull is however from the yoke itself, not from the staves. Withers yokes particularly suit zebu cattle, which have high humps on their withers.
Withers yokes are widely used in Africa and India, where zebu cattle are common.
[edit] Comparison
Although all three yoke types are effective, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Head yokes need to be constantly shaped to fit the animals' horns, while bow yokes do not. However a head yoke is better for teaching animals to stand quietly without fighting because they cannot move their heads around freely.
[edit] Other uses
"Yoke" can also mean a bar by which the end of the tongue of a wagon or carriage is suspended from the collars of a harness; a bar carried across the shoulders, by which a person can carry goods, such as two pails of milk, one at either end; or the shoulder piece of a shirt.
[edit] Symbolism
With its of connotations of subservience, in ancient cultures it was traditional to force a defeated enemy to pass beneath a symbolic yoke of spears or swords. The last remenant of this tradition is the Saber Arch seen at some military weddings.
'Yoke' is a frequent metaphor in the Old Testament, first used in Genesis 27:40 regarding Esau. In the teachings of Jesus Christ, His followers are told "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This is a metaphor for submitting to Jesus and being connected to Him as with a yoke. (Gospel of Matthew 11:30)
[edit] See also
- Whippletree - a similar pivot device used with draught animals.
[edit] External links
- Prairie Ox Drovers - ox training association
- ISCOWP
- Paper describing types of yoke and comparing them.
