Dha or Dao?

Flavio · 13th August 2006, 10:09 PM

Thank you very much Lew!! But, if the war was in 1891, than the writing is wrong or maybe is the year when the sword was collected by the first western person?

Lew · 13th August 2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flavio

Thank you very much Lew!! But, if the war was in 1891, than the writing is wrong or maybe is the year when the sword was collected by the first western person?

Flavio

The war lasted from 1891-93.

KACHIN HILLS 1892-95 - 3 December 1892 to 3 March 1893: Punitive expeditions into the Kachin Hills.

Lew

Flavio · 13th August 2006, 10:24 PM

Ah

, Ok, Thank you very much Lew

RhysMichael · 13th August 2006, 10:30 PM

I agree kachin but I would call it a dha. A couple of years ago I would have called it a dao and placed it as assam. A good find

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/Images/Image422.jpg

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0002.htm

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0021.htm

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0048.htm

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0055.htm

Andrew · 14th August 2006, 12:45 AM

I agree with JT. A Kachin (Jingpaw) dha. We've discussed these before, I believe.

These are, indeed, very similar to dao of the region, but there are distinctions. A longer, cylindrical handle, a longer/more slender blade with less pronounced flare from forte to the tip, and a two-sided scabbard.

Probably a transitional form between this dao (top) and dha (bottom):

Mark · 14th August 2006, 01:14 AM

Egerton calls these "fighting" dao, as distinguished from the shorter and heavier "dao," in the text, but referring to one illustrated (#205, Fig. 19) he just calls it a sword. There is a Jingpaw word, "nhtu," which means "sword" (according to Leach, Political Systems of Highland Burma) but I don't know if it refers to the longer or shorter version.

I'm a little up in the air at the moment about whether to call these dao or dha, but I favor dha. I have never seen where or why swords from the Naga & Kachin hills were even called "dao," for one thing. "Dha" is a Burmese word, though, so its probably not what a Jingpaw would have called his sword.

Something curious: looking at the tip of the scabbard, the two halves appear mis-matched, but not at the top.

Andrew · 14th August 2006, 01:27 AM

Once again, we find ourselves struggling to put a name to a weapon. I guess we're talking about two things here, really. First, what do we call this thing and, second, where does it fit into our current understanding.

I tend to try and neatly catagorize weapons and give them names that, even if not strictly accurate, allow me to differentiate between forms. Mark is correct: probably the best name for the eBay example is "Kachin sword". But without more information from someone in the region, we're left to our own devices.

Lew · 14th August 2006, 01:28 AM

Mark

The bottom of the scabbard is busted up pretty bad I don't think they are mismatched just broken.

Lew

14th August 2006, 12:45 AM	#5
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	I agree with JT. A Kachin (Jingpaw) dha. We've discussed these before, I believe. These are, indeed, very similar to dao of the region, but there are distinctions. A longer, cylindrical handle, a longer/more slender blade with less pronounced flare from forte to the tip, and a two-sided scabbard. Probably a transitional form between this dao (top) and dha (bottom): Attached Images Last edited by Andrew; 14th August 2006 at 01:10 AM.

13th August 2006, 10:09 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank you very much Lew!! But, if the war was in 1891, than the writing is wrong or maybe is the year when the sword was collected by the first western person?

13th August 2006, 10:24 PM	#3
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Ah , Ok, Thank you very much Lew

13th August 2006, 10:30 PM	#4
RhysMichael Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 520	I agree kachin but I would call it a dha. A couple of years ago I would have called it a dao and placed it as assam. A good find http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/Images/Image422.jpg http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0002.htm http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0021.htm http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0048.htm http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0055.htm

14th August 2006, 01:14 AM	#6
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Egerton calls these "fighting" dao, as distinguished from the shorter and heavier "dao," in the text, but referring to one illustrated (#205, Fig. 19) he just calls it a sword. There is a Jingpaw word, "nhtu," which means "sword" (according to Leach, Political Systems of Highland Burma) but I don't know if it refers to the longer or shorter version. I'm a little up in the air at the moment about whether to call these dao or dha, but I favor dha. I have never seen where or why swords from the Naga & Kachin hills were even called "dao," for one thing. "Dha" is a Burmese word, though, so its probably not what a Jingpaw would have called his sword. Something curious: looking at the tip of the scabbard, the two halves appear mis-matched, but not at the top.

14th August 2006, 01:27 AM	#7
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	Once again, we find ourselves struggling to put a name to a weapon. I guess we're talking about two things here, really. First, what do we call this thing and, second, where does it fit into our current understanding. I tend to try and neatly catagorize weapons and give them names that, even if not strictly accurate, allow me to differentiate between forms. Mark is correct: probably the best name for the eBay example is "Kachin sword". But without more information from someone in the region, we're left to our own devices.

14th August 2006, 01:28 AM	#8
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Mark The bottom of the scabbard is busted up pretty bad I don't think they are mismatched just broken. Lew