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Originally Posted by Mark Bowditch
Good information, Serge. I've been meaning to get that book for a while, and now I'm sure I will. 
I wonder if the red scabbard and red handle have a special significance. It is so often, but not universally, seen. Of the two Kachin dao I have, the higher-quality one has the red scabbard. I also have an old Shan dha the scabbard and handle of of which had been painted red (fairly sloppily, sometimes painting over the silver covering).
[img]http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/Images/Image21.jpg[/url] |
Mark
you may have already seen this but in
ANCIENT SOUTH-EAST ASIAN WARFARE
By H. G. QUARITCH WALES. Ph.D. Litt.D.
LONDON
BERNARD QUARITCH, LTD.
1952
He states in CHAPTER VI SIAM AND BURMA: THE PREPARATIONS
"Lastly I may mention an interesting point of magical symbolism to which Professor Heine-Geldern has drawn my attention: Karl Dohring states, on the authority of La Loubere (op. cit., p. 26), that Siamese soldiers formerly wore red, the colour of the warlike planet Mars which presided over the south, and that is why military officials were on the right (south) side of the king in audience"
I know nothing about the astrology of Siam so I cannot tell you if anyone else confirms what he wrote or not. This author however has several books on Siam including
Towards Angkor in the footsteps of the Indian invaders / by H.G. Quaritch Wales ; with a foreword by Sir FrancisYounghusband and London : G.G. Harrap & Co., Ltd., [1937
and
Ancient Siamese government and administration not sure of the original publisher but Paragon Book Reprint Corp (January 1, 1965)