A Dha of unkown origin

[Ian]

Hi Ren Ren,

The Ede (aka Rhade, Rade, Dega, Degar) are an interesting people. The largest of Vietnam's ethnic minorities, they are commonly considered in the broad group of Montagnard tribes people. Widely recruited by South Vietnam and its U.S. allies in the fight against North Vietnam, there is a substantial population of Ede in the USA today.

The typical sword of the Montagnard was either a long-hilted version with a wide, acutely angled tip or a saber of a style indistinguishable from a common Lao daab. Indeed the Montagnard generally obtained the latter via trade with Lao merchants or smiths.

The sword you show is most likely one of those obtained by the Ede from a Lao source. Whether one calls it an Ede dao or a Lao daab is a matter of choice. It is possible that the sword that is the original topic of this thread found its way to Vietnam and became adorned with a French coin as a result.

Ian