Sinhala / Sri Lankan Swords?

VANDOO · 29th January 2014, 05:21 PM

AS JIM STATED THE PHIA AND THE KASTANE ARE THE TWO MOST WELL KNOWN WEAPONS FROM SIRI LANKA/CEYLON. EVEN THEN THERE ARE MANY UNKNOWNS ABOUT BOTH ITEMS IS IT A LION OR A MAKARA FOR INSTANCE I THINK WE HAVE SETTLED THAT QUESTION AS TO IT BEING A LION ON THE POMMEL, BUT WHY WAS THE LION CHOSEN?
BUT STILL WE WONDER WHEN AND WHY DID THE KASTANE BECOME THE NATIONAL SWORD AND IF ITS PRESENT FORM IS NOT A WEAPON THEN WHAT DID ITS PREDECESOR THAT WAS USED IN WAR LOOK LIKE.?
THE PHIA IS STILL A BIT VAGUE AS TO ITS USE WAS IT CEREMONIAL AND A PRESTIEGE ITEM AND WHAT WAS IT USED FOR? WAS IT USED AND CARRIED FOR EVERY DAY USE OR ONLY USED FOR CERTIAN THINGS. WERE THE ONES THAT INCLUDED A STYLUS A TOOL CARRIED ONLY BY HIGH CLASS OFFICIALS OR SCRIBES?
THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TWO ITEMS AND WE DID BECOME BOGGED DOWN AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE WHEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE MEAN AND WHY TO OTHERS WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW AND DON'T SEEM TO GET THE POINT OR JUST DENY YOUR REASONING AND OBSERVATIONS.
I HAVE FOUND MY SELF IN THAT POSITION SEVERAL TIMES

WHEN I SAY I HAVE MADE SUCH AND SUCH OBSERVATIONS AND HAVE COME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS AND SOMEONE SAYS THEY DISAGREE EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NOT EXAMEND THE OBJECT IN PERSON OR HAVE GOOD SOLID INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THEIR VIEW. THIS MAKES ONE WISH TO TRY AND EXPLAIN BETTER SO THE OTHER ONE MAY UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE COME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS. IT NEVER WORKS NO MATTER HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN SO I HAVE LEARNED IT IS BEST JUST TO MAKE YOUR STATEMENT AND MOVE ON NOT TO TRY TO EXPLAIN OR DEFEND IT AGASINST AN OPPOSING VIEW.
ITS HUMAN NATURE TO TRY AND DEFEND YOUR VIEWS BUT THE REPETITION OF YOUR VIEW AND THEN THE OPPOSITE VIEW BEING REPEATED OVER AND OVER ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING. ITS LIKE THE OLD NEVER ENDING ARGUMENT ( IT IS TOO! , NO ITS NOT, IT IS TOO, NO ITS NOT!)

I HAVE LEARNED TO RESIST JOINING THIS BATTLE AND LETTING THREADS DIE WITH QUESTIONS UNANSWERED WHEN THIS OCCURS AS IT BECOMES TEDIOUS AND POINTLESS AND NO FUN AT THAT STAGE. I ENJOY THE FORUM AND TRY TO ADD KNOWLEGE OR GET ANSWERS AND TO HAVE FUN, AT MY AGE WHEN IT IS NO LONGER FUN I FIND A NEW FUN THING TO DO.

I DO HOPE THE THREAD CONTINUES AS I THINK NEW INFORMATION HAS COME TO LIGHT AND THERE ARE MANY MORE AVENUES TO BE EXPLORED IN THE KASTANE AND PHIA NOT TO MENTION THE MANY OTHER WEAPONS FOUND IN CEYLON'S LONG HISTORY.

A FEW PICTURES #1, C. P. DIAS SINHALESE CHRISTIAN INTERPRETER
#2 THRU #5 A NEWER VERSION OF THE KASTANCE WITH A MAKARA POMEL

#6 THRU #11, VARIOUS PATISTHANAYA SPEARS
# 12 ANOTHER MODERN FORM OF SWORD SAID TO BE FROM SIRI LANKA WITH ELETHANT HEAD.

29th January 2014, 05:21 PM	#11
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	AS JIM STATED THE PHIA AND THE KASTANE ARE THE TWO MOST WELL KNOWN WEAPONS FROM SIRI LANKA/CEYLON. EVEN THEN THERE ARE MANY UNKNOWNS ABOUT BOTH ITEMS IS IT A LION OR A MAKARA FOR INSTANCE I THINK WE HAVE SETTLED THAT QUESTION AS TO IT BEING A LION ON THE POMMEL, BUT WHY WAS THE LION CHOSEN? BUT STILL WE WONDER WHEN AND WHY DID THE KASTANE BECOME THE NATIONAL SWORD AND IF ITS PRESENT FORM IS NOT A WEAPON THEN WHAT DID ITS PREDECESOR THAT WAS USED IN WAR LOOK LIKE.? THE PHIA IS STILL A BIT VAGUE AS TO ITS USE WAS IT CEREMONIAL AND A PRESTIEGE ITEM AND WHAT WAS IT USED FOR? WAS IT USED AND CARRIED FOR EVERY DAY USE OR ONLY USED FOR CERTIAN THINGS. WERE THE ONES THAT INCLUDED A STYLUS A TOOL CARRIED ONLY BY HIGH CLASS OFFICIALS OR SCRIBES? THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TWO ITEMS AND WE DID BECOME BOGGED DOWN AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE WHEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE MEAN AND WHY TO OTHERS WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW AND DON'T SEEM TO GET THE POINT OR JUST DENY YOUR REASONING AND OBSERVATIONS. I HAVE FOUND MY SELF IN THAT POSITION SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I SAY I HAVE MADE SUCH AND SUCH OBSERVATIONS AND HAVE COME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS AND SOMEONE SAYS THEY DISAGREE EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NOT EXAMEND THE OBJECT IN PERSON OR HAVE GOOD SOLID INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THEIR VIEW. THIS MAKES ONE WISH TO TRY AND EXPLAIN BETTER SO THE OTHER ONE MAY UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAVE COME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS. IT NEVER WORKS NO MATTER HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN SO I HAVE LEARNED IT IS BEST JUST TO MAKE YOUR STATEMENT AND MOVE ON NOT TO TRY TO EXPLAIN OR DEFEND IT AGASINST AN OPPOSING VIEW. ITS HUMAN NATURE TO TRY AND DEFEND YOUR VIEWS BUT THE REPETITION OF YOUR VIEW AND THEN THE OPPOSITE VIEW BEING REPEATED OVER AND OVER ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING. ITS LIKE THE OLD NEVER ENDING ARGUMENT ( IT IS TOO! , NO ITS NOT, IT IS TOO, NO ITS NOT!) I HAVE LEARNED TO RESIST JOINING THIS BATTLE AND LETTING THREADS DIE WITH QUESTIONS UNANSWERED WHEN THIS OCCURS AS IT BECOMES TEDIOUS AND POINTLESS AND NO FUN AT THAT STAGE. I ENJOY THE FORUM AND TRY TO ADD KNOWLEGE OR GET ANSWERS AND TO HAVE FUN, AT MY AGE WHEN IT IS NO LONGER FUN I FIND A NEW FUN THING TO DO. I DO HOPE THE THREAD CONTINUES AS I THINK NEW INFORMATION HAS COME TO LIGHT AND THERE ARE MANY MORE AVENUES TO BE EXPLORED IN THE KASTANE AND PHIA NOT TO MENTION THE MANY OTHER WEAPONS FOUND IN CEYLON'S LONG HISTORY. A FEW PICTURES #1, C. P. DIAS SINHALESE CHRISTIAN INTERPRETER #2 THRU #5 A NEWER VERSION OF THE KASTANCE WITH A MAKARA POMEL #6 THRU #11, VARIOUS PATISTHANAYA SPEARS # 12 ANOTHER MODERN FORM OF SWORD SAID TO BE FROM SIRI LANKA WITH ELETHANT HEAD. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 29th January 2014 at 06:22 PM.