DHA ?

dennee · 17th July 2008, 03:13 PM

It seems that the Nagas were somewhat challenged for sources of iron and steel; there is the oft-told story of them fashioning 'axe' blades from British tea plantation hoe blades. There is certainly an iron-working tradition, as I recall, also strongest in the east (Kalyo-Kengyu, etc.)

A "sword dao" blade contains a fair amount of steel, and Naga blades appear to generally grow larger over time, as steel becomes more available (one need only look at the large twentieth-century sword/axe types, whose blades are at lest the same length as the hafts).

It may well be that there are characteristic eastern Naga sword-daos, but I am hesitant to suggest that the origins of the form are among that people when what we know of archaic Naga "dao" forms is different.

I suspect that the daos with the ivory pommels are Khamti, as the Khamti are known for ivory work among other things, and I have seen photos of Khamtis with similar daos.

Surely, there was trade among the neighboring peoples, just as the Akha often acquired Bhutanese swords, and the "Dafla," Mishmi, and Apa Tani had Tibetan swords and blades.

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17th July 2008, 03:13 PM	#8
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	It seems that the Nagas were somewhat challenged for sources of iron and steel; there is the oft-told story of them fashioning 'axe' blades from British tea plantation hoe blades. There is certainly an iron-working tradition, as I recall, also strongest in the east (Kalyo-Kengyu, etc.) A "sword dao" blade contains a fair amount of steel, and Naga blades appear to generally grow larger over time, as steel becomes more available (one need only look at the large twentieth-century sword/axe types, whose blades are at lest the same length as the hafts). It may well be that there are characteristic eastern Naga sword-daos, but I am hesitant to suggest that the origins of the form are among that people when what we know of archaic Naga "dao" forms is different. I suspect that the daos with the ivory pommels are Khamti, as the Khamti are known for ivory work among other things, and I have seen photos of Khamtis with similar daos. Surely, there was trade among the neighboring peoples, just as the Akha often acquired Bhutanese swords, and the "Dafla," Mishmi, and Apa Tani had Tibetan swords and blades.