Dha (sword)

Dha (also spelled dah or dhaw) is the Burmese name for a type of single-edged sword or knife found primarily in Indochina.

Origins

The dha and its variants were probably derived from the dao, a broadsword used by the Naga people of northeast India for digging as well as killing. The Naga weapon was a thick, heavy, eighteen-inch long backsword with a bevel instead of a point. Similar terms exist in the surrounding area with slightly different meanings. The Chinese word dao (pronounced tou in Cantonese) means knife but can refer to any bladed weapon with only one edge. In Bengali, a dao is a six inch long knife. From the Himalayas, the dao spread to Southeast Asia where it came into its present shape. While it is pronounced dha in Burmese, among Khmer-speakers it is known as dao and some believe it is related to the Malay words pedang and sundang. The dha itself is called krabi in Thai, but the equivalent Thai term is daab (ดาบ) which usually refers to a straight double-edge sword. A related term, dap, means a long-handled sword in Malay.

Anatomy

Dha vary considerably according to locality but the blades generally have a slight curvature (sometimes curving downwards, in the direction of use) and a single edge. There are a large number of possible shapes for the tip, with upswept, downswept, squared-off and spear-like varieties all being found. The blades are often inscribed, which can range from a simple maker's mark to quite intricate designs...
Read More