Sword of Victory

The Sword of Victory exhibit on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok showing the Royal Thai Regalia in honour of the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's ascension to the throne in 2006.

Phra Saeng Khan Chai Si[1][2] or Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri[3] (Thai: พระแสงขรรค์ชัยศรี, the "Venerable Sword of Victory",[2] "Great Sword of Victory"[3][a]) is part of the royal regalia of the King of Thailand. The sword represents the military might and power of the king. The hilt has a length of 25.4 centimetres (10 inches) with the blade measuring 64.5 centimetres (25 inches). When placed in the scabbard the sword has a total length of 101 centimetres (40 inches) and weighs 1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds). The sword’s neck between the blade and the hilt is decorated with a gold inlaid miniature of Vishnu riding the Garuda.[citation needed]

History

It is a double-edged iron sword with a quartz hilt, held in a scabbard made of gold, inlaid with precious stones.[1] It was among the relics discovered in 1957 from the crypt at Wat Ratchaburana.[1]

According to a stone inscription[b] describing the history of the Sukhothai Kingdom, Pho Khun Pha Mueang had been given the sword Phra Saeng Khan chai si by his father, Pho Khun Si Nao Num.[5]

However, a story has been circulated that the sword was found in 1784 by a fisherman in Cambodia who found it in his fishing net (in Tonle Sap[citation needed]) at Siem Riep, and Chao Phraya Uthai Phubet who ruled presented it to Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) of Thailand,[6][c] his suzerain at the time. According to legend, it was said that the moment the blade arrived in Bangkok, seven lightning strikes hit the city simultaneously, including the city gate (Wiset Chaisi), where the blade entered, and over the main gate of the Grand Palace (Phiman Chaisi).[6]

During the coronation ceremony the king is handed the sword by a Brahmin, then straps it onto his belt himself. The sword features heavily in the Oath of Allegiance Ceremony where the King ceremoniously dips the sword into a bowl of sacred water, and then drinks the water as an example, followed by senior civil servants and military officers as a sign of allegiance to the institution of the monarchy.[citation needed]

See also

Explanatory footnotes

  1. ^ "Phra" is a royal honorific prefix.
  2. ^ The 2nd Stone Inscription, Wat Sri Chum.
  3. ^ Note that "The Royal Regalia Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut (The Great Crown of Victory).. was made during the reign of King Rama I".[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Tourism Authority of Thailand (2015). Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Tourism Authority of Thailand. p. 11.
  2. ^ a b Stengs, Irene (2009). Worshipping the Great Moderniser: King Chulalongkorn, Patron Saint of the Thai Middle Class. NUS Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 9789971694296.
  3. ^ a b Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, ed. (2007). "Royal Emblems". The King of Thailand in World Focus: Articles and Images from the International Press. Editions Didier Millet. p. 242. The seal is surrounded by five major items of royal regalia : the Great Crown of Victory , the double - edged Great Sword of Victory (Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri). (Discussion of The House of Chakri crest)
  4. ^ Jaroonsak Jarudhiranart (2017). The Interpretation of Si Satchanalai (PDF) (Ph.D.). Graduate School, Silpakorn University. p. 117. hdl:123456789/2174.
  5. ^ Jaroonsak Jarudhiranart,[4] citing Suchit Wongthet, 2536 BE: 18.
  6. ^ a b c "The Royal Regalia". Thailand Illustrated. 23 (3): 43ff. 2006.

Sources

  • Siamese Jewels-Regalia
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