Dadao (大刀)

Dadao (大刀)

The dadao (Chinese: 大刀; literally "big knife") one of the varieties of dao or Chinese saber, is also known as the Chinese great sword. Based on agricultural knives, dadao have broad blades generally between two and three feet long, long hilts meant for "hand and a half" or two-handed use, and generally a weight-forward balance. Some were made for military use, but they were most commonly associated with civilian militias or revolutionaries. While not a particularly sophisticated sword, the weight and balance of the dadao gave it considerable slashing and chopping power, making it an effective close combat weapon for untrained troops; it was used in this role as late as the 1930's in the Second Sino-Japanese War. During Operation Nekka the Chinese claim that whenever they had a chance for close engagement, the dadao was so deadly that they could cut off the heads of Japanese soldiers with ease. A military marching song was composed to become the rally cry for Chinese troops thoughtout the Second Sino-Japanese war to glorify the use of Dadao during battle with the invaders.

In origin, design, and use, the dadao is broadly comparable to the European "Großes Messer" and falchion.

Television series on Dadao were also filmed and screened in China.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadao

Swords of myth and legend

Swords of myth and legend

Attila the Hun's sword, which was claimed to be the sword of Mars, the Roman god of war.

Bhawani (Sword) - The Sword given to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by Goddess Tuljabhavani.

Caladbolg - Sword of Fergus mac Róich

Chandrahas - The Sword given to Ravana by Lord Shiva.

Claíomh Solais - Sword of Nuada Airgeadlámh, legendary king of Ireland

Crocea Mors - Sword of Julius Caesar

Curtana - Sword of Ogier the Dane, a legendary Danish hero, and a paladin of Charlemagne

Durendal - Sword of Roland, one of Charlemagne's paladins—alleged to be the same sword as the one wielded by Hector of Ilium

Durendal - A sword that belonged to Hector of Ilium

Excalibur/Caliburn/Caledflwch - Sword of King Arthur

Fragarach - Sword of Manannan mac Lir and Lugh Lamfada

Gram (Balmung) (Nothung) - Sword of Siegfried, hero of the Nibelungenlied

Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀, Mandarin: qīng lóng yǎn yuè dāo，Cantonese: ching¹ lung⁴ yim² yuet⁶ do¹) was a legendary weapon wielded by Guan Yu in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is a guandao, a type of traditional Chinese weapon.

Hauteclere - Sword of Olivier, a French hero depicted in the Song of Roland

Heaven's Will/The Will of Heaven/Thuan Thien/Thuận Thiên. Sword of Vietnamese King Le Loi

Hrunting - Sword lent to Beowulf by Unferth, ineffective against Grendel's mother

Joyeuse - Sword of Charlemagne

Totsuka no Tsurugi - The sword Susanoo used to slay the Yamata no Orochi.

Kusanagi - Sword that Susanoo found in the dead body of the Yamata no Orochi. It is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan, and also known as Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣).

Laevateinn - Sword that Surtr will use to bring down the dome of heaven at Ragnarök.

Lobera, the sword of the king Saint Ferdinand III of Castile

Melethling - Said to be the magical embodiment of love and courageousness.

Mimung - Sword that Wudga inherits from his father Wayland the Smith

Móralltach, the mythical greatsword of the Celtic god Aéngus

Naegling - Sword of Beowulf in his old age, used to fight the dragon

Philippan - Sword given to Marc Antony by Cleopatra. Antony lost the sword when he was defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium.

Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar - Sword of King Solomon(in Persian folklore)

Taming Sari - The Kris belonging to the Malay warrior Hang Tuah of the Malacca Sultanate.

Tyrfing - Cursed sword that causes eventual death to its wielder and their kin, it is said to bring about three great evils.

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Wikipedia: Swords of myth and legend
Wikipedia: Types of swords#History and mythology
Wikipedia: Green_Dragon_Crescent_Blade

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Blade weapons | Ancient weapons | Swords

Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀)

Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀)

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀, Mandarin: qīng lóng yǎn yuè dāo，Cantonese: ching¹ lung⁴ yim² yuet⁶ do¹) was a legendary weapon wielded by Guan Yu (關羽) in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義). It is a guandao (關刀), a type of traditional Chinese weapon.

It is also sometimes referred to as the Frost Fair Blade (冷艷鋸, lěng yàn jù), from the idea that during a battle in the snow, the blade continuously had blood on it; the blood froze and made a layer of frost on the blade.

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In Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義)

In the novel by Luo Guanzhong (羅貫中), the blade was forged by a local blacksmith using steel sponsored by Zhang Shiping (張世平), a merchant sympathetic to Liu Bei (劉備)'s cause. When Guan Yu met his end at the hands of Lü Meng (呂蒙) in 219, the blade was given to Pan Zhang (潘璋) by Sun Quan (孫權) for his role in capturing of Guan Yu. Later, when Guan Yu's son Guan Xing (關興) soon sought revenge on Pan Zhang, Pan Zhang was startled by a vision of Guan Yu's spirit and was killed by Guan Xing. Guan Xing took back the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and thus the blade was passed down from father to son.

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Historical validity

It is highly questionable whether Guan Yu (關羽) actually wielded the Green Dragon (青龍刀) or whether it was merely part of the myths surrounding him, valid historical text from his time period made no mention of him or anyone wielding a similar weapon. Because the guandao (關刀) was known not to be widely used until the Song Dynasty (宋朝), there is some doubt as to whether the guandao existed during Guan Yu's time. The guandao may not have been very widely-used because it was both difficult to wield, because of its heavy weight (Guan Yu, reportedly, was able to wield it agilely with just one hand, while most people would have trouble using it effectively even with both hands), and difficult to forge. This causes many to believe that it existed after Guan Yu.

According to Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) Chapter 1 (第一回), the Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀) was said to weigh 82 catties (斤, jīn). During the Eastern Han Dynasty (漢朝) and Three Kingdoms periods (三國時代), one catty was approximately 220 grams, so 82 catties would have been approximately 18.04 kilograms (39.7782 pounds). A weapon weighing about 100 pounds (48 kilograms) purported to be the Green Dragon Crescent Blade is on display at the Purple Cloud Temple in China today.

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Rumoured origins

Legend says that Guan Yu (關羽) invented the guandao (關刀). He had it forged after he met Liu Bei (劉備) and Zhang Fei (張飛) but before he made the Oath of the Peach Garden (桃園三結義).

The story of the blade was that there was a blacksmith forging the blade when suddenly a green dragon (青龍) passed by. The dragon was cut up and the body became part of the pieces therefore making the dao a magical weapon.

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In popular culture

The weapon appears in several video games made by Koei (コーエー), but under incorrectly translated names. For example, it is called "Black Dragon" in Kessen (決戦) 2. However in the Dynasty Warriors (真・三國無双, Shin Sangokumusou) series it is named Blue dragon. This is likely because qing (青) may also mean blue, or black.

In the anime and manga Ikki Tousen (一騎当千, Battle Vixens) and visual novel and anime Koihime Musō (恋姫†無双), this weapon is wielded by Kan'u Unchou (關羽 雲長), who is intended to be a representation of Guan Yu (關羽).

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Dragon_Crescent_Blade
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms/Chapter_1#13
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanu_Unch%C5%8D

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Mythological weapons | Three Kingdoms | Chinese mêlée weapons