[Jim Bond]

I just watched a Korean film called Musa The Warrior. The character Lieutenant Ganam, carried a pretty interesting sword. I wish I knew how to get screen grabs from DVD's on my computer, but I dont. So all I have to offer you guys is a REALLY small pic of it I found on the internet (he's the guy on the bottom/middle...



I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there is a name for this style of sword. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks...

PS His character was Korean, if that could help.

[Lafayette C Curtis]

Hmm...it looks like a Chinese modao, though a modao's blade was probably somewhat narrower than that. Maybe there's a genetic link between the two, because Chinese and Korea had fairly extensive exhanges of military technology with each other.

[Andrew F]

hi,
if i remember correctly didnt he obtain this sword from the dead chinese gaurds. might have to watch it again now to see if im not thinking of another movie.

[Felix Kunze]

The characters are Koreans from the late Koryo dynasty and the film is set in the second half of the 14th century. The armor and dress is a sometimes historically accurate, but often (especially the armor) an interpretation of pictoral or written evidence. This is also visible in the used weapons, the mongolian swords for example were not that strongly curved as displayed in the movie.

So concerning the strange but impressing sword you asked for, I first checked my photos from the military museum in Seoul and some books, but closest weapons the Koreans of that time used were chinese style halberds. (Attachment 1) The Koreans weapons and armor of this time displayed a strong mongolian influence, but this sword seems to be something different.


So when I remember right, they obtainend some weapons at a trading post from some central asian merchants, and that seems to be the solution for the problem: very similar swords do exist in India, called "ram dao", which have the same style of handle and pommel, although their blade forms have some variation. The indian origin of the weapon may be supported by the spear used by the long haired korean character who falls in love with the chinese princess (forgot the name, sorry). I found nearly the same spear with this rather uncommon blade in the same indian context.

Following are some pictures of these indian weapons found on hindunet.org. I hope this will help you.

[Felix Kunze]

Here are the other images. The first are Ming chinese soldiers (chinese heirs to the mongol-chinese Yuan-dynasty) in the 14th century) with short shafted halberds, more likely glaives.

The other images from hindunet show weapons from northern India and Nepal with similar sword styles.