A patag, also known as patang, is a type of Asian sword characterized as having a straight single-edged blade. Patags are traditionally produced in

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

Characteristics

Bhutanese swords are straight, the blade is single-edged with a sharp arc tip. The blade is thicker near the hilt compared to the tip. Patags are about 6 millimeters thick at the hilt and about 2 millimeters at the tip. The blade tends to be between in length. Most patags are striated with small grooves called ''washo''. At least eleven types of patag exist. The types are named after the blacksmith who first forged them, the locality they originated, appearance, design or utility. The patag is regarded as a symbol of authority, serving as a ceremonial weapon for male parliament members and high ranking government officials, including the royal family. During the reign of Jigme Namgyal and Tongsa Penlop

Ugyen Wangchuck ''Gongsar'' Ugyen Wangchuck (, ; 11 June 1862 – 26 August 1926) was the first Druk Gyalpo (King) and founding father of the Kingdom of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. In his lifetime, he made efforts to unite the fledgling country and gain the trus ...

, swords that were used in action during wars were marked with a cross. The mark was placed on the blunt side of the sword, near the hilt. The dripcha or "defiled swords" are especially valued. Patag types include: * Paksam Tenzin * Chukhap Tenzin * Bumthang Tsen-dri * Nagpha * Dungsum Thum * Barshongpa * Thum * Chhu Chenm * Lungdri * Lungdri Chenm

Production

The regions of Chakor La and Barshong were the main source of iron ore used by Bhutanese blacksmiths. The process of melting the iron took from a week to a month, depending on the size of the furnace. The iron's quality depended heavily on the type of wood used during smelting. Newly crafted swords were rubbed multiple times with different materials in order to remove stains, moisture and impurities. As a result of rubbing the patag received an ash black colour.

Scabbard A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, dagger, knife, or similar edged weapons. Rifles and other long guns may also be stored in scabbards by horse riders for transportation. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring ...

s were covered with dyed frog, cow and other wild animal pelts. Hilts were crafted of willow and walnut wood, bearing an octagonal shape.

Lungdri Chenm

Lungdri Chenm is a semi legendary type of patag, believed to be first forged by Dupthob Jangkha Lap. According to the legend Jangkha Lap resided in the Chimi Thangkha village, located in the outskirts of

Thimphu Thimphu (; ) is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's '' dzongkhags'', the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replac ...

. One day Jangkha Lap forged a very light and flexible patag, which he later presented to the local governor. After hearing Jangkha Lap praise his creation, the governor demanded to test the sword on the swordsmith himself. A single strike cut Jangkha Lap in half. The story survived as an oral tradition. It is believed that Jangkha Lap practised the tradition of zokor. Personally extracting the iron ore and then traveling from village to village, selling his wares. Jangkha Lap is regarded as the patron of blacksmiths in the country, caves formerly used by blacksmiths are considered sacred by the local population. Three Lungri Chenm swords remain. The first specimen is stored in the

Dechen Phodrang monastery Dechen Phrodrang. meaning "Palace of Great Bliss". is a Buddhism, Buddhist monastery in Thimphu, Bhutan. It is located to the north of the city. In 1971 it became a monastic school, called a lobdra, and currently it has 450 student monks enrol ...

, located in Thimphu. The second is located in the

Punakha Dzong The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungthang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang (meaning "the palace of great happiness or bliss"), is the administrative centre of Punakha District in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in 16 ...

. The third piece is held by the Talo Gyalp statue, inside the Talo monastery. It is not known whether these swords were forged by Jangkha Lap or one of his disciples.

Restoration efforts

On 22 February 2002, American sword expert Julian Freeman was invited by the National Technical Training Authority to visit Bhutan in order to aid patag study and restoration efforts. Freeman and smiths from

, Paro, Wangduephodrang, Dagana,

Tsirang Tsirang District (; ; previously Chirang) is one of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) of Bhutan. The administrative center of the district is Damphu. Tsirang is noted for its gentle slopes and mild climates. The dzongkhag is also noted for its ri ...

and Trashiyangtse conducted a workshop, aiming to revive the art of patag smithing. The techniques behind the creation of patags as well as their original use remain unclear. The tradition behind Bhutan's sword making dates back to at least the 6th century A.D. Valuable information about the swords has been lost through prolonged polishing. Apart from crude reproductions of little known origin, patags are no longer produced. Today patags can be found in private collections, old monasteries within Bhutan, and museums.

Foreign collections

Patags are exhibited in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

and the

Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization. It has dedicated itself to spreading a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada, i ...

museums.

Characteristics

Production

Lungdri Chenm

Restoration efforts

Foreign collections

Footnotes

Further reading