Sword of Victory



Phra Saeng Khan Chai Si or Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri (, the "Venerable Sword of Victory", "Great Sword of Victory" ) 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.

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

According to a stone inscription 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.

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) at Siem Riep, and Chao Phraya Uthai Phubet who ruled presented it to Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) of Thailand, 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).

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.