Thuận Thiên (sword)

Did You Know?

• The sword's name affirms the mandate of heaven, which in Vietnam is the basis of a monarch's legitimacy.
• Some historians believe the sword was an expedient of Lê Lợi's strategist Nguyễn Trãi to gain legitimacy for the uprising.
• The legend spread quickly among a populace with high antipathy toward the Chinese, who were longstanding historical enemies of Vietnam.

Legend

Lê Lợi revolted in 1418 against the Ming dynasty, which had invaded and occupied Vietnam in 1407. His early campaign was only moderately successful; for the first two to three years he operated in his home province of Thanh Hóa but could not muster enough forces to defeat the Ming army in battle, so he waged a guerrilla campaign. According to legend, the Dragon King (Long Vương) decided to lend his sword to Lê Lợi, but the sword was split into two parts: a blade and a hilt. In Thanh Hóa province, a fisherman named Lê Thận, unrelated to Lê Lợi, one night caught a heavy object in his net. Excited at the prospect of a big fish, he was disappointed to find a long, thin piece of metal. He threw it back, but it returned to his net twice more. On the third catch, he examined it by lamplight and realized it was the missing blade of a sword. He took it home and placed it in a corner.