One of the most fascinating discoveries from ancient China are coin swords. Coin swords, also known as cash swords, are an ancient type of feng shui talisman that has been around since the Qing dynasty. These unique swords, while large and intricate, were not used in physical fights with others. Instead, Chinese coin swords were used to ward off evil and are frequently still used in Daoist rituals.

A Chinese coin sword-shaped talisman made from Qing dynasty era cash coins on display at the Museum of Ethnography, Sweden. (Etnografiska Museet /  CC BY 2.5 )

Coin Swords: Powerful Daoist Demon Fighters

Although it is not entirely clear when the first Chinese coin sword was crafted, legend holds that the first one was created sometime between the 26th and 24th centuries BC. It is believed that they were created during the reign of the  Yellow Emperor , one of China’s mythological emperors and  Daoist patron saints. Around the 7th century BC, these fascinating coin swords became associated with the notion that they could be used to fight evil spirits. However, this information was not yet widespread and was only practiced in small communities.

These swords became much more popular over a millennium later, during the  Liu Song dynasty . At this point, coin swords were being used regularly in religious rituals. Daoists used these swords in their rituals the most, fully believing that they were the key to driving out  evil spirits . Believers in the swords spread the word that demons and other evil entities were scared of the swords thanks to  Zhong Kui , a  Daoist deity . Zhong Kui was known as the vanquisher of evil beings, and typically wielded a sword to slay these entities. Young Daoists were taught how to handcraft these cash swords quickly to protect themselves and their loved ones from these spirits. Later, swords sometimes had additional elements, such as astrological engravings, to give them more spiritual power.

Daoist rituals still use Chinese coin swords regularly in their practices. In some rituals, a  Daoist priest  will wrap a red cloth around the hilt of the sword to bring its full spiritual power out. In homes, both real and replica cash swords can be hung up in the home above beds, doors, windows, or any other area of access or vulnerability to keep evil away. Evil spirits that see a coin sword in a building will not enter out of fear that Zhong Kui will use it to destroy them.

Daoists believe that the most powerful swords are those crafted from coins produced during the  Qing dynasty . Some of these coins have the name Kangxi Tongbao inscribed on them, as this emperor reigned for an entire cycle of the Chinese calendar (60 years!). Coins swords produced with his name are considered to be stronger, due to their association with longevity. Plus, the name Kangxi translates into ‘prosperity’ and ‘good health,’ which only further strengthens the significance of these swords.

A coin sword talisman made from Qing Dynasty-based imitation cash coins. (Donald Trung /  CC BY SA 4.0 )

What Makes a Powerful Demon-Fighting Coin Sword?

Coin swords have a unique composition to make them work properly. Typically, the sword would be made of coins wrapped around an iron rod as a sturdy foundation. If the coin sword was particularly large, it may have a core of two iron rods to make it stronger. The  Chinese coins  would then be bound together by string, cord, or wire and wrapped around the iron core. Every detail of the sword matters, including color. Most of the time, the cord or wire holding the coins together would be red or gold, as these were often colors signifying royalty.

Chinese coin swords weren’t just randomly crafted. Most of them were made of a set number of coins, so they could be easily replicated in the future. A general coin sword would typically be made of 18 coins on the blade, 10 on the hilt, 6 on the handle, and 2 around the handle butt. The sword would also be 3 coins thick in all areas to make it sturdier. Doing the math, that means these swords were typically built with at least 108 copper-alloy Chinese coins.

Close-up of a coin sword hilt (wrea90 /  CC BY SA 4.0 )

On average, these coin swords are around 2 feet (0.6 meters) in length and 1-2 pounds (0.45-0.9 kilograms) in weight. However, the weight could be more, depending on the types of coins used and the overall size of the sword. Coin swords that were scaled up to be larger would of course weigh more. Shorter swords took fewer coins to produce and would therefore be lighter. Some Chinese coin swords were made with fake coins, which would sometimes result in a lighter sword.

It is important to note that the types of coin used to make the sword does matter significantly. Those that believe in the power of Chinese coin swords also believe that these swords can only work properly if made using coins produced during the time of a single emperor. Mixing coins between different dynasties is considered bad luck and can result in a faulty sword. It is also believed that ancient coins are more effective than modern coins, as they may have more power to fend off evil spirits due to their age.

19th century Qing Dynasty coin sword and accessories on display in Munich, Germany (Dr. Meierhofer /  CC BY SA 3.0 )

Fight Evil with Your Own Sword, or Visit One Yourself

We’ve all seen items made from money, but Chinese coin swords really take it to the next level. These swords are fascinating to see in real life and are sometimes still made today. There are many artisans, both in and out of China, who specialize in making these cash swords for  feng shui  or other spiritual purposes. Some of the most ancient Chinese coin swords are also on display at a variety of museums worldwide, so you don’t necessarily have to go to China to see one for yourself. If you ever find yourself needing to fight evil, find yourself a Chinese coin sword to give you a hand.

Cat truth

Chinese coronavirus poster

Finding the remains of a high priest buried at the most sacred spot in Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral, and all of medieval France, seems a predictable discovery. However, unearthing a knight with an elongated skull came as something of a shock.

The foundation stone of Notre Dame Cathedral was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163 AD, but in 2019 a fire almost entirely destroyed it. After having spent the last two years securing its foundations, work began this year on repairing the oak spire that was unveiled on August 18, 1859. This 19th century spire reached a height of 315 feet (96 meters), which was 59 feet (18 meters) higher than the original 12th century spire, but it came crashing down in the aftermath of the 2019 blaze.

It was directly beneath the spire floor, where the transept crosses the nave, that researchers identified several tombs containing hundreds of fragmented hands, feet, faces, and plants from stone statues. It was among these shattered relics that two well-preserved lead sarcophagi were discovered, buried at what represents the holiest site in all of medieval France 

The 2019 fire that engulfed the cathedral indirectly led to the discovery of these Notre Dame sarcophagi (Wandrille de Préville / CC BY SA 4.0 )

Unearthing the Canon and the Knight

In April this year, Professor Christophe Besnier, the leader of the scientific team, told The Guardian that this discovery was both “extraordinary and emotional.” Ancient Origins reported in April that Dominique Garcia, the head of the National Institute of Archaeological Research, speculated that one of the lead sarcophagi “probably belonged to a dignitary from the early 14th century.”

Now, the team of French archaeologists has confirmed that Garcia’s speculations were accurate, as they announce one coffin contains an “elite canon of cathedral ” while the other hosts “a young cavalier (knight).” Dominique Garcia was quick to remind that these human remains “are not archaeological objects,” for they were recovered from within a church, and therefore they “will be treated with respect from beginning to end.”

Opening of the sarcophagi at the Toulouse forensic medicine laboratory. Credit: DR UT3

Buried at the Heart of the Cathedral

The fragmented statues and two lead coffins were discovered beneath the floor of the transept crossing. The transept of a church separates the nave from the chevet (choir), belonging equally to the main nave axis and to the transept. Eric Crubézy, professor of biological anthropology at the University of Toulouse III, said the two men were “clearly important in their respective eras to have been buried in such prestigious tombs at the heart of the cathedral”.

Described as of “remarkable scientific quality,” both burials were found during a speculative subterranean dig before the installation of the 98 foot (30 meter) high, 600-ton scaffold that is being used to replace the cathedral’s fire-damaged spire. A report in The Guardian stated that one of the bodies belonged to a high priest who, after leading a sedentary life, died in 1710 AD. The second lead coffin was dated to the 14th century and contained “a young, wealthy, and privileged noble.”

Who Were these Elites Buried at the Heart of the Cathedral?

Buried one meter deep, the holy man was found with a brass plaque confirming he was Antoine de la Porte, the canon of Notre Dame Cathedral, who died on Christmas Eve 1710 at the age of 83. De la Porte was a clever, influential, and rich old priest who commissioned several works of art that are now in the Louvre. The second coffin was found to contain the remains of a man in his thirties, and the researchers say his pelvic bones suggest he was an experienced horseman. So, he has been named “ Le Cavalier ” (the knight).

The knight was interred at the foot of a large cross that was once displayed on the now-destroyed rood screen that separated the chancel and nave (clergy and choir) from the congregation (poor people with diseases). Cloths and organic plant materials discovered in this burial suggest the knight was embalmed, which the archaeologists say was “a rare practice in the Middle Ages .” Moreover, the knight was buried with a crown of flowers.

It is speculated that this man was of the upper echelons of the 14th century French elite. This belief stems not from his floral crown, nor the fact that he was embalmed, and not even because he had the power to demand burial at the most sacred spot in Paris – but because the dead knight had a “ skull deformation ,” better known as an elongated skull.

Headbanding for Power, All Over the World

The knight had a “deliberately deformed skull,” resulting from having had a tight cloth band tied around his head during his first three months of life, inducing the shape change. In the 1920s, Peruvian archaeologist Julio Tello , the “father of Peruvian archaeology,” uncovered hundreds of elongated Paracas civilization skulls dated to between 750 BC and 100 AD, and they have since been unearthed across the Middle East and Asia.

Elongated skulls, like the one discovered in the Notre Dame sarcophagus, were characteristic of the Paracas Culture (Didier Descouens / CC BY SA 4.0 )

It is generally agreed that cranial banding and the resulting elongated skulls were symbols of power practiced among controlling families in different countries. However, long after the practice died out in Peru, it continued up to the early 20th century in the region of Deux-Sèvres in western France. Here, too, the practice was a symbol of power among social elites, but it was also practiced among poorer families who tried to align their children with higher social classes.

Top Image: The elongated skull of a knight found in one of two lead-line sarcophagi found interred in Notre Dame Cathedral. Source: Denis Glicksman / INRAP

By Ashley Cowie