National Palace Museum Exhibits Swords in Royal Ceremony Room This Month

On the Jongmyo ancestral ritual table, the hair, blood, liver, and intestinal oil of cows, pigs, and sheep were placed. These animals were called sacrifices (犧牲). The king considered it so important that he personally inspected the condition before performing the ritual.

There was a prescribed procedure and form when slaughtering the sacrifices. A sword called Nando (?刀) had to be used. 'Nan' means bell. From paintings such as the 'Jongmyo Chinje Gyuje Doseol Byeongpung,' it can be seen that three bells were attached to the sword handle, and one each on the back and tip of the blade. These represented the five musical notes (Gung, Sang, Gak, Chi, U), and it is said that the sword was shaken before cutting the meat to harmonize the sounds.

The National Palace Museum announced on the 2nd that it had designated the Nando as the 'Curator's Recommended Royal Artifact of the Month.' It will be exhibited for one month in the 'Royal Ritual Room' of the basement permanent exhibition hall. Two Nando swords are on display. Although the bells are no longer attached, the holes where they hung can be confirmed. Made of iron, one of the swords has silver patterns engraved on the connection between the blade and handle, as well as on the handle itself.

A museum official explained, "The Nando was a tool that expressed sincere respect for the ancestral spirits during the ritual and the descendants' reverence." They added, "To allow all citizens to see it without visiting in person, explanatory videos with Korean and English subtitles will be uploaded on the National Palace Museum website and the Cultural Heritage Administration's YouTube channel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.