Balinese keris hulu: Kala Sungsang

[Anthony G.]

I just got a new hulu today from Lombok and it is Kala Sungsang. I found it interesting as I do not know of the existence of such form until lately. What is Kala Sungsang? i find nothing much about it except it is a demon moving/walking in an inverter manner.

Also I found this article interesting while trying to find more about Kala Sungsang:

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/17/travel/island-of-balance-and-reincarnation.html



Photo courtesy of respective owners/source.

[David]

Anthony, i would like to see some better photos of this hilt. I can't say that i can easily identify this hilt as Kala Sungsang based solely upon what i can see.
The hilt does not appear particularly old so it's hard to say if there is any history of a tradition to depict this character in a Bali hilt form. I can't say i have ever seen a Kala Sungsang hilt before.

[Anthony G.]

Anthony, i would like to see some better photos of this hilt. I can't say that i can easily identify this hilt as Kala Sungsang based solely upon what i can see.
The hilt does not appear particularly old so it's hard to say if there is any history of a tradition to depict this character in a Bali hilt form. I can't say i have ever seen a Kala Sungsang hilt before.

I think this hulu is not too old and that is the best photo. The actual piece is quite dark in tone. It is true as well as I never see a Kala Sungsang hulu either in book or anywhere.

[A. G. Maisey]

The phrase "kala sungsang" refers to something big & terrible happening that turns everything upside down.

Things do not happen by chance, bad things, and good things too are the result of actions by positive forces and negative forces. These forces cannot be seen, but to help people understand them they are given a physical form that relates to what they are responsible for.

The word "Sungsang" in this context means simply "upside down", the word "kala" in this context indicates a demon in Javanese, and an evil spirit in Balinese, so "Kala Sungsang" is the "Upside down demon" or the evil spirit that has caused a situation to be turned upside down.

For example, we are experiencing a Kala Sungsang right now, with the Covid Demon upon us. Kala also means "time", so the evil spirit can also be thought of as an evil time, a time where things have been turned upside down.

We might think of things either as an invisible force or as a period of time, or as a time being inhabited by a force, either good or evil, that can be given a physical appearance, the physical appearance of the evil force that has turned a situation or a time upside down can be visualised as Kala Sungsang.

[Anthony G.]

The phrase "kala sungsang" refers to something big & terrible happening that turns everything upside down.

Things do not happen by chance, bad things, and good things too are the result of actions by positive forces and evil forces. These forces cannot be seen, but to help people understand them they are given a physical form that relates to what they are responsible for.

The word "Sungsang" in this context means simply "upside down", the word "kala" in this context indicates a demon in Javanese, and an evil spirit in Balinese, so "Kala Sungsang" is the "Upside down demon" or the evil spirit that has caused a situation to be turned upside down.

For example, we are experiencing a Kala Sungsang right now, with the Covid Demon upon us. Kala also means "time", so the evil spirit can also be thought of as an evil time, a time where things have been turned upside down.

We might think of things either as an invisible force or as a period of time, or as a time being inhabited by a force, either good or evil, that can be given a physical appearance, the physical appearance of the evil force that has turned a situation or a time upside down can be visualised as Kala Sungsang.

well written, thank you. Do allow me to share in my facebook keris group for knowledge sharing.

[A. G. Maisey]

Certainly Anthony, but please note, I have altered "evil forces" to "negative forces".