Societal position : pamor miring vrs. mlumah
 

Greetings,

we know that in the Old Days (ummm... say 1400 - 1800, yeah, that´s a wide time window) everything that had anything to do with a keris - even the most minuscule detail - had a meaning: - The dapur had some meaning, the ricikan had some meaning, the pamor had some meaning, etc. For example pamor wos wutah was good for all whereas pamor ron pakis was especially sound for someone who went the harms way for his king etc - a warriors pamor of sorts.

Now I wonder whether there can be found a correlation in between the gross pamor types - miring vrs. mlumah - and what kind of person wore them?

Miring is more difficult to produce so I gather higher ups in the food chain ended up with them more often that did those within the lower ranks of the society. This is using todays western common sense applied to an era where it does not necessarily apply that well to begin with, hence the question:

Is there a correlation to be found in between the gross pamor types - miring vrs. mlumah - and what kinds of people wore them in their kerises in times when it was the empu who decided what suited whom?

Thanks,

J.

See Rassers:- "On the Javanese Keris"

When do we think the keris maker might have decided what pamor suited what person? When might this have begun to be an accepted practice?

Pamor miring costs more than pamor mlumah. Always has, always will. Much greater levels of skill required, much greater expenditure of time. So only people with the means to pay are going to be able to commission such a keris.

Lots of questions in this Jussi, and I don't think the answers are available at the moment.

But anyway, read Rassers, he'll give you one slant on this.