Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 17th September 2010, 10:40 PM

I was tempted to put up a post on the vagaries of tayuh yesterday, Penangsang.

Then I thought better of it.

But you've opened this, so here is a little bit more.

My daughter's brother in law is very, very kejawen. A few years ago his wife passed away, and at the same time he retired from work. At this point he became very interested in keris, and began to acquire some. He only keeps keris that have a spirit in them, and that spirit must be either a pangeran or a kyai. He determines this by sleeping with the keris under his pillow and he knows from the dream he has if the keris has a spirit and what it is. Some of his keris are brand new, but they still have a spirit in them. According to him the spirit was already in the iron before the keris was made. He has been marginalised in the family because everybody thinks he is no longer all there.

Additional to this.

Over many years I have seen a number of keris that had been subjected to tayuh by noted and respected people associated with the Kraton Surakarta. All had some isi. Again, some of these keris were recent productions, usually from Madura. On the one occasion when I had the opportunity to question the man who did the actual dreaming, I was told the same thing:- yes, the keris is new, but the iron is very ancient and has life --- the isi was already in the iron before the keris was made.

There are many beliefs associated with keris. For somebody who believes, these things are real.

But if you don't believe, don't argue or try to convince otherwise, just accept that the other person believes, and walk away.

17th September 2010, 10:40 PM	#34
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	I was tempted to put up a post on the vagaries of tayuh yesterday, Penangsang. Then I thought better of it. But you've opened this, so here is a little bit more. My daughter's brother in law is very, very kejawen. A few years ago his wife passed away, and at the same time he retired from work. At this point he became very interested in keris, and began to acquire some. He only keeps keris that have a spirit in them, and that spirit must be either a pangeran or a kyai. He determines this by sleeping with the keris under his pillow and he knows from the dream he has if the keris has a spirit and what it is. Some of his keris are brand new, but they still have a spirit in them. According to him the spirit was already in the iron before the keris was made. He has been marginalised in the family because everybody thinks he is no longer all there. Additional to this. Over many years I have seen a number of keris that had been subjected to tayuh by noted and respected people associated with the Kraton Surakarta. All had some isi. Again, some of these keris were recent productions, usually from Madura. On the one occasion when I had the opportunity to question the man who did the actual dreaming, I was told the same thing:- yes, the keris is new, but the iron is very ancient and has life --- the isi was already in the iron before the keris was made. There are many beliefs associated with keris. For somebody who believes, these things are real. But if you don't believe, don't argue or try to convince otherwise, just accept that the other person believes, and walk away.