[A. G. Maisey]

David, I can understand why this might be so.

In colloquial speech in Solo, we often will use different words to refer to a keris blade. Sure, the most usual word is "keris", but in Javanese although "keris" is the most usual, a close second is "dhuwung", and in both Bahasa Indonesia & Ngoko (low level Javanese) the word "pusaka" will occasionally be used.

The m'ranggi who used to do a lot of work for me during the 1980's & 1990's used these three words interchangeably, we both knew that he did not mean "pusaka" in its strictest sense, but the way in which Javanese people use all levels of Basa Jawa, as well as Bahasa Indonesia, is to use words that blend well together and sound pleasant when spoken, so if in the context of what my m'ranggi was wanting to say, "keris" would have jarred on the ear, or "dhuwung" did not flow, then he would use "pusaka". He did it automatically, without thinking. In colloquial English we use similar delivery, and chose words that flow, or that sound more pleasant, or that might convey a meaning more closely. The word "dhuwung" is actually Krama for "keris", and its substitution for the word "keris" in a Ngoko context could be read as a token of respect for the keris under discussion.

This is easy for a native speaker, but for an outsider it can be confusing. And bear this in mind:- the Javanese language varies through dialects according to geographic location, and according to hierarchical language level. Indonesian people who do not use Javanese as their day to day native tongue will have as much difficulty with the nuances of the language as somebody from London, New York, or Sydney who is not a native speaker.

I have even encountered Australian teachers of Bahasa Indonesia who have had difficulty in understanding Bahasa Indonesia as it is spoken in Solo. This is because in Solo, and I guess Jawa in general, when ordinary people believe they are using BI, they are in fact using a mixture of BI & Ngoko , and even the Ngoko might not be what a textbook will tell you it should be, it will be local dialect.

You can see this in an English context also. I write pretty fair English, but my spoken English is delivered with a broad Bush Aussie accent. Sometimes people from USA & UK have more than a little bit of difficulty in understanding my accent, and if I lapse into fullon Aussie slang, nobody but the person I am speaking with will understand me. I've even encountered checkout girls working at inner city suburbs who had problems understanding me.

Now, when this word "pusaka" travels outside the place where everybody using it in speech knows exactly what is meant and how it is meant, an outsider will pick it up and think he has something that he does not have.

And yes, it is absolutely true that slippery dealers will also use this word "pusaka" in attempts to mislead potential inadequately educated buyers. These Slippery Sams do it on the net, they do it face to face, and they do it in the markets & back rooms of Jawa where keris are exchanged for money.

The Pusaka Keris is something special. It is very different to the ordinary keris that we can buy for somewhere between $10 and a few hundred thousand dollars. No amount of money can buy a Pusaka Keris complete with the characteristics that make it a Pusaka Keris.

A Royal Pusaka Keris can be an object that legitimises the reign of a ruler. If you buy that Ruler's keris, this does not mean that you also buy the right to rule his domain. The power of the keris does not come with the purchase of the keris.

A family Pusaka Keris is a keris that binds the present custodian of the keris to past custodians of the family Pusaka Keris, and in turn, binds the past custodians to the present custodian and through him to the extended kin group. Purchase of a family Pusaka Keris does not mean that you have bought family membership along with the keris.

The transfer of any power that a Pusaka Keris might encapsulate cannot be transferred by purchase, but it might be transferred by the gift of the Pusaka Keris to a new ruler, or to a new family member.

I have been the custodian of a family Pusaka Keris for around 50 years, it was intended to be given to a particular person when that person reached a certain age, provided he was ready. He reached the nominated age, he was not ready, and has not been ready to accept it in the years since. Very soon this Pusaka Keris will be given to a different person who has been agreed to as its correct recipient by the family concerned.

Nobody can buy a pusaka keris with money.

The people who do not yet understand the nature of the Pusaka Keris are simply not yet sufficiently educated. This should not be held against them, it is the duty of those who do understand to transfer permitted knowledge and understanding to those who do not yet understand.

Regrettably, many people who do not yet understand sometimes seem not to want to understand.