[A. G. Maisey]

I'm sorry I was not able to get back to this discussion earlier, I've been away from computer access for a few days, putting holes into things.

Jean, thank you for that illuminating post concerning the way in which you decided that the dhapur of this blade must be Sempana Robyong. This post is very educational, because it demonstrates to perfection exactly why it is that we cannot rely upon any written , or indeed, any spoken word, as being an absolute authority on any of the various names that form parts of any keris belief system. These systems are simply not standardised.

In respect of Jaga's keris, as I have already stated, I was too quick on the trigger, I should have taken more time to check before rushing into print, so let's accept that Jaga's keris is not Balebang. However, if we are to follow traditional belief systems, rather than modern opinions, then we must also accept that this keris of Jaga's is not Dhapur Sempana, and most certainly not Dhapur Sempana Robyong.

It is very obvious why it cannot be Sempana:- it has a jenggot.

Now, Jean has taken the line that because it has a jenggot, and he knows that some other keris with a jenggot are referred to as "robyong" then because Jaga's Sempana keris has a jenggot, it is OK to name it as "Sempana Robyong".

Well, I guess it all depends upon what school one went to, and how much one's teachers understood.

We cannot find Sempana Robyong in the Surakarta Pakem. Frankly, I'd be happy to leave it at that, and just give Jaga's keris as "diluar pakem", ie, "outside the pakem", in other words it does not comply with the pakem that I prefer to use.

But if I am not going to agree with Jean, then it is only simple good manners to explain why I cannot agree, so I'm going to go just a little deeper into the belief system known as "Tangguh" than we usually go.

Let us start with the word "robyong", the meaning of this word is "a hanging decoration", in other words, it is a decoration that hangs down, it does not stick up, so the placement of the jenggot (jenggot = beard) --- also something that hangs --- is BELOW the kembang kacang, it is not ABOVE it.

In the Surakarta Pakem I cannot find a single dhapur that uses the addition of the word "robyong" in its name. Not only that, but I cannot find a single mention of the word robyong in the name of any dhapur listed in Haryoguritno's "Keris Jawa", except for Sinom Robyong, where the notation states:- "Kembang Kacang berjenggot, greneng bersusun".

I went a little further, and checked all my old pre-WWII texts.
In Raden Tannoyo's "Pedoman Pokok Tentang Keris" I did find a mention, and I have given a photo of that mention below, it does not refer to a specific dhapur, and is not included in the name of a dhapur, what it says in broad translation is this:-

"That which is named "Jenggot" is placed on the bongkot of the Sekar Kacang, its shape is like the Javanese letter "dha"and there also is a jenggot that is double (doubled, above and below) this also is named "robyong"."

Raden Tannoyo's book was published in Hanacaraka, so I am working from a handwritten translation.

Let's get back to Haryoguritno for a moment, his notation for the dhapur Sinom Robyong tells us that the jenggot that is found on dhapur Sinom Robyong is "bersusun" (kembang kacang berjenggot, greneng bersusun). Bersusun means stacked on top of one another, that is two, or three, or more of anything that are placed one on top of the other.

So, for a jenggot to be able to be described as "robyong", the grengeng containing the ron dha on the kembang kacang must be two or more. A greneng with a single ron dha is not sufficient to qualify for the designation "robyong".

But what about the illustration in "Keris Bali Bersejarah"?
Well, the text for that book was written by a man who is a talented craftsman who makes keris, he is also a very talented writer. I knew one of his teachers quite well, and I know that this man, Basuki Teguh Yuwono has a reputation for many talents, but I would prefer not to mention these. Basuki Teguh Yuwono is Javanese, and the text of "Keris Bali" has a decidedly Javanese flavour. The fact that he has described a Balinese keris as dhapur Sempana Robyong cannot be taken as evidence that this term is in use in Bali. In fact, if we are to take any notice of Haryoguritno and Raden Tannoyo, Basuki Yuwono has given this keris on Page 250-251 of keris Bali the dhapur of Sempana Robyong in error. This keris clearly has only a single rondha.

If we are to follow the old tradition of naming, then Jaga's keris does not have a recognised dhapur within the Surakarta Pakem, as far as that pakem is concerned it is diluar pakem. But it could well have a recognised dhapur in a different pakem. According to what I was taught, only a kraton can bestow a dhapur name upon a keris.

However, if we are satisfied to follow the trend that seems to apply in the Modern Era, then anybody at all can stick any dhapur name on any keris.

The road that one follows is entirely one's own choice, but the destination is bound to differ.