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Old 2nd August 2007, 03:43 AM   #6
ganjawulung
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alam Shah
For sometime now, we had mentioned many a time, when taking reference from Keris books, take it with a pinch of salt. This is due to the fact that there are errors found in these books.

Our fellow collector ganjawulung had given some interesting points to ponder on:

Let's discuss, please.
Dear Shahrial,
Thanks for posting this thread. Anyway, I prefer not to say it as "error" (right or wrong), but "it could mislead" to the readers. And as you just said, I will provide my arguments of disagreement of that writings, based on my capasity of "collector" as you (Shahrial) mentioned. And not as a scientist. I don't base this comments on certain scientific research...

Majapahit (1294-1478), according to me, is not the oldest era of keris making in Indonesia. Maybe older than Singasari (older than 1222, the foundation of Singasari kingdom by Ken Arok). When? It is not my capacity to prove, when did the keris making first begin.

I just base my simple "belief" to a simple non-scientific fact. What is the common thought of Javanese people everytime he heard about keris? Mostly will say: "keris empu gandring"... And not "keris majapahit". Was the "keris empu gandring" real or not, that is not the point.

This "keris empu gandring" story, is living in the mind of mostly Indonesian until now, if someone mentions the word "keris". Commoners, usually say: "Ah, keris empu Gandring"...If someone shows a keris in front of him or her.

This is a story on Ken Arok (then the first king of Singasari King Rajasa) from ancient book "Pararaton", quoted from "Menuju Puncak Kemegahan, Sejarah Kerajaan Majapahit" (Toward the top of Glory, History of Majapahit) by Prof Dr Slamet Muljana -- a (late) local historian.

Brahmana (Hindu priest) Lohgawe came to Jawa riding three pieces of "kakatang" (I don't know in English) leaves. He was sent by god Brahma to search a person called Ken Arok. The characteristics of Ken Arok was: he has long hands, longer than his knee, and on his right palm hand was a figure or design with mystical properties of "cakra" (Wishnu's arrow), and he had a sign in his left hand, figure of cockle shell... Why Ken Arok? Because, Lohgawe believed that Ken Arok was reincarnation of Wishnu. Brahmana Lohgawe then went to a village called, Taloka. And found a person that had such characteristics in a gambling-den...

Lohgawe then brought Ken Arok to Akuwu (village administrative official in charge of water) Tunggul Ametung in Tumapel (located in East Java now) to ask the akuwu, to employ Ken Arok as his servant. Then, it was happened.

(Interpretation: there were a discontent toward the King of Kediri, Kertajaya. Because the King had asked all brahmana priest to worship Kertajaya as if he was Shiwa. Lohgawe planned a rebellion via a (phisically) strong man, to overthrow the king)

Tunggul Ametung, at that time, had a very beautiful wife named as Ken Dedes. She was pregnant, and wanted to take a walk in Boboji garden. Ken Dedes was very famous of her beauty in the eastern part of Mount Kawi, east Jawa.

When Ken Dedes came down from her carriage in Boboji garden, Ken Arok saw "glittering light" from "the very secret part" of Ken Dedes' body. Ken Arok fell in love with the pregnant wife of Tunggul Ametung. Upon returning from Bobji, Ken Arok told Lohgawe what he had seen in Boboji. Then Lohgawe responsed, "A woman that shines her secret, is a true special woman. Anybody who married her, will become great king...,"

Ken Arok then met his adopted father, Bango Samparan in Karuman, to ask for opinion about the desire of killing Tunggul Ametung, and "snatch" Ken Dedes as his wife. Bango Samparan asked Ken Arok to go to Lulumbang, to meet a keris smith, who was very famous at that time and believed to endowed with magical power -- named as Empu Gandring. Empu Gandring is an old friend of Bango Samparan.

Ken Arok, then commissioned a keris to him, and might be finished in five months. But, Empu Gandring said, not five months, but a year... But Ken Arok was firmed with his wish, might be finished in five months.

After five months, Ken Arok came again to Lulumbang, and saw that the keris blade was not finished yet. Ken Arok was angry, and killed Empu Gandring with the unfinished keris. The dying empu then said: Ken Arok and his seven descents would be killed with this keris...

Ken Arok then showed the keris to his old friend, Kebo Ijo and asked him to keep the keris with handle of "cangkring" wood (probably branch of bamboo, in latin Erythrina subumbrans). And then, everybody knew that the keris with cangkring handle, belonged to Kebo Ijo.

Until one day, Ken Arok stole his keris from Kebo Ijo, and killed Akuwu Tunggul Ametung with the keris. And people then accused Kebo Ijo, believed to killl Tunggul Ametung. Kebo Ijo was killed with "his" own keris from Empu Gandring.

After the killing of Tunggul Ametung, then Ken Arok became new Akuwu of Tumapel, and married to the pregnant and beautiful wife of Tunggul Ametung. (According to other source of old book, Negarakertagama that was quoted by Mr Slamet Muljana, it happened at Saka 1104 year, or 1182 CE). After a couple of time, Ken Arok made rebellion and defeated the king of Kediri. And then, Ken Arok united the two kingdom at that time, Jenggala and Kediri in a new kingdom of Singasari. According to Pararaton, it was dated as Saka 1144 or 1222 CE. Ken Arok then became the first king of Singasari, with formal name of Rajasa.

Ken Arok, was killed then, by the son of Ken Dedes (from Tunggul Ametung), Anusapati. King Anusapati was killed by the son of Ken Dedes (from Ken Arok), Tohjaya... That was just story.

If the story was really happened, then maybe keris making was begun in the earliar time of Singasari. But of course, not begin in Majapahit era... That is just my simple understanding...

Ganjawulung
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