[A. G. Maisey]

Pak Boedhi, quite honestly, I can see liitle, if any variation in the position that you put forward, and my own.

I agree that the art of the keris is a court art and that ideally it should be preserved as an art that reflects some of the spiritual elements of Javanese culture. How this might be accomplished within the present fabric of Javanese society is beyond my comprehension, but as an ideal, it is a worthy one.

However, even this classification of the keris as a blossom of the arts of the Javanese court, and by extension a sacred object, is a comparatively recent one when considered against the more than 1000 years of the history of the keris. Mistake me not:- I support your stated ideals, however we need to consider other facets of the keris as well, such its place in the culture of the people, as distinct from the culture of the courts, its function as a store of wealth, and so on. The keris is not a one dimensional object, but has many facets, each of which needs consideration.

As to the nature of those things that we refer to as "pusaka".

Pak Boedhi, I agree that your definition of the word "pusaka" would be accepted as a fitting definition by many people within the Javanese keris community. The ready acceptance of such a definition demonstrates conclusively the point I made in my previous post, that understandings have been lost.

From the historico/cultural perspective, a pusaka is a revered object which has been passed down from one's ancestors. There are other meanings, such as inherited family sawah, but in the context of the keris, these other meanings are not directly relevant.

The spiritual relevance of the pusaka keris is that it forms a link between the present custodian of the pusaka, the previous custodians of the pusaka, and all members of the present custodian's kin group.Its possession verifies the approval by the previous custodians of the present custodian to hold the authority symbolised by the possession of that pusaka.

I acknowledge that this understanding of the word and concept has been greatly diluted in Jawa over a period of many years, however, a close investigation of the nature of the pusaka keris throughout history, will demonstrate that this interpretation of the pusaka keris is a more generally applicable one than the late 20th century interpretation of the idea. Moreover, when we consider the concept of "pusaka" from the perspective of a realm, the interpretation can be extended to other less easily recognised pusakas, such as a place of worship, a graveyard, or even a dance.

The core values of the pusaka are its effects of uniting the past with the present in one dimension, with all members of the kin group in another dimension, and of providing a seal of approval for the authority of the current custodian.In essence, we are looking at a cosmic focal point.

I am not saying that one understanding of the nature of the pusaka keris is correct, and another is incorrect. Not at all. Society dictates the acceptable understanding of cultural mores according to the development of the society. Nothing stays frozen in time. My understanding of certain concepts that are integral to my own cultural heritage are in many respects quite different from the understanding of my forebears of those same concepts. Time and its passage mould society and culture in a way that permits the survival of the people who share that culture and society.The survival of the owners of the culture ensures the survival of the culture.This could be likened to the nature of a virus which constantly changes in order to escape elimination.

Thus, when we consider the "meaning" of something, or the "nature" of something, against the background of society and culture, we must consider these matters within the context of time. It is not a valid exercise to try to understand 14th century beliefs, using the perceptions of the 20th century.

Tosan aji?
Again, a point of view. We can take this pair of words in its simplified application, or we can go back to the roots of "aji" and the implications inherrent in the societal position of iron age smiths.
Perhaps we could consider why it is that the Pande caste in Bali will not take holy water from the Brahmans.

Raffles was an interested and hyperactive social observer. He employed informants and recorded. He was not an expert on the keris, he simply recorded what he observed. He observed and reported the importance of the keris to Javanese people, he also observed and reported its function. I have no doubt at all that much of the esoteric nature of the keris was unknown to Raffles. However, there can be no doubt at all that the keris in early 19th century Jawa was a very different thing from the keris in 14th century Jawa.
I do not recall that Raffles proposed an origin for the keris. Gardner attributed origin to Peninsula Malaya, but I don't think Raffles mentioned the question of origin.

Religion of Java?
Clifford Geertz first coined this term I believe, not Koentjaraningrat.

I would prefer not to comment in respect of the empus of the present Court of Surakarta.

Of course a European , or a person from a European cultural background cannot relate to a keris in the same way as do some people who are Javanese.

However, a professional investigator and analyst, most especially one with considerable experience in a particular field, can come to an understanding of the way in which some Javanese people relate to the keris.
Such an analyst would not wish to relate to the keris in the same way, or even in a similar way, to the way in which some people in Jawa relate to the keris. Such subjective involvement in the subject of investigation and analysis could corrupt the objectivity of the exercise.