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Originally Posted by nechesh
Sorry Wayne, but i'm afraid i have to disagree with you here. The keris would have been a special and unique weapon with or without the Prambanan meteorite, though certainly the possibility of pamor from the stars has increased that somewhat. But i think it is important that we dispell these meteorite myths somewhat. Yes, a certain amount of court pieces from the 19th and possibly early 20th century were made, but this is hardly the bulk or height of keris history. Still there are many folks out there who still believe that all keris were made this way. There are many keris, especially earlier ones that don't even use nickelous pamor, just various irons to create contrast in patterns. These keris are still special and unique.
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I think there is evidence that meteorite pamor was used before the Prambanan meteorite was taken into the Keraton Surakarta as there is evidence of the trading of meteorite before the Prambanan pamor. Empus practised meditations which alowed them to find peices of metal and often Empus would travel collecting pieces of iron to make keris. The Dayak in Kalimantan also make the best mandau from batu bintang.
Meteorite is an important symbolic part of the keris and apart from the pangawak waja and the kelengan type of keris every Empu would try to have at least a little bit of meteorite in the mixture of the metals used in the pamor as a syarat. The pangawak waja and kelengan blades don't have any pamor for esoteric reasons before the material reasons. The Javanese had a metallurgy based on the feeling rasa of different irons and pamor materials and this knowledge and art is what governs the behaviour of the Empu.
The simple academic answer to the question of meteorite and keris is that the keris was invented by the Gods and brought to Java by Aji Saka from Hindustan and until the Dutch interference in the keris world the keris continued to develop in Java according to Javanese lore. One of the main changes in the javanese attitude towards the keris happened during the Great Depression when the Dutch pawn shops valued the well dressed and new keris higher than old and more magical but simply dressed tayuhan keris.
During the Majapahit empire the keris spread throughout South East Asia and developed into the weapon of the Malay world. The fall of Majapahit and the introduction of Islam and cannon developed the keris in different ways in different SEA regions but essentially it is a prayer and not a weapon.
Of course kerises have been used to kill and in some parts of SEA they are made to kill as well but the Java keris is never intended to kill. The instances when there has been a Java keris killing in history are remembered by the Javanese as mistakes, wrongs, and the event was unusual. One of the most common dapur of the keris, the Tilam Upih, often has a blade so thin that it would be close to useles as a stabbing weapon.
In fact the story of Aji Saka as recorded in the Javanese hanacaraka alphabet might give a clue as to why the keris is never meant to be used to kill in Java.