Marcus, the keris originated in Jawa more than 1000 years ago.
It was and is central to Javanese indigenous belief.
It spread from Jawa to other parts of Maritime South East Asia, but it spread in the absence of its socio-religious context. Even in Jawa itself the understanding of the keris underwent changes after the fall of the Hindu-Javanese kingdom of Majapahit.
For the last 200 years the keris in Jawa has been a requisite part of formal dress.
Don't get hooked on keris. Too much knowledge can destroy the naïve joy of simple weapon collecting.
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