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Originally Posted by Battara
As far as a volcano is concerned, I am not aware of any connection or significance.
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Well, the list of active volcanos in the Philippines is long. The relationship of the keris to Mt. Meru in Jawa clearly shows the connection between sacred mountains and the keris/kris form. In Alan Maisey's treatise on pre-Islamic influences on the keris he states:
"The Gunungan is a Javanese indigenous symbol, which after the introduction of Hindu culture and belief systems fused with Mt. Meru and the Tree of Life."
So here we see a synthesis of symbolism which in the Javanese culture is perpetuated (and added to along the way) well into the Islamic era of the region. I see no reason why the Moro kris would not retain a connection to some of these early pre-Islamic symbols.
In Jawa the mythology goes that the gods moved a piece of the sacred mountain to Jawa to "nail it down".
"This mythical mountain of gods was mentioned in Tantu Pagelaran, an Old Javanese manuscript written in Kawi language from 15th century Majapahit period. The manuscript is describing the mythical origin of Java island, and the legend of moving some parts of mount Meru to Java. The manuscript explained that Batara Guru (Shiva) has ordered the god Brahma and Vishnu to fill the Java island with human beings. However at that time Java island was floating freely on the ocean, ever tumbling and always shaking. To make the island still, the gods decided to nail the island upon the earth by moving the part of Mahameru in Jambudvipa (India) and attaching it upon Java.[16] The resulting mountain is Mount Semeru, the tallest mountain of Java." ~ Wikipedia
So i see no reason why this connection to the sacred mountain might not emigrate with the keris as it transferred to Moroland or that a local mountain/volcano could not then serve as a surrogate on their land for the sacred Mt. Meru. And what more powerful a mountain than an active volcano?
Of course, the above is all speculation and meaningless if the original intent of the inlaid design is NOT meant to be a volcano, but i can clearly see how it could very possibly be just that in design.
