Thanks for your contribution Jussi.
Yes, the ways in which European ideas of "magic" might have influenced Javanese perceptions of not only the keris, but also of other aspects of Javanese life is something that as far as I know has not been subjected to close investigation.
I'm thinking here of traditional European attitudes towards what we commonly regard as "magic". Don't forget that the early European contacts were a long time ago (16th century) and magic was still alive and well in Europe at that time and for a long time thereafter.
I have sometimes played with the idea that a lot of so-called magic associated with the keris was actually a Dutch perception that flowed back into Javanese society. Javanese attitudes towards outsiders and those who are hierarchically superior to them are well documented, briefly you tell these people what you think they want to hear. From long personal experience, I can vouch for it that this attitude is still very much a part of the Javanese character.
Then the technology came along, which as you point out must have had some effect. But what? Perhaps this technological invasion may have had no more effect than to facilitate supply of materials. The Javanese may have a magical world view, but that world view does not exclude a very pragmatic approach to achieving their ends.
Firearms? The Javanese were not strangers to firearms. I do not know when firearms were first used in Jawa, but under Sultan Agung (1614-1645) 800 pandais were put to work under the leadership of 8 mpus, in order to prepare weapons for the attack on the Dutch in Batavia. These weapons included massive canons.
I do understand that a lot of people hesitate to read history, mostly because it is seen as deadest dry and boring, but Javanese history is pretty much like reading a history of the Mafia:- it is full of murder, blood, double crosses, and torture. Its good stuff.
Here is a little snippet of Javanese history that demonstrates that except for Javanese duplicity Jawa may well have become a tributary state of China, with the consequential effect of a type of colonial influence from China. It is about the time when Kublai Khan attempted to invade Jawa.
In the 13th century the Mongols attempted to invade Jawa. Kublai Khan had sent emissaries to Singhasari to ask for tribute. King Kertanegara of Singhasari took offense at this and decided that he had been insulted, so he branded the faces of the emissaries and cut off their ears, sent them back to China.
Well, Kublai in turn was insulted by this action, so he put together a force to invade Jawa and punish Kertanegara. Big force, 1000 ships, 30,000 men. Kublai wasn't going to screw around with this impudent little crud Kertanegara, he was going to wipe the floor with him.
When the invaders reached Jawa they found that Kertanegara had already been killed and replaced by Jayakatwang, who had been the ruler of a tributary state, Kediri.
Raden Wijaya was Ketanegara's son-in-law, and thought he had a pretty good claim to be the next ruler of Singhasari. So Raden Wijaya made the Mongol commanders an offer that they couldn't refuse:- he'd help the Mongols defeat Jayakatwang and swear allegiance to the Great Khan, if the Mongols would help him get his kingdom back.
Great deal. Everybody wins. Except of course Jayakatwang.
One thing that the Mongols did not understand was that the Javanese fought in a completely different way, and held completely different values to those of the Mongols. Without taking another 5000 words to put down all of the twists and turns to this story, in brief, Raden Wijaya double crossed the Mongols after Jayakatwang was defeated. He attacked the Mongol forces, who retreated to their ships and sailed back to China, taking the captured Kertanegara with them, who was killed on the voyage back to China.
Raden Wijaya was obviously a bloke with pretty big ideas. Today he would probably be the CEO of a major tech company, or maybe a bank, but back in 13th century Jawa those two opportunities were not available, so what did he do after kicking the Mongols off Jawa?
He founded a kingdom:- Majapahit.
Majapahit is seen by the Javanese as the Golden Age of Jawa. Not dissimilar to the way in which the British see the Arthurian age and its legends.
I started this thread to try to extract some ideas from other people who have an interest in the keris, but as it has developed I am getting the feeling that here is an opportunity to try to raise the interest of my fellow students of the keris in delving into the fields of history, sociology and anthropology in order to gain a better understanding of the keris. As the understanding develops, so will the ideas.
|