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A. G. Maisey · 18th June 2018, 11:51 PM

Ridho, you sound a little disappointed to discover that there is no easy way to learn about the keris.

Why should this surprise you?

There is no short nor easy way to learn about anything, especially anything that is worth having knowledge of.

How long does it take for a child to speak, read and write, and these are things that he is surrounded with every day as he grows. How long to learn to play a musical instrument?

I could go on and on in this vein, but it does not matter what it is that we set out to learn, one thing is certain:- we never stop learning.

Another thing is certain:- knowledge and understanding do not come as a result of divine intervention ---well, not for most people --- knowledge and understanding only come as a result of both consistent work and long experience.

You wish to gain knowledge of the keris? You are ideally placed to be able to do this. Think of how difficult it is for somebody who lives outside of Indonesia , especially outside of Jawa, to try to come to an understanding of the linguistic, cultural and social foundations of the keris belief systems, and it is essential to understand these foundations before the keris belief systems can be understood, and unless the keris belief systems are understood, it is not possible to understand the keris.

Much of what anybody outside Jawa must learn before he can even begin to think about the keris, you already live with every day. The keris is a part of your daily life, it is buried deep in your sub-conscious and it never leaves you. Almost nobody outside Jawa has this advantage.

Yet this morning I read your "I'm very sad" post.

Ridho, you sound like a man who was born with wealth but who is disappointed because what he wants to buy will not come to him, he needs to go to the market and look for it. You have written as if all hope is lost, everything is already finished. You are wrong. Hopefully you will now realise what is needed in order to gain the understanding you seek. This is your beginning, not the end of your search.

Yes, in my previous post I did outline one way in which to gain some understanding of the keris, but that is only one road to your destination, there are others.

If you are not already a member of a keris discussion/study group in Indonesia, you should join one. You need to know the keris belief systems, which is to say that you need to understand how the keris is woven into folk belief, before you can integrate that folk belief with other knowledge bases. Join a study group, it is certain that much of what you will hear will be quite a bit different to what you have read from me, but you cannot progress without a local understanding.

You can stop at the level of keris study group knowledge if you wish. These groups are basically social groups and give the opportunity for like minded individuals to indulge in social contact. Membership of such a group can be very comfortable.

Alternatively you can use the understanding you gain from the study group and then begin a semi academic study of Javanese history, culture, society. The technology and technique of actual keris manufacture is something that must not be neglected, and once again, you live much closer to the people who still make keris, than does somebody from outside your society, and you speak the same language as the people who hold the knowledge that you want.

As for Indonesians not speaking as I do, well, let us not confuse Indonesians with Javanese. I am certain that many Indonesians do not think as I do, but amongst the people I know and have known in Central Jawa there would be a degree of solid agreement with my ideas, as well as a degree of equally solid disagreement. In fact, some of my ideas are rather unique, and would undoubtedly draw initial disagreement, however that disagreement can be set aside by simple, objective investigation.

To summarise.
If you wish to understand the Javanese keris you first must learn the Javanese keris belief systems, then you must follow a structured study plan that covers history, sociology, anthropology, art, religion, forge technology and techniques. As you learn you will find that it is not all that difficult to integrate the separate areas of knowledge into a foundation that permits a better understanding of your objective. If your objective is an understanding of the keris, your learning will never cease.

18th June 2018, 11:51 PM	#14
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,700	Ridho, you sound a little disappointed to discover that there is no easy way to learn about the keris. Why should this surprise you? There is no short nor easy way to learn about anything, especially anything that is worth having knowledge of. How long does it take for a child to speak, read and write, and these are things that he is surrounded with every day as he grows. How long to learn to play a musical instrument? I could go on and on in this vein, but it does not matter what it is that we set out to learn, one thing is certain:- we never stop learning. Another thing is certain:- knowledge and understanding do not come as a result of divine intervention ---well, not for most people --- knowledge and understanding only come as a result of both consistent work and long experience. You wish to gain knowledge of the keris? You are ideally placed to be able to do this. Think of how difficult it is for somebody who lives outside of Indonesia , especially outside of Jawa, to try to come to an understanding of the linguistic, cultural and social foundations of the keris belief systems, and it is essential to understand these foundations before the keris belief systems can be understood, and unless the keris belief systems are understood, it is not possible to understand the keris. Much of what anybody outside Jawa must learn before he can even begin to think about the keris, you already live with every day. The keris is a part of your daily life, it is buried deep in your sub-conscious and it never leaves you. Almost nobody outside Jawa has this advantage. Yet this morning I read your "I'm very sad" post. Ridho, you sound like a man who was born with wealth but who is disappointed because what he wants to buy will not come to him, he needs to go to the market and look for it. You have written as if all hope is lost, everything is already finished. You are wrong. Hopefully you will now realise what is needed in order to gain the understanding you seek. This is your beginning, not the end of your search. Yes, in my previous post I did outline one way in which to gain some understanding of the keris, but that is only one road to your destination, there are others. If you are not already a member of a keris discussion/study group in Indonesia, you should join one. You need to know the keris belief systems, which is to say that you need to understand how the keris is woven into folk belief, before you can integrate that folk belief with other knowledge bases. Join a study group, it is certain that much of what you will hear will be quite a bit different to what you have read from me, but you cannot progress without a local understanding. You can stop at the level of keris study group knowledge if you wish. These groups are basically social groups and give the opportunity for like minded individuals to indulge in social contact. Membership of such a group can be very comfortable. Alternatively you can use the understanding you gain from the study group and then begin a semi academic study of Javanese history, culture, society. The technology and technique of actual keris manufacture is something that must not be neglected, and once again, you live much closer to the people who still make keris, than does somebody from outside your society, and you speak the same language as the people who hold the knowledge that you want. As for Indonesians not speaking as I do, well, let us not confuse Indonesians with Javanese. I am certain that many Indonesians do not think as I do, but amongst the people I know and have known in Central Jawa there would be a degree of solid agreement with my ideas, as well as a degree of equally solid disagreement. In fact, some of my ideas are rather unique, and would undoubtedly draw initial disagreement, however that disagreement can be set aside by simple, objective investigation. To summarise. If you wish to understand the Javanese keris you first must learn the Javanese keris belief systems, then you must follow a structured study plan that covers history, sociology, anthropology, art, religion, forge technology and techniques. As you learn you will find that it is not all that difficult to integrate the separate areas of knowledge into a foundation that permits a better understanding of your objective. If your objective is an understanding of the keris, your learning will never cease.