When is a keris legitimate?

A. G. Maisey · 29th December 2013, 01:37 AM

Thank you for your contributions gentlemen.

I do hope that others will see fit to share their thoughts with us.

I very much like what I am reading here. I gave a lot of thought to the way in which I posed this question. You're looking at what is probably something like draft 10 or 12 or maybe more of the question. The word "legitimate" was my final choice from a number of other words.

The idea of "in", and "out" of keris bearing society is one factor, but possibly there is more to it than that. Many people in the keris bearing societies that I know best do not hold particularly traditional sets of values, on the other hand some people in western post-industrial societies try in-so-far as they are able, to hold very traditional sets of values in respect of the keris.

I personally do not see any answers to this question as either right or wrong.

I see the answers as only a contribution to our better understanding.

There is perhaps one factor that needs to be considered when formulating a response to my question, and that is the nature of the keris:- what is a keris?

I do not intend this as another question, merely as something we should ask ourselves before we decide what the word "legitimate" might mean.

29th December 2013, 01:37 AM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Thank you for your contributions gentlemen. I do hope that others will see fit to share their thoughts with us. I very much like what I am reading here. I gave a lot of thought to the way in which I posed this question. You're looking at what is probably something like draft 10 or 12 or maybe more of the question. The word "legitimate" was my final choice from a number of other words. The idea of "in", and "out" of keris bearing society is one factor, but possibly there is more to it than that. Many people in the keris bearing societies that I know best do not hold particularly traditional sets of values, on the other hand some people in western post-industrial societies try in-so-far as they are able, to hold very traditional sets of values in respect of the keris. I personally do not see any answers to this question as either right or wrong. I see the answers as only a contribution to our better understanding. There is perhaps one factor that needs to be considered when formulating a response to my question, and that is the nature of the keris:- what is a keris? I do not intend this as another question, merely as something we should ask ourselves before we decide what the word "legitimate" might mean.