Mantras keris and empu

[Alam Shah]

Many moons ago about 2 decades actually, I've done some research about a few "Kitab Primbon" (books). The ones I used were romanised translated texts from older scripts. It contains many mantras and like an instruction manual of sort. When successfully executed a set of instructions with a specific mantra, one could attain a higher level of awareness (enlightenment?) which also attuned the senses 'rasa'. There were many mantras related to keris in certain Primbons. Some have instructions on how to enable communicate with 'enpowered' objects, strengthen one's own spiritual mind, imbuing, 'locking' and 'unlock' objects, removal or transfer of energy sources, etc.

Different primbon (book) contains different things, and depending on its source, determine its contents, form, and mantras. Hindu-based origin tends to invoke deities, Kejawen-based tends to invoke the spirits, jinn, etc (with 2 paths, white magic and black magic, and the grey path in between). The later versions include those from Islamic teachings. For example Sunan Kalijaga plays an important role in revamping quite a lot of information about the Javanese keris together with some empus' cooperation. Conforming mantras with Islamic elements and removing those that are not permissible, to a certain extent. Hence allowing the keris and its culture to survive even within the muslim communities in Java and elsewhere within the Indonesian/Malay archipelago.