Keris and Rembrandt

Gustav · 29th April 2010, 01:53 PM

In his Krisdisk Jensen gives an interpretation about a connection between subject of Samson and keris.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) has in two
paintings pictured a kris. The first painting
represents “The Capture of Samson” (Judges 16:19)
and is painted in 1629. The picture shows Samson
sleeping with his head in the lap of Delilah. She is
pointing at his hair to tell the enemy entering the
room that his strength is sitting in his hair. Samson
wears a kris with a Yaksha-/Raksasa hilt type 1 and a red painted old Ladrang type of sheath.
The Dutch had in 1596 entered the Indonesian area and began to bring krisses of this type home to Holland.
The Europeans found them very exotic and Rembrandt, who collected oriental weapons, has presumably
purchased one.
The other painting illustrates “The Capture and Blinding of Samson” and is painted in 1636. At the painting a
soldier is blinding Samson with a kris with a long, strong and waved blade. It is most possible the same kris
as the one pictured in the first picture.
I do not think that it is accidental that Rembrandt twice connected the kris with the capture of Samson. It is
most probable connected with the fact that the Europeans thought the kris was a demonic weapon. Many
sources relate that the blade is poisonous (perhaps because of the arsenic that was used to blue the blade).
It was a view harboured by the snake symbolism of the blade (the blade symbolizes a Naga, snake, the ruler
of the underworld). This idea was made clear by the waved snake-like blade, which most of the krisses the
Europeans brought home to Europe had and which Rembrandt´s kris had as well. Now the snake is
according to the Jewish and Christian tradition connected with Satan as the tempter and seducer, a
connection which is further accentuated by the demonic Yaksha-/Raksasa hilt of the kris. Because of that it is
probable that Rembrandt has equipped Samson with a such a kris. It symbolizes that Samson wears a
seductive and treacherous weapon in his belt - a weapons which turns against himself and literally blinds
him, like he was blind to the seductive treason of Delilah.

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29th April 2010, 01:53 PM	#32
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,295	In his Krisdisk Jensen gives an interpretation about a connection between subject of Samson and keris. Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) has in two paintings pictured a kris. The first painting represents “The Capture of Samson” (Judges 16:19) and is painted in 1629. The picture shows Samson sleeping with his head in the lap of Delilah. She is pointing at his hair to tell the enemy entering the room that his strength is sitting in his hair. Samson wears a kris with a Yaksha-/Raksasa hilt type 1 and a red painted old Ladrang type of sheath. The Dutch had in 1596 entered the Indonesian area and began to bring krisses of this type home to Holland. The Europeans found them very exotic and Rembrandt, who collected oriental weapons, has presumably purchased one. The other painting illustrates “The Capture and Blinding of Samson” and is painted in 1636. At the painting a soldier is blinding Samson with a kris with a long, strong and waved blade. It is most possible the same kris as the one pictured in the first picture. I do not think that it is accidental that Rembrandt twice connected the kris with the capture of Samson. It is most probable connected with the fact that the Europeans thought the kris was a demonic weapon. Many sources relate that the blade is poisonous (perhaps because of the arsenic that was used to blue the blade). It was a view harboured by the snake symbolism of the blade (the blade symbolizes a Naga, snake, the ruler of the underworld). This idea was made clear by the waved snake-like blade, which most of the krisses the Europeans brought home to Europe had and which Rembrandt´s kris had as well. Now the snake is according to the Jewish and Christian tradition connected with Satan as the tempter and seducer, a connection which is further accentuated by the demonic Yaksha-/Raksasa hilt of the kris. Because of that it is probable that Rembrandt has equipped Samson with a such a kris. It symbolizes that Samson wears a seductive and treacherous weapon in his belt - a weapons which turns against himself and literally blinds him, like he was blind to the seductive treason of Delilah.