Putting together a museum exhibit linking Java keris to Philippine kris

[fernando]

Portuguese touched Jawa for the first time in 1512, after taking over Malaca.

We can read comments about local weapons, by period chroniclers:
(Strict translation)
Every Jaoa man, be him rich or poor, will have in his house cris and lance and dagger.
(Tomé Pires 1465-1524 or 40).

The crises (plural for cris) serve them as daggers serve for us; they bring scimitars like the Turks.
(Castanheda 1500-1559).

Concerning races:
(period terminology)
There were in Jawa gentiles and moors; the first inhabited the bush, the late inhabited the coast.
(Duarte Barbosa - 1521, among others).

From the XVI century Portuguese codice kept at Casanatence library, we can see in one of the famous water colours, that the peoples of the Kingdom of Jawa (Jaoa) were called Jaos (at least) by the portuguese.

Fernando

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[tom hyle]

Every man of them in his house, yes, but that didn't mean, for instance, slaves, who I don't think could even dare touch a cris Unless kriss (my actual preferred spelling which I usually keep to my self) was not yet seen as holy at that time? Which I hardly suspect. Note the orientation of the handle in the picture. What does this backward orientation mean in modern times? Peace, I think.?.... Do I digress?
Has everyone read that parang ihlang thread? Super duper wow!!!
BTW re other Moro weapons CharlesS' latest comment/speculation about my pira is exactly spot-on correct and an impressive bit of photo analysis.
I can;'t reply; I can only edit; you believe whatever about where it came frrom; I reiterate I have no interest in convincing you; none at all; I have no particular belief on the origin of the kris; I objectively point out it is nhot a settloed matter. It is a mystery.
Where do I get my ideas? Natives, long-term foreigners/inmigrants to the region, swords, scholars, collectors, makers, books, internet, God. How about you?
And a slave is nbot a common man, nor may be some types oif holy men, unholy men, foreigners, etc......I don't think a slave was to carry a kris; do you? A knife, yes (a slave without a knife isn't much use to his master); a dagger or sword under at least some circumstances and tribes, but a kriss? Do you think so? What's your evidence?