Nias Keris (?)

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

Hi Kai, thanks for the update.. forgot to check Karsten's "Kris Disk".. Better pictures of the 1st posted piece are found there, but still no blade visible except for those which are sewar-like, (3 examples).

Hi Michael, nice examples of Si Euli. My obsevations are, Si Euli is typically a sewar-like blade with a sewar-like sheath.. however, the example posted in post #1, probably have a sewar-like blade with a keris-like sheath..

If we look at other weaponry of Nias, we mostly see variation of balato, sewar and badik-like knives, spears, etc.. The same post #1 piece can also be found in Feldman's book "Nias, Tribal Treasures. Cosmic Reflections in Stone, Wood and Gold", again without the blade visible..

The one found in Jensen's 'Kris Disk', Fig 209: "A Chief from North Nias with a Gayo/Aceh type of kris", may be an imported keris used, not part of the local culture. My opinion is, there is no keris culture in Nias.. if there is keris found there, it's most probably imported from mainland Sumatra. Currently I do not have supportive evidence to prove that, but I've yet to see evidence that one does exist to sway my opinion. What do you think?

Hi Alam Shah, Indeed there was no keris culture on Nias,or at least when imported kerisses are adopted they didn't had the function like on Java an Bali. The culture on Nias was totally different and what was the keris for a Javanese was the Balatu Sebua ( translated= Knife no;1 or the first knife) for a Niha. We have to split however Nias in south and north and the north had much more influence from Sumatra. The Balatu sebua there had influenced from the Atjeh sikin for example. They stayed however Balatu's.
Also the sewarlike Si Euli was IMO more common in the North as the South.Old pics from the north for example show sometimes warriors without Balatu sebua but with Si Euli. The fact that the balatu didn't had its rattan ball and that headhunting wasn't mostly practised in the north, may point out that the Balato lost somewhat of his importance. See there the base to adopt weaponery from other cultures. The statement that the first weapon should represent a keris is somewhat to far IMO. If we see the great skill a niha could carve I don't think they tried to imitate a javanese keris but they just adopted some designs they like. You see that also in the swords of north nias. some are almost like a sikin but are they still balato? Difficult... but what's in the name.....

regards,

Arjan