"Buginees 'Executioners' Keris" for comment

[kai]

Hello Gene,

Thats a pretty horrible description!
I'm more glad than ever it wasn't used for that.

You can't be sure though! (Feel free to send it my way if this makes you feel better. )

In the "good ol' days" death penalties were handed out way more frequently just about worldwide than today. If I remember correctly, execution by a keris was considered the honorable version while the really bad guys (or folks unlucky enough to belong to the lower stratum of society) were facing even more ghastly alternatives... (This is akin to execution by the sword vs. hanging or torture in medieval Europe.)

I also seem to remember that (on Java?) it was just as likely to have ones keris turned against oneself for this purpose rather than risk sullying another person's keris with bad fate.

Regards,
Kai