DURGA Hilt?

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

During the 1980's and 1990's in Solo several tukang jejeran I knew called it "jejeran wadon".

Nobody I have known, or know now, in Jawa, calls it a "Durga" hilt.

To the best of my knowledge, this term "Durga" originates with a western writer's rather vivid imagination.
...
I agree with you Pak Gonjo:- this name is a modern invention, originating in the west.

Thanks Alan, especially for the precise word of "smoke and mirror". Yes, Javanese people usually are living very much with such smoke and mirror of the past... Until today.

But I respect very much westerners like Zoetmulder -- and nowadays Niels Mulder and also Australian historian Ricklefs who have made much contribution on Javanese and Indonesian culture, with their vastly research in the past, and their books on Indonesia. And also people like you Alan, that lives for so long with Javanese culture.

Originally Posted by VVV

I have only read one Sundanese Ruwatan in full, it's about the Origin of Kala, were Mahadewi is named Emban Durga in the play.
Do you have the Kris disk by Karsten Sejr-Jensen?
In it there are a couple of really old hilts that is the same style.
I don't either think it's documented before Kerner as it's quite rare.
Michael

Yes Michael, Mr Sejr-Jensen himself gave me the disk, when he and his wife visited Indonesia a couple months ago. They even payed a visit for a little while at my apartement room in Jakarta, after I took him to visit Mr Haryono Guritno -- the writer of "Keris Jawa" book. And I think he saw too, some beautiful keris collection of Jakarta National Museum in Jalan Merdeka Barat -- including some (not balinese kerises) with such kind of hilts...

The pics below, just showing you the comparison between "jejeran wadon" (sorry, I choose the term used by Alan) or "hilt with woman figure", one bigger Balinese, and the two others I think Javanese "jejeran wadon" hilts..

GANJAWULUNG