Dapur Carita?

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

...What has been driven home to me again, and again, and again over the years by a number of people, is that keris art is Karaton art, thus only a Karaton has the right and the obligation to bestow a name for a dhapur, or a pamor, upon a keris. Similarly, only a Karaton can determine if a keris is legitimate in its interpretations, or not.

It follows that within the area where a Karaton is paramount, only those keris which fall within the guidelines accepted by that Karaton can be accepted as legitimate representations of the Karaton's art.

However, where we move to an area where a different Karaton is paramount, the parameters may change.

Then, if we move into an area where there is no active influence of any karaton, how do we determine what is correct and what is not correct?

For this reason, I believe that if ever we wish to involve ourselves in this most extreme of all Name Games, which is the naming of the dhapur and pamor of a keris, we must at all times quote the pakem or reference that we are using as our guide..

To simply give an opinion is less than useless, no matter who gives that opinion, because no person now living can over-rule the parameters that have been previously set by a Ruler, except the current Ruler, and if the source of the opinion is not based in a karaton's guidelines, then it is a very arrogant person indeed who is prepared to give an opinion without either quoting his reference, or providing an argument to support the opinion..


Now, this is not to say, that a knowledgeable individual, or a group of individuals , are prohibited from accepting some keris form that varies from the parameters set by a karaton, however, if we accept the opinion of that individual, or group of individuals, equally we must quote our source if we determine to follow that opinion.

An unsupported opinion, or an uninformed opinion, is in matters of dhapur and pamor, something that should be looked at very critically.

Dear Alan,
First of all, I must try to read your post carefully, as usual, because English is not my native language. Everytime I must grasp word by word your post first, then understand it, and respond it as I could. It takes a lot of time and effort to respond -- especially on such serious questions as yours... So, again I apologize if I misunderstood your question. Or made a hard feeling of you, or who ever in this forum.

On this matter on "keris art" and "keris pakem", yes, I think we all agree on this. But if we "must at all times quote the pakem or reference that we are using as our guides", then we encounter big difficulties. Which pakem? Is it enough if I said this is "kraton pakem" without referring of certain sources, certain kraton book, certain time or period of kraton? IMHO, from time to time there were some different pakem in one kraton. And beside that, Am I deserved to say, that "this is the kraton pakem" although I'm an outsider of the kraton circle? I don't think I dare to say it. I don't dare, and not deserved to say so and of course I have no authority to say so. (IMHO, this is not the first time, a discussion on "keris art" and "keris pakem" in this forum).

(Everytime I join discussion in this forum, I am always thinking that I am an ordinary member. I am not thinking as a more knowledgeable than others. So if I have an opinion, this opinion is just an ordinary opinion of an ordinary member. Not an expert's opinion. Just sharing, as a javanese member, telling other people in other world of what I know as an ordinary javanese, what I know daily, or I hear daily in Java.)

I apologize, if I can not answer exactly what you really meant to ask me...

GANJAWULUNG