Sulawesi (toraja?) keris

[David]

Interesting and informative passage Shahrial. Thanks for posting it.
However, i must point out that nowhere does it even suggest that the smiths of Toraja make keris. The one reference to keris is that Seko smiths used forge patterns and techniques like those employed in the making of Javanese keris. So it doesn't even say Seko smiths made keris. It goes on further to say "Cool water and citrus juice solutions were used to moderate the red heat of the forged metal, as it is shaped into plow blades, ax heads, rice-cutting tools and ceremonial swords. The latter were loci of power and mnemonics for creation myths." I do not think that we can assume that "ceremonial swords" mentioned here are keris.
I have little doubt that "tourist" blades can be found in Toraja and are probably made there, and keris may be among them. Tourism is currently what drives their economy. In 1984 it was declared by the Indonesian government the official "second tourist stop after Bali". But my question still stand as to whether or not the keris is really a part of their culture as it is in other parts of Indonesia. We see two women holding keris in these public ceremonies which are specifically put on for tourists, but we don't see any other village member wearing a keris, and strangely (for me anyway), none of the men. One of the women hold a Javanese keris. We see a giant statue of a Torajan warrior with a strangely dressed keris at his waist, but this was obviously built in the latter part of the 20th century, again for the tourists i suspect, and when we look at an old photo from 1930 that actually shows 3 Toraja warriors with their weapons none of them are wearing a keris.
There are some interesting points made in the Wiki article i linked about the effects of tourism on the culture of the Toraja. How certain rituals have been emphasized over others and some lost all together based on the needs of this industry. It mentions how "the image of Torajan society created for the tourists, often by "lower-ranking" guides, has eroded its traditional strict hierarchy". So is our current picture of Torajan life completely accurate?

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by David

Interesting and informative passage Shahrial. Thanks for posting it.
However, i must point out that nowhere does it even suggest that the smiths of Toraja make keris.

Actually it is quite clear that they don't manufacture keris, in the 1970s anyway and probably post-WWII. It's imported from other areas. Sometime back, I did discussed with some Bugis decendents from Makassar regarding Bugis weaponry, mainly swords blades fitted on the 'Dua Lalan' of the Torajan.. it's similar to the Makassarese 'Alamang' (alameng), except for its fittings.. I was informed that the blade was exported from other areas into Toraja and the fittings were customised there.. now it seems clearer..

[David]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

Actually it is quite clear that they don't manufacture keris, in the 1970s anyway and probably post-WWII. It's imported from other areas. Sometime back, I did discussed with some Bugis decendents from Makassar regarding Bugis weaponry, mainly swords blades fitted on the 'Dua Lalan' of the Torajan.. it's similar to the Makassarese 'Alamang' (alameng), except for its fittings.. I was informed that the blade was exported from other areas into Toraja and the fittings were customised there.. now it seems clearer..

I am confused because the passage that you just quoted seems to imply that smiths are, or at least were making ceremonial sword blades (as well as other cutting implements and tools) in Toraja in the 1970s.
In the 1970s the Toraja forge consists of an open-air fireplace banked on three sides with rock walls. Zerner reports that the smith, the bellow pumper, and the hammerer worked together in a kind of rhymatic dance, and "the air itself tastes of smoke and iron, steam and charcoal". Cool water and citrus juice solutions were used to moderate the red heat of the forged metal, as it is shaped into plow blades, ax heads, rice-cutting tools and ceremonial swords. The latter were loci of power and mnemonics for creation myths.
Do you believe this dress shown here in Marco's and Jean's examples are a style particular to Toraja or is it borrowed perhaps from neighboring Makassar or some other culture in Sulawesi? Do you think the dress in these examples was actually made in Toraja, or is that imported as well. I must say that from looking at other Torajan art i do not see any of their particular designs and motifs exhibited in these keris.

[David]

So i've moved on to youtube ( ) in search of the Torajan keris and we do in fact see it as part of the present day "traditional" wedding. Again it is interesting to see girls and boys in traditional dress with keris.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up-t9AOn-Mw
You can also see women in a traditional dance with "keris" in their waist bands. I suspect from the look of these that these are not real keris, but merely props. Were they always a part of this traditional dance?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkDnc...eature=related
At about 8:16 into this video on a Torajan funeral they do show a couple of men in traditional dress holding keris and then also in procession.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5csjrfQV20w
However here is another, perhaps older, video of a funeral where i see no keris present throughout the ceremony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qtzt...eature=related
I would have expected to see some keris in the waistbands of the men singing at the end of the video at least.
I am curious about what this all means in terms of how and when the keris may have been assimilated into the Torajan culture and what it means for them as opposes to, say a Javanese or Balinese man.

[David]

Of course, if we closely examine the dress of Marco's keris it becomes obvious that it's design is based on the beautiful gold keris that graces the cover of Mr. van Zonnefeld's Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago.This is an important keris because besides it's beauty it was collected before 1750 in Sulawesi. It was in the possession of Stadholder Willem IV in the mid 18th century and was probably obtained by the VOC during unheavals with Makassar in 1666-1669. Elements and motifs of this dress has lead many to believe that it was actually created in Java. The blade is also distinctively Javanese. Note that Marco's keris has the same depiction of garuda on the sheath and well as a similar mustached (wayang?) figure for the hilt.
Jean's example seems to be patterned after the example that graces the cover of Tammens De Kris Vol. I, a sheath which he describes as 17th century Celebes, a South Sulawesi court piece. Interestingly enough this one also seems to have a Javanese blade. You can see a very similar naga motif on Jean's sheath as on this one.
So what basis do we have to call these examples Torajan?

[Alam Shah]

Originally Posted by David

I am confused because the passage that you just quoted seems to imply that smiths are, or at least were making ceremonial sword blades (as well as other cutting implements and tools) in Toraja in the 1970s.

Do you believe this dress shown here in Marco's and Jean's examples are a style particular to Toraja or is it borrowed perhaps from neighboring Makassar or some other culture in Sulawesi? Do you think the dress in these examples was actually made in Toraja, or is that imported as well. I must say that from looking at other Torajan art i do not see any of their particular designs and motifs exhibited in these keris.

David, I'm confused as well.. I guess I misunderstood the quoted text. It's best to get people familiar with the Torajan culture to give accurate inputs.. I stand corrected, thanks guys for the added information.. Thanks Alan for illustrating the 'wedding keris'.. it's sometimes hard for me to express it in words..

[David]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

It's best to get people familiar with the Torajan culture to give accurate inputs..

Completely agree Shahrial. I am hoping that Alan's source might be able to tell us something more, and of course any other direct sources we can find would be helpful as well as older photographs. If that one fro 1930 exists there must be some others i would imagine.