To wear versus to hide

kai · 21st April 2011, 08:54 AM

Hello Neo,

Quote:

I believe that in the beginning, kerises are meant to be worn as part of the owner's attire in order for its supposed power to work - charm, protection, prosperity, etc. Despite the lack of historical manuscripts about this from the Majapahit era and earlier, I am taking the liberty of making this deduction as some keris designs are definitely not combative - some have elaborate carvings that will definitely break in high-impact situations. I am supposing that these kerises are made for talismanic or amulet purposes.

There are enough historic sources that Malays/Indos were just too willing to pull out their keris and to stab with them at any perceived slighting. Thus, besides all those other functions of keris, don't write off their function as an EDC self defense weapon for most of the archipelago until fairly recently. Even in central Jawa, the cultural change that a keris should never be used as a weapon seems to be not that old (and possibly was not universally followed anyway

).

For the pre-Islamic keris, there seems to be no doubt that keris were meant to be worn and seen as well as to protect their owners by scaring away evil (demonic hilts, etc.) one way or another...

For those who could afford more than a few keris which could be worn at the same time, there will always have been the tendency to store them away from the public, especially in the keraton setting (not limited to central Jawa but again hardly more than common sense if your ruling position was based on your posession of a pusaka). However, I suspect that the notion of hiding a keris for it becoming more powerful (rather than hiding the blade to avoid broadcasting one's intentions in life) is a modern development (possibly limited to certain circles?).

Regards,
Kai

PenangsangII · 21st April 2011, 12:11 PM

i would opine that keris in our possession have variety of functions. Depending on the functions or purposes of keris to the owner, some keris are to be worn and shown, some should be hidden..... Pusakas category should be kept from views of others..... Similar to kraton pusaka remain in kraton,s gedung pusaka, whilst kraton,s regalia are for shows...

Neo · 21st April 2011, 01:23 PM

Kai: Yes, it is mostly the Chinese accounts. I still wonder how to not break parts like sekar kacang or greneng in combats.

Penangsang 2.0: Any historical reference? I could not find much other than this indirect example ... Remember the legend when Mpu Supa was sent to retrieve a missing Majapahit keris from Madura court? Perhaps we could use this story to reason that perceived powerful pusakas would often become target of theft, so kings would be wise to simply hide them and thereby avoid the rival kingdoms to be aware of their presence?

PenangsangII · 26th April 2011, 04:29 AM

Neo,

Till today, a personal keris (newly made by Empu) or Pusakas are not to be shown to other people, especially your enemy. Those who can read the keris can actually describe the owner, inside out esp the weakness, strength etc. And since this culture had been passed from generations after generations by oral tradition, its hard to pin point the exact origin or era when the tradition began to be practised

21st April 2011, 12:11 PM	#2
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	i would opine that keris in our possession have variety of functions. Depending on the functions or purposes of keris to the owner, some keris are to be worn and shown, some should be hidden..... Pusakas category should be kept from views of others..... Similar to kraton pusaka remain in kraton,s gedung pusaka, whilst kraton,s regalia are for shows...

21st April 2011, 01:23 PM	#3
Neo Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 59	Kai: Yes, it is mostly the Chinese accounts. I still wonder how to not break parts like sekar kacang or greneng in combats. Penangsang 2.0: Any historical reference? I could not find much other than this indirect example ... Remember the legend when Mpu Supa was sent to retrieve a missing Majapahit keris from Madura court? Perhaps we could use this story to reason that perceived powerful pusakas would often become target of theft, so kings would be wise to simply hide them and thereby avoid the rival kingdoms to be aware of their presence?

26th April 2011, 04:29 AM	#4
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	Neo, Till today, a personal keris (newly made by Empu) or Pusakas are not to be shown to other people, especially your enemy. Those who can read the keris can actually describe the owner, inside out esp the weakness, strength etc. And since this culture had been passed from generations after generations by oral tradition, its hard to pin point the exact origin or era when the tradition began to be practised