Balinese Wedung

VVV · 27th September 2005, 10:31 AM

Thanks Marto for your feedback!
And also for confirming that this in fact is a proper Balinese knife.
I have so far only seen the highly decorated versions.
Maybe because those where the ones that the Dutch prefered to "bring" with them home in the old days as exotic souvenirs?

Michael

Henk · 27th September 2005, 07:57 PM

Michael,

Justin gave the right answer. It is a balinese golok.
Stone shows a similar piece with a different hilt.

I had the honour to admire and hold one with a polychrome painted sheath and same hilt like this one in the collection of a member of Tammens study group that Tammens mentioned in his books.

marto suwignyo · 27th September 2005, 08:51 PM

Well, Henk, I suppose it is barely possible that all those Balinese people I have spoken to over the years who were using, or who owned one of these knives, were wrong.

Equally, I suppose it is possible that Mr. Stone was right, even though his record demonstrates that he was often, very often, wrong.

VVV · 27th September 2005, 09:36 PM

Marto,

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn't golok originally a local term for a short Javanese(!) sword before it became "bastardized" by us Western collectors?

Michael

Justin · 27th September 2005, 11:23 PM

As far as I have assertained through a few books and people, comments, and questions here on the forum; ' golok ' can described a variety of Indonesian knives/short swords.I didn't mean to say that this was definately anything,I only meant to offer an alternative to 'wedung' which I thought was a distinctly different type of knife.

Rick · 28th September 2005, 12:07 AM

A Wedung is a 'Javanese' cultural artifact .

nechesh · 28th September 2005, 03:40 AM

I know you all know just how much i hate making controversial statements

but if you ask me, books, especially those written by Westerners on the subject of Indonesian weapons, aren't worth squat when it comes to the proper naming of the various weapons in question. Add to that the great variance of names applied to these weapons by the many different groups of people who use(d) them and live in this area of the world and we are left with MUCH confusion. I'm with Marto. I'd call it a Balinese knife.

There are certainly MANY errors in the writings of Stone, Raffles, Tammens and others. This does not make their works useless by far, but i think it is important that we take care not to assume that just because it got written down and published that it must be right.

27th September 2005, 10:31 AM	#1
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Thanks Marto for your feedback! And also for confirming that this in fact is a proper Balinese knife. I have so far only seen the highly decorated versions. Maybe because those where the ones that the Dutch prefered to "bring" with them home in the old days as exotic souvenirs? Michael

27th September 2005, 07:57 PM	#2
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Michael, Justin gave the right answer. It is a balinese golok. Stone shows a similar piece with a different hilt. I had the honour to admire and hold one with a polychrome painted sheath and same hilt like this one in the collection of a member of Tammens study group that Tammens mentioned in his books.

27th September 2005, 08:51 PM	#3
marto suwignyo Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 52	Well, Henk, I suppose it is barely possible that all those Balinese people I have spoken to over the years who were using, or who owned one of these knives, were wrong. Equally, I suppose it is possible that Mr. Stone was right, even though his record demonstrates that he was often, very often, wrong.

27th September 2005, 09:36 PM	#4
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Marto, Please correct me if I am wrong but isn't golok originally a local term for a short Javanese(!) sword before it became "bastardized" by us Western collectors? Michael

27th September 2005, 11:23 PM	#5
Justin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 179	As far as I have assertained through a few books and people, comments, and questions here on the forum; ' golok ' can described a variety of Indonesian knives/short swords.I didn't mean to say that this was definately anything,I only meant to offer an alternative to 'wedung' which I thought was a distinctly different type of knife.

28th September 2005, 12:07 AM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	A Wedung is a 'Javanese' cultural artifact .

28th September 2005, 03:40 AM	#7
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	I know you all know just how much i hate making controversial statements but if you ask me, books, especially those written by Westerners on the subject of Indonesian weapons, aren't worth squat when it comes to the proper naming of the various weapons in question. Add to that the great variance of names applied to these weapons by the many different groups of people who use(d) them and live in this area of the world and we are left with MUCH confusion. I'm with Marto. I'd call it a Balinese knife. There are certainly MANY errors in the writings of Stone, Raffles, Tammens and others. This does not make their works useless by far, but i think it is important that we take care not to assume that just because it got written down and published that it must be right.