Interpretation of the Pre-Islamic Javanese Keris

A. G. Maisey · 25th September 2013, 10:04 PM

Thanks for your comments, Yuuzan.

In respect of the present day understanding of the keris, yes, investigation will show that a very large part of that understanding can be tied to beliefs that have their roots in Islam.

Something else that needs to be remembered is that with anything of an esoteric nature in virtually any culture there are several layers of understanding.

The popular understanding, that is, the understanding that is permitted to the lay-person, is often only vaguely related to the understanding of the initiate, and even the understanding of the initiate will have one or more layers behind it.

Over time those layers tend to erode in one direction and develop in another direction, and eventually the understanding that was the foundation upon which the system of belief was founded becomes a travesty of the original ideas. As time passes, the fabric of the system is stretched this way and that, tears appear in the fabric, parts of it become lost and patches are added to it. Eventually the weft, the warp and the motifs of the original fabric become unrecognisable and come to reflect the characteristics of the major societies that have adopted the system of belief.

This can perhaps most easily be seen in the belief systems that are the major religions.

The keris belief system is no different.

25th September 2013, 10:04 PM	#13
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Thanks for your comments, Yuuzan. In respect of the present day understanding of the keris, yes, investigation will show that a very large part of that understanding can be tied to beliefs that have their roots in Islam. Something else that needs to be remembered is that with anything of an esoteric nature in virtually any culture there are several layers of understanding. The popular understanding, that is, the understanding that is permitted to the lay-person, is often only vaguely related to the understanding of the initiate, and even the understanding of the initiate will have one or more layers behind it. Over time those layers tend to erode in one direction and develop in another direction, and eventually the understanding that was the foundation upon which the system of belief was founded becomes a travesty of the original ideas. As time passes, the fabric of the system is stretched this way and that, tears appear in the fabric, parts of it become lost and patches are added to it. Eventually the weft, the warp and the motifs of the original fabric become unrecognisable and come to reflect the characteristics of the major societies that have adopted the system of belief. This can perhaps most easily be seen in the belief systems that are the major religions. The keris belief system is no different.