Bali Keris Update, 1 of 2

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, correct Mr. Workman.

Keris terminology is very far from universal.

In fact, if we view the keris against a matrix of time and location, that is traveling backwards in time, and in ever expanding circles from any given point in the present, even the word "keris" is not universal.

Remember the "oils ain't oils" ad of some years back?

Well, keris ain't keris.

Your question relating to the position in society of the Balinese Pande Clan really needs a long and complex explanation that probably does not belong here, but it is perhaps sufficient to say that the Clan does not see itself discriminated against, rather it regards itself as a structure equal and apart.

You have mentioned "caste", but caste in Bali is not like caste in India. The Balinese caste system is really a hierarchical system that is based on inherited titles. The title that one inherits establishes right to the place that one has in society, but although that system may be the warp of the society, the weft is comprised of numerous other factors, and all these things together establish the functional position in society.

I have tried for a very long time to understand exactly how this system works, and I still do not understand it. In fact, I have come to the opinion that nobody can truly understand unless they are born Balinese and upon that foundation dedicate a great deal of time to the study of the society. There is simply too much that is hidden from anybody who is not a part of the society.

If this aspect is of interest to you, perhaps a good place to begin would be Sekala and Niskala -Fred B. Eisman,jr.,ISBN 0-945971-03-6.

[S.Workman]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Yes, correct Mr. Workman.

Keris terminology is very far from universal.

In fact, if we view the keris against a matrix of time and location, that is traveling backwards in time, and in ever expanding circles from any given point in the present, even the word "keris" is not universal.

Remember the "oils ain't oils" ad of some years back?

Well, keris ain't keris.

Your question relating to the position in society of the Balinese Pande Clan really needs a long and complex explanation that probably does not belong here, but it is perhaps sufficient to say that the Clan does not see itself discriminated against, rather it regards itself as a structure equal and apart.

You have mentioned "caste", but caste in Bali is not like caste in India. The Balinese caste system is really a hierarchical system that is based on inherited titles. The title that one inherits establishes right to the place that one has in society, but although that system may be the warp of the society, the weft is comprised of numerous other factors, and all these things together establish the functional position in society.

I have tried for a very long time to understand exactly how this system works, and I still do not understand it. In fact, I have come to the opinion that nobody can truly understand unless they are born Balinese and upon that foundation dedicate a great deal of time to the study of the society. There is simply too much that is hidden from anybody who is not a part of the society.

If this aspect is of interest to you, perhaps a good place to begin would be Sekala and Niskala -Fred B. Eisman,jr.,ISBN 0-945971-03-6.

Thank you, I will look into it. I had wondered if maybe smiths were set apart because their art was ambiguous. They are needed, but their works can bring about negative consequences.
Incidentally, did you have a peek at my other keris, here:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18638
I would very much like to see if you can shed any light on this one too.

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, I did see the other keris, and I am in agreement with the comments already posted. It's a good job, especially so for a first attempt.

In legend the empus of Jawa, the poets of Jawa, and the Kings of Jawa are all descended from the same ancestor, Sang Hyang Nurcahaya.

Empus were regarded as fitting husbands for the daughters of rulers, and the craft of the smith is seen as analogous to death, birth and renewal. The smith is in effect a holy wizard. In a society that has its roots in agriculture it is not at all difficult to understand the relationship of the smith to not only human death, birth, renewal, but the natural death, birth, renewal that is associated with the seasons and agriculture.

Everything goes in cycles and all those cycles are inextricably interwoven. To gain even the most basic understanding of the keris it is necessary to first understand the way in which the people in the society that gave birth to the keris understand the world around them.

In Javanese language and thought the smith is a pande, an empu is an armourer, but an empu can also be a pande, whereas a pande is not necessarily an empu. I do not know exactly when this distinction took root, but I feel it was probably associated with the rise of Islam and the growth and refinement of metal working arts along the North Coast, that was due to the influx of Muslim craftsmen from the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East, and with the refinement of Javanese court arts following the rise of Mataram.

Here I'm talking about Jawa, but much of what we see in Balinese culture and society has come into that culture and society from pre-Islamic Jawa. In Bali I think the place of the pande is still a reflection of what applied in pre-Islamic Jawa.

In Bali it is not possible to become a pande unless you are born one. You may be the most skilled keris artist alive, but that does not entitle you to call yourself either a pande or an empu. Unless you are of the Pande Clan you will never learn the mantras and the correct rituals for the making of a living keris, and unless you can make a living keris, you cannot be an empu. In Jawa you can become an empu if your kraton bestows the title or the common people recognise you as one. But not in Bali.

I suggest that "Iron Working as Spiritual Enquiry", and "Metallurgy and Immortality at Candi Sukuh", both by S.J.O'Connor are worth a read.