"Malaysian kris/keris"

[F. de Luzon]

Originally Posted by David

Forgive me if i misunderstand you train of thought here, but you seem to be attempting to debunk the notion of sundang blades being created indigenously by Malays themselves for other than souvenir purposes. While it is clearly obvious that many of the Malay dressed sundangs (perhaps even most) do indeed use Moro made blades i have seen many that obviously are not of Moro manufacture and the term "sundang" does seem to be the accepted name for this blade form in the Malay regions.
As for Frey's comments on the proper use of the word "sundang", there are many terms to describe Moro kris in the Moorlands, dependent upon which tribe is naming the blade and the specific form the blade takes (straight, wavy, half and half). If i am not mistaken i do believe that the term "sundang" may in fact have been used amongst certain Moros to describer a specific form of kris blade, along with other terms such as kalis.
Anyway, i think to would be incorrect to assume that if a Malay sundang does not have a Moro blade that it was manufactured only to be a "souvenir item".

Thank you for your comments. I wish I could claim that I am “attempting to debunk a notion” but with the evidence that I have presented (or lack thereof on the Malay Sundang ), all I can say is that I am sharing an observation.

I shared my observation that the so called Malay Sundang/Peninsular Sundang are actually re-hilted Moro Kris and that there is no evidence of the production of such blades in Peninsular Malaysia. I supplied the references for such view above. To further support this observation, allow me to quote from R.O. Winstedt’s article “The Sundang and Other Malaysian Art Motifs” which was published in the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in October 1941:

Soendang “a short broad sword” says van Ronkel’s dictionary with no word as its provenance. In the Encyclopaedia van Nedelandsch-Indie (1921) vol. IV, p.680 the word is not to be found but it is described under kalis-“Very different from the keris of Netherlands India is the kalis of the Philippines and of the Sulu Islands. It occurs also in North Borneo and more recently in the districts of Jambi and Indragiri. The Leiden catalogue mentions a specimen from Riau. The blade is long and for a great part of its length is of the same breadth, so that the weapon is as good for hewing as for stabbing. This applies to the wavy as well as to the straight blades, as the waves are small and shallow. More remarkable than anything else are the hilts and the copper or steel fastening about the broad butt. The hilts are nearly straight, Philippine examples ending in a knob in the shape of a bird’s head. Sulu ones in a stylized seated bird with jutting head and tail.” The same article cites soendang as a sword from East Sumatra but gives no description. Wilkinson explains sundang as “sword keris; Sulu Keris…..It differs from the keris in size and massiveness and in its large and serviceable cockatoo headed handle”. My own English-Malay Dictionary & History of Malay call it a sword and following Malay tradition, ascribe it to the Bugis who evidently popularized it. Mr. Wooley talks of “keris like sword of Borneo known as the keris Suluk” …. And Mr. E. Banks of the “keris Suluk or Sundang…., describing it clearly with photos and terming it a broad sword rather than a dagger, with the pregnant comment that it is “almost the only Malaysian cutting instrument with both sides sharpened” (p. 238)

Please take note that the author made no reference to a Peninsular Malaysian origin but to its origins primarily in Sulu and Borneo. I believe this further supports my observation that the so called Malay Sundang are essentially a re-hilted Moro kris.

With regard the blades that you described as “obviously (are) not of Moro manufacture,” the article mentions a sword called soendang in East Sumatra (Jambi/Indragiri?). It is unfortunate that no description was provided but it opens the possibility of a non-Moro origin of certain sundang. I hope that some of the keris experts can enlighten us on this matter. I am not closed to the possibility of alternative origins but so far, I have not seen evidence of it being the Peninsula.

I also stated that the only examples referred to as “Malay Sundang” that I personally saw are items being sold in Kuala Lumpur souvenir and antique shops. These resemble Ian’s example above and I believe that they are souvenir items and not serious fighting blades.