An introductory video on how the Balinese Kris tradition was revived

A. G. Maisey · 28th April 2022, 11:16 PM

In 1982 --- or maybe 1983 --- I visited Mangku Pande Made Wija near Klungkung. He was Pande Ketut Mudra's father.

When I visited Pande Made Wija, Pande Ketut was assisting his father in forge work. The forge was very traditional, a hollow in the ground, side blown by ububan. Pande Made Wija's principal work was the making of the small axes used in ceremonies.

Some time before my visit, Pande Made had been visited by Dietrich Drescher, who had learned that Pande Made Wija was descended from a line of pandes who had served the Klungkung Puri (Balinese equivalent of "kraton"), and Mr Drescher placed an order with Pande Made as an attempt to encourage him to make keris again.

At that time I had had some sporadic correspondence with Mr. Drescher and he requested me find out from Pande Made if the keris he had ordered was completed. It was and I duly advised Mr. Drescher of this.

I think there might be one or two more keris made by Pande Made Wija in the Neka Museum in Ubud. However, to the best of my knowledge Pande Made Wija did not become a prolific maker of keris.

Pande Ketut Mudra, who is Pande Made Wija's son, works from a fully equipped forge and produces keris and other traditional Balinese knives. He is very approachable, he always has some of his work for sale, and he welcomes visitors.

He will accept orders for non-sacred keris, but he will only make an empowered keris for a pura (temple), at least, this is what he told me in 2016. I had met him when I visited his father outside of Klungkung, and when I visited him again in 2016 he remembered me immediately, which I thought was pretty remarkable.

The idea that a keris can become what its custodian wants it to become cannot be understood in the words used to present this idea. To understand this idea one does not need to understand the words, but rather to understand polite Balinese society.

28th April 2022, 11:16 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	In 1982 --- or maybe 1983 --- I visited Mangku Pande Made Wija near Klungkung. He was Pande Ketut Mudra's father. When I visited Pande Made Wija, Pande Ketut was assisting his father in forge work. The forge was very traditional, a hollow in the ground, side blown by ububan. Pande Made Wija's principal work was the making of the small axes used in ceremonies. Some time before my visit, Pande Made had been visited by Dietrich Drescher, who had learned that Pande Made Wija was descended from a line of pandes who had served the Klungkung Puri (Balinese equivalent of "kraton"), and Mr Drescher placed an order with Pande Made as an attempt to encourage him to make keris again. At that time I had had some sporadic correspondence with Mr. Drescher and he requested me find out from Pande Made if the keris he had ordered was completed. It was and I duly advised Mr. Drescher of this. I think there might be one or two more keris made by Pande Made Wija in the Neka Museum in Ubud. However, to the best of my knowledge Pande Made Wija did not become a prolific maker of keris. Pande Ketut Mudra, who is Pande Made Wija's son, works from a fully equipped forge and produces keris and other traditional Balinese knives. He is very approachable, he always has some of his work for sale, and he welcomes visitors. He will accept orders for non-sacred keris, but he will only make an empowered keris for a pura (temple), at least, this is what he told me in 2016. I had met him when I visited his father outside of Klungkung, and when I visited him again in 2016 he remembered me immediately, which I thought was pretty remarkable. The idea that a keris can become what its custodian wants it to become cannot be understood in the words used to present this idea. To understand this idea one does not need to understand the words, but rather to understand polite Balinese society.