Wedung for sharing

[David]

Originally Posted by naturalist

Turi putih is a song that written by Sunan Giri (one of the Wali sanga/Wali songo/Wali Sangha). Sunan Giri was born in Blambangan/Banyuwangi in 1442. In this song, turi putih (white turi flower, there is red turi) has meaning as a shroud. All in all, the philosophical meaning of this song is about life, death, and what we brought to the life after death. I guess the previous owner of the wedung was influenced by this song.

This symbol on this particular wedhung sheath is not a one-off. It can be found again and again on numerous different examples of court wedhung. So this is certainly not the case of a single individual being influenced a this song and deciding he would place one on his own.There is obviously more to it that that.
To be clear, the spelling is not mine, but appears in The Javanese Keris by Garrett Solyom and Bronwen Solyom. There it is written as i originally wrote, as "kuḍup", but with a dot underneath the first "ḍ". When i researched this character with the dot underneath as it applies to the Javanese language i found that this dot is no longer used when transcribing the language and is now written "dh".
"This was used in a former transcription of Javanese, but has been replaced by ⟨dh⟩."
I just want to be clear that NONE of this is MY usage of the word, simply what i discovered in the writing of others. Alan, i have seen you state that the book by the Solyoms is perhaps the only book on keris that does not have any false information so i was hoping this name they attached to this motive found on numerous wedhung was not the exception and that it could possibly lead us to an answer or at least some theories as to the significance of the symbol. Alan, you certainly suggested a couple of possibilities.

[A. G. Maisey]

David, Garret's mentor was Go Tik Swan, AKA Panembahan Hardjonegoro(alm.), his principal teacher was a m'ranggi known as "Pak Bei". The period was late 1960's, through to early 1970's.

Nothing in the book authored by Garrett & Bronwen can be considered to be incorrect. There are things in it that are open to disagreement, but this does not mean they are wrong, simply that different people often go to different schools.

As for the symbolism that might be attached to this turi bud, I do not know.

[David]

Thanks Alan. As can sometimes be the case, knowing the name of something can sometimes help us understand the thing itself. Up until now no one seemed to know this name in this group (or anything about the meaning of this motif). Now we know the name, but still not the meaning. But perhaps we may be one step closer now.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by David

Thanks Alan. As can sometimes be the case, knowing the name of something can sometimes help us understand the thing itself. Up until now no one seemed to know this name in this group (or anything about the meaning of this motif). Now we know the name, but still not the meaning. But perhaps we may be one step closer now.

Agree complete with you David!

[A. G. Maisey]

If we ever do get the real guts on the reason or symbolism that is attached to this turi bud, I'd put money on it that we eventually find that there is more than a single reason, and more than one way to understand the symbolism.

[David]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

If we ever do get the real guts on the reason or symbolism that is attached to this turi bud, I'd put money on it that we eventually find that there is more than a single reason, and more than one way to understand the symbolism.

Yes, seems to be the case with ALL things Javanese.