Pawakan

A. G. Maisey · 19th January 2023, 11:54 AM

Pawakan is usually used to refer to a man, it is his outward appearance, for example if a man stoops a little too much and bows his head, he looks humble, if he stands too straight he looks awkward, so with keris, what we are looking for is an overall appearance of harmony, the overall form of a keris should create a harmonious impression.

Wanda (wondo) is the personality of the keris, the feeling that we might get from the keris; just as a man might create an entirely different feeling in different people, so the wanda of the keris can create a different feeling in different people.

Pawakan:- outward appearance, we want to see a harmonious appearance

Wanda :- personality, the feeling generated by the keris, and this feeling can be different in different people.

Wanda is NOT an indicator used in keris classification, pawakan is.

In Basa Jawa, batin refers to one's inner feelings, the core of self; kebatinan is the inner self, it is a synonym of spiritualism and mysticism.

Example:- Empu Suparman's house was diagonally opposite a mesjid, the call to prayer from this mesjid was often unreasonably loud, some would say that although it was situated in Kampung Komplang, Solo, that call to prayer could be heard in Jakarta. When it would start up, Empu Suparman's constant complaint was that it "--- menganggu kebatinan saya---" in English, it disturbed his inner self.

In Bahasa Indonesia it has wider applications, related, but some marginally different, I believe it probably came into BI from Malay, as BI originates from a dialect of Malay that is spoken in Southern Sumatera.

However, it would, I believe, have come into both BJ & Malay from Arabic, where I think the original meaning was "hidden" or "esoteric".

I don't think I have heard the word "batin", or "kebatinan" used in relation to a tangguh classification, but I guess some people might be able to relate wanda to an effect upon their inner self.

In respect of the value of wanda & pawakan, well, assessment of pawakan can play a role in determination of the tangguh classification of a keris, and thus of its monetary value.

In respect of wanda, this can impact upon the personal value to an individual that the keris might have for the specific individual. Thus pawakan is something that can be perceived by everybody, wanda is specific the individual.

Now I will issue the same caution that was issued to me:- do not think for one moment that you can understand pawakan or wanda where it relates to keris until you have a very high level of keris knowledge and you understand how a keris should look and feel. This will take years of study & experience. You cannot learn something like this in five minutes.

19th January 2023, 11:54 AM	#22
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Pawakan is usually used to refer to a man, it is his outward appearance, for example if a man stoops a little too much and bows his head, he looks humble, if he stands too straight he looks awkward, so with keris, what we are looking for is an overall appearance of harmony, the overall form of a keris should create a harmonious impression. Wanda (wondo) is the personality of the keris, the feeling that we might get from the keris; just as a man might create an entirely different feeling in different people, so the wanda of the keris can create a different feeling in different people. Pawakan:- outward appearance, we want to see a harmonious appearance Wanda :- personality, the feeling generated by the keris, and this feeling can be different in different people. Wanda is NOT an indicator used in keris classification, pawakan is. In Basa Jawa, batin refers to one's inner feelings, the core of self; kebatinan is the inner self, it is a synonym of spiritualism and mysticism. Example:- Empu Suparman's house was diagonally opposite a mesjid, the call to prayer from this mesjid was often unreasonably loud, some would say that although it was situated in Kampung Komplang, Solo, that call to prayer could be heard in Jakarta. When it would start up, Empu Suparman's constant complaint was that it "--- menganggu kebatinan saya---" in English, it disturbed his inner self. In Bahasa Indonesia it has wider applications, related, but some marginally different, I believe it probably came into BI from Malay, as BI originates from a dialect of Malay that is spoken in Southern Sumatera. However, it would, I believe, have come into both BJ & Malay from Arabic, where I think the original meaning was "hidden" or "esoteric". I don't think I have heard the word "batin", or "kebatinan" used in relation to a tangguh classification, but I guess some people might be able to relate wanda to an effect upon their inner self. In respect of the value of wanda & pawakan, well, assessment of pawakan can play a role in determination of the tangguh classification of a keris, and thus of its monetary value. In respect of wanda, this can impact upon the personal value to an individual that the keris might have for the specific individual. Thus pawakan is something that can be perceived by everybody, wanda is specific the individual. Now I will issue the same caution that was issued to me:- do not think for one moment that you can understand pawakan or wanda where it relates to keris until you have a very high level of keris knowledge and you understand how a keris should look and feel. This will take years of study & experience. You cannot learn something like this in five minutes.