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22nd June 2007, 03:13 AM
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#1 | |
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Posts: 91
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Khadam and Sakti
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One thing when talking about the 'inside' of a keris, we must avoid being anachronistic, by, for example, speaking of khadam in keris made by mPu before the spread of Islam in Jawa. Khadam is a concept from islamic tradition and is much younger than keris culture. According to islamic traditions, khadam -jinn slaves- can reside in anything the owner puts them in. From Aladien's lamp to a bottle. If one studies some of the available mantras used by mPus it seems that the original idea is that the magickal power of the keris is the result of 1) The mPu's concentration and 2) the materials used in the keris. In the case of the materials, iron and steel were in Jawa untill recently, prized metals (Lombard's theory that keris are small because the iron and steel was scarce) and the belief was that within the metals, there is sakti. Offerings to sakti objects also change through time. In Dutch times, often an offering would require opium. Now you can only get fake opium (you can't get a high from it) in traditional flower sellers in Solo / Yogya, and the sakti / spirits don't use it anymore. Alcohol was also a popular offering to sakti / spirits, and after 'Tanam Paksa' (Cultuurstelsel?) Western plantation products like coffee and tea and tobacco also became popular with the spirits. My conclusion is that spirits / sakti, if they are to be offered anything at all, should be considered as guests or friends (if they are friendly) and offered whatever you have at hand. There are the traditional incenses and perfumes and flower compositions that are common, like kembang telon, kembang setaman, macan kerah and so on which are artistic and interesting to look at and interesting to think about, but a friendly spirit should not be offended if offered what ever the host has even be it a Dunkin donat. But if an islamic culture khadam resides in a Hindu / animist blade, his/her presence might overshadow or change the type of sakti originally in the blade through the metal composition and the mPu's meditation. Better sing 'Singgah, singgah kala singgah pan suminggah durga kala sumingkir ...." Warm salaams to all, Bram. |
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22nd June 2007, 12:56 PM
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#2 |
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Keris forum moderator
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[QUOTE=Kiai Carita] Better sing 'Singgah, singgah kala singgah pan suminggah durga kala sumingkir ...." QUOTE]
Bram, would you mind translating this passage? Is this a well know song and is there more to it? Your point about the changing of offerrings over time is interesting and well taken. 
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22nd June 2007, 01:52 PM
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#3 |
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 199
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to "some people", spiritual aspect of keris is the most important and sacred.
in the modern business methodology, there is a maxim "first think first" back to "some people", instead of "first think first", they follow other maxim "most consider last" hundred aspects of keris, but to summarize it, three consecutive aspects of keris are technical, aestethical and spiritual aspects. usually, they will examine a keris from spiritual aspect after they consider that keris has passed the examination based on aesthetical standards. normally, a beautiful keris has excellent technical aspects. but, if any one wants to consider "spiritual aspect" first then other later, it is up to them since there is no single rule must be followed. if I am not mistaken, the image of heirlooms of Yogyakarta Sultanate can be seen in a certain book ( I forget the title, perhaps "Yogyakarta Heritage"). There are images of Kiai Joko Piturun, Kiai Kopek [?], Kiai Toyotinaban, etc. imho, even those kerises have been defeated by nature (corrotion), I still can see that its aesthetical dan technical aspects are excellent. (even, as Alan said, actually it is not sufficient to give a comment on those kerises just from pictures without touching directly..... who am I?  btw, if there is an opportunity to touch them... it is the honour, pray for me Alan, someday I will ever grasp it once or twice)into the image in this thread, I just blindly guess, an unordinary keris kolobendu owned by Ganjawulung has excellent in both technical and aesthetical aspects. so... perhaps we can continue to ask Gonjo to elaborate the last aspect
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22nd June 2007, 06:52 PM
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#4 | |
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Location: J a k a r t a
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Quote:
Anything related to this aspect is very, very personal... Or talk about it personally... Ganjawulung |
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22nd June 2007, 07:33 PM
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#5 | |
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Quote:
dear Gonjo, Yes, I can understand if it is very personal matter for you. Sorry for asking it publicly. please, forget all about that question. Usman |
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22nd June 2007, 08:33 PM
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#6 |
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Keris forum moderator
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Bram, thank you so much for the additional translation. It seems to be a powerful chant. I wish i could hear the song sung for greater understanding. Doyou know of any recordings of it?
Thanks also for your other translations. 
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22nd June 2007, 08:58 PM
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#7 | |
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Quote:
What I mean with "personal", is about experiencing "the spiritual aspect" of keris or kerises you have. I don't have hard feeling with your question, Raden... The first "lesson" for me in the past was "buying spiritual things" from kerises. And what happened is, I bought kerises with so much mythology in them. And blindly believed that my keris such and such has the power of this and this. And my another keris is made by that "hebat" (excellent) empu, and not Aeng Tong Tong one... And so on.. Yes, every keris lover usually has "spiritual experience" on kerises. But usually it is more useful to me, and maybe not for other people. Everyone, has different experience. I don't even want to differ, whether this keris is a "tourist keris" or a "spiritual keris". Actually, keris is a personal thing. What is not personal, is "non-spiritual" aspect. I knew a very good "dalang" (puppet leather player?), Ki Timbul Hadiprayitno from Yogyakarta. He showed me someday in his house, his very favorite keris. "Spiritual keris" for him, that gave him "strength" when he plays the puppets in front of the people for the whole night long... And it was really "a tourist keris" quality, and I believe was made in Madura, if you regard the "naga" relief. Is it the only keris he has? Of course not. He has even much much better kerises. But still, he always wear that "tourist keris" while he "ndalang" (playing puppets in front of public). He just told me, that the keris was given by a very ordinary man, a very simple man in one evening. And Ki Timbul always wear this "tourist keris" quality of Nagasasra everytime he plays the puppet. And not wearing the better kerises he has. Why? Just ask Mr Timbul in Bantul, Yogyakarta.. Ganjawulung |
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23rd June 2007, 02:48 PM
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#8 | |
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Keris forum moderator
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22nd June 2007, 02:52 PM
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#9 | ||
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Member
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Location: Singapore
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Translation...
Quote:
Court Music - Pangkur Gedhong Kuning Singgah singgah kala singgah Pan suminggah durga kala sumingkir Singa sirah singa suku Singa tan kasad mata Sinnga tenggak singa wulu singa bahu Kabeh padha sumingkira Mring telenging jalanidhi Translation: Move, move, evil spirits, move away, The prayer to move evils away. One resides in the head, one in the legs, The invisible one, One resides in the neck, one in body hair, one in the arms. All must move away, To the centre of the ocean.   ... sung poetry...
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22nd June 2007, 03:47 PM
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#10 |
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Keris forum moderator
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Thanks Shahrial, that is very beautiful (and at times perhaps useful
).
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22nd June 2007, 05:02 PM
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#11 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 91
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Quote:
Singgah singgah Kala singgah! Pan suminggah Durga Kala sumingkir! Singa sirah, singa suku Singa tan kasat mata Singa tenggak singa wulu singa bau Kabeh pada sumingkira Baliya mring asal neki! Go away! Go away! Evil spirits go away! Go away! Destruction and Time go away! Evil in my head, evil in my limbs Evil that the eyes can't see Evil in my throat evil in my hairs and in my energy Go away I command you Go back to where you came from! The melody of this poem is very powerfull and sung properly immediately cleans an atmosphere - when sung, it is cross-cultural and relates to spirits universally. I have experienced many times the power of this song too, and my translation fits into the melody perfectly. Warm salaams Bram. |
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22nd June 2007, 07:28 PM
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#12 | |
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Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 199
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Quote:
Durga Kala = names of mother and son? Durga = Devi Durga ? Kala = Bethara/Bathara Kala (her son)? Mring telenging jalanidhi(?) or Baliya mring asal neki!(?) or Mring telenging bawono(?) I would like to know the "final" translation this rapal here in this thread. Then I would like to ask a friend to translate into french (or into west african local language "wolof") or anyone of you can translate into french directly. I will use it for cultural sharing. Beg your permission, all kerislovers I am so happy there is someone uploading about this. regards, Usman |
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23rd June 2007, 04:46 AM
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#13 | |
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 91
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Oral Traditions Differ
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I learnt this poem years ago when I was 'nyantrik' in Bengkel Teater Rendra, and we were taught this song by a dancer from the Yogya kraton, mBak Lakshmi Simanjuntak (she was married to a Batak man). Rendra then used it in his "Selamatan Anak Cucu Sulaiman", or "Ritual of Solomons Children" - this showed in New York in the late 1980's, so David, there must be a recording from the New York shows somewhere. I use it as a closing for my English wayang kulit shows when in the UK. It is powerfull, no doubt about that. I think the differences of the end words are not too relevant, but, Baliya mring asal neki, to me is more powerfull : Go back to where you came from, rather than the middle of the sea or the centre of the earth. When sung in english, the Om at the end of from also adds weight just like the Hindu chant Om. To translate it into any languange I would recomend the translator learn to sing it first - so you get a resemblance to the guru lagu (melody teacher) and guru wilangan (rhythm teacher) of the original. I was taught that this was composed by Kanjeng Sunan Kalijaga, so in kerisology it is a tangguh Demak song. You can see in the words that it is Islam pushing out Hinduism. Durga and Kala, are Batari Durga and Batara Kala, that is why I translate it to Destruction and Time. In the UK the Hindu community might be offended if they hear a song attacking Durga. Warm salaams, Bram. Last edited by Kiai Carita; 23rd June 2007 at 05:23 AM. |
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23rd June 2007, 11:18 AM
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#14 |
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Member
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Location: Singapore
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Dear Kiai Carita... your translation to English do justice to the chant. I'm sorry that my translation is under-par and in some ways mis-leading.
 The way you extract the meanings from religion is impeccable. I thank you for the proper translation. However, when religion is applied... I'm think it would offend many religions. The essence is still Javanese Hindu with Javanese Islam influence, imho. 
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Hybrid Mode
