The basics of keris understanding?

[kai]

Hello Jussi,

What is unifying to all cores Mr Maisey mentioned is the fact that they can all be traced back to the design of the keris. - why is the keris like it is? This question can then be addressed from various, differently weighted, points of view depending on who is the person making the observation and for which reasons.

It has already been stated that many questions regarding the keris can't be answered without intimate knowledge of the cultural environment at the very time of its production; some of this knowledge won't be accessible short of marrying into the correct family. Considering the hundreds of Muslim sultanates, Hindu kingdoms, and other local tribes all over Southeast Asia and the vast period of keris production, it seems save to assume that the very core of cultural information has either been lost or won't be accessible anytime soon. Of course, this is especially pertinent to most of the "Why?" questions...

While I try to gather an understanding of the cultures involved (including their respective keris traditions), my main approach to studying keris is more like that of an alien from outer space (which I actually am throughout the Southeast Asian archipelago!): By focusing on the information which can be gleaned from the blade (or scabbard, etc.), I'm trying to follow the evolution of the keris through time and space. Thus, I'm concentrating to compare keris with their ancestors or offspring (from the same culture) as well as keris from closely related cultures (from the same period).

Regards,
Kai