New keris?

David · 31st August 2008, 03:26 PM

Henk and Alan, i can see both your points. I brought a related question up just recently in regards to the proper name of the selut-like part of this Sumatran keris that was being called a mendak in this thread:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6923
Perhaps this part on this Sumatran keris no longer has a name in that culture that anyone can remember, but it certainly isn't a mendak even if we all know what we mean when we say it. Yet no one on that thread seemed to want to explore what it's true name might be. It seems that Javanese terms are the catch-all for all things keris these days. The same terms even get applied to Moro kris at times. I agree with Alan that many times our own languages can provide us with the words needed to describe different parts of the keris, but sometimes our own languages fail us. Also, as students of the keris it is just nice to learn what is "correct" or at least as close to "correct" as we can possible be. I would rather have a few arguable choices for this selut-like part on this Sumatran keris than to call it a mendak.
Oh, and yes Henk, uwer is the Balinese mendak.

31st August 2008, 03:26 PM	#18
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,219	Henk and Alan, i can see both your points. I brought a related question up just recently in regards to the proper name of the selut-like part of this Sumatran keris that was being called a mendak in this thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6923 Perhaps this part on this Sumatran keris no longer has a name in that culture that anyone can remember, but it certainly isn't a mendak even if we all know what we mean when we say it. Yet no one on that thread seemed to want to explore what it's true name might be. It seems that Javanese terms are the catch-all for all things keris these days. The same terms even get applied to Moro kris at times. I agree with Alan that many times our own languages can provide us with the words needed to describe different parts of the keris, but sometimes our own languages fail us. Also, as students of the keris it is just nice to learn what is "correct" or at least as close to "correct" as we can possible be. I would rather have a few arguable choices for this selut-like part on this Sumatran keris than to call it a mendak. Oh, and yes Henk, uwer is the Balinese mendak.