Tiger and the keris - do they connect?

kai · 26th November 2008, 12:03 AM

Hello Jussi,

No, not that bewildering.

A tiger is certainly strong and may be dangerous to man but in SE Asia the elephant is generally considered to be the "king of the jungle" - one of the reasons to utilize ivory with ethnographic pieces (i. e. power transfer).

OTOH, the keris blade is associated with mythical "snakes" assuming the position of a god: Naga, snake deities from the Hindu pantheon. If your blade already embodies a mythical beast, there's certainly less impetus to bother with less divine animals, I guess...

Best wishes,
Kai

26th November 2008, 12:03 AM	#6
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Jussi, No, not that bewildering. A tiger is certainly strong and may be dangerous to man but in SE Asia the elephant is generally considered to be the "king of the jungle" - one of the reasons to utilize ivory with ethnographic pieces (i. e. power transfer). OTOH, the keris blade is associated with mythical "snakes" assuming the position of a god: Naga, snake deities from the Hindu pantheon. If your blade already embodies a mythical beast, there's certainly less impetus to bother with less divine animals, I guess... Best wishes, Kai