To wear versus to hide

Neo · 20th April 2011, 02:19 PM

OK, I will begin by admitting that we are going to discuss the belief in the power of kerises. However, I would like to keep the discussion as academic as possible, leaning toward the historic-anthropological perspectives about the Javanese culture.

I believe that in the beginning, kerises are meant to be worn as part of the owner's attire in order for its supposed power to work - charm, protection, prosperity, etc. Despite the lack of historical manuscripts about this from the Majapahit era and earlier, I am taking the liberty of making this deduction as some keris designs are definitely not combative - some have elaborate carvings that will definitely break in high-impact situations. I am supposing that these kerises are made for talismanic or amulet purposes.

Then these days I read books about the practice by many members of the Javanese society to keep their kerises in kendaga boxes, away from the visible areas of their houses. The more powerful they perceive the power of the keris is, the more they will tend to keep their keris hidden. "Dipingit supaya wingit", "hide it so it would become more powerful".

The two above beliefs appear to be contradictory, so I suppose one must be earlier and the other must be later. My guess is, "dipingit supaya wingit" must have come later. People wore kerises everyday in the past and it is logical to think that kerises were made with the intention of physically accompanying their owners in their everyday lives so that way kerises' spiritual properties would be active. It is harder for me to imagine that a Majapahit man would store his keris in some nicely carved box in the hidden part of his house, showing the keris only to the closest of friends and relatives, and yet at the same time expect the magical properties of the kerises to accompany him wherever he goes.

Opinions please ... honestly, I prefer to believe that my keris' power will be with me even though I keep it hidden in that old cabinet in my attic .. that way I don't have to get arrested for carrying it to my workplace

20th April 2011, 02:19 PM	#1
Neo Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 59	To wear versus to hide OK, I will begin by admitting that we are going to discuss the belief in the power of kerises. However, I would like to keep the discussion as academic as possible, leaning toward the historic-anthropological perspectives about the Javanese culture. I believe that in the beginning, kerises are meant to be worn as part of the owner's attire in order for its supposed power to work - charm, protection, prosperity, etc. Despite the lack of historical manuscripts about this from the Majapahit era and earlier, I am taking the liberty of making this deduction as some keris designs are definitely not combative - some have elaborate carvings that will definitely break in high-impact situations. I am supposing that these kerises are made for talismanic or amulet purposes. Then these days I read books about the practice by many members of the Javanese society to keep their kerises in kendaga boxes, away from the visible areas of their houses. The more powerful they perceive the power of the keris is, the more they will tend to keep their keris hidden. "Dipingit supaya wingit", "hide it so it would become more powerful". The two above beliefs appear to be contradictory, so I suppose one must be earlier and the other must be later. My guess is, "dipingit supaya wingit" must have come later. People wore kerises everyday in the past and it is logical to think that kerises were made with the intention of physically accompanying their owners in their everyday lives so that way kerises' spiritual properties would be active. It is harder for me to imagine that a Majapahit man would store his keris in some nicely carved box in the hidden part of his house, showing the keris only to the closest of friends and relatives, and yet at the same time expect the magical properties of the kerises to accompany him wherever he goes. Opinions please ... honestly, I prefer to believe that my keris' power will be with me even though I keep it hidden in that old cabinet in my attic .. that way I don't have to get arrested for carrying it to my workplace