inlander in Java: Keris, Royal Sacred Weapon

Sabtu, 25 Februari 2012

Keris, Royal Sacred Weapon

Keris is a iron artefacts produced by the expert who can make the weapon perfectly. The keris can be owned only by kings, army officer and the makers. The history of keris, begining from metal epoch in Indonesian at 200BC. And then the iron epoch has followed. The originated of keris has come from Java, because Java is the center of iron culture.

The technology of keris has a long history, begin from the functions until the shape of keris. A long time ago, beside keris had used as the weapons and being part of some ritual ceremonies and the religion activities, keris has also as the symbol of social and economy statue. Keris which used by the farmer in use the name of animal like Keris Dapur Kebo Lajer, Keris Dapur Kebo Selurung, Keris Dapur Kebo Teki, and used the Pamor Beras Wutah (the rice that overflowing) known as the prosperity symbol.

In kingdom period, a king have to own the keris as the weapon to legitimete the position or domination as the king or the leader of society. Now, Keris is looked for the collector as the collection or souvenirs. The collectors come from local and the other country like United States, French, etc. Some people is believed, keris was used to smoothen the bussinness, to get the riches, and etc.

The acculturation beetwen strange and local Indonesian culture has also influenced the shape of keris. Like the shape of Keris Gandhik Singobarong, the symbol of lion is the realization from China mythology. The variety of keris, namely keris lurus (straight keris), and keris luk (curves keris). The body of keris is based from the ancient materials, woods carving and variety of woods, and the ornament and jewelry in sor-soran (the under part of keris). There are many kinds of assesories, totally 380 variety of straight keris named and 439 variety of curves keris named. The different is based from the ricikan (the ornament in keris).

The sum of luk blade (many curves) have the apart phylosophy meaning inside. Such as, three curves means the spirit, braveness, and firmness symbol. The five curves means the capability to finished the problem and the capability to persuade and the power symbol. Seven curves symbol of the riched, happiness, and the prosperity, and etc.

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History of the keris, the traditional weapon of Java

Keris is a dagger stabbing weapon class (pointy and sharp on both sides) with many cultural functions are known in the western and central archipelago. The shape is distinctive and easily distinguished from other sharp weapons because it is not symmetrical at the base of the dilated, often tortuous blade, and many of them have the prestige, the strokes on a piece of bright metal blade. In the past Keris serves as a weapon in warfare, as well as complementary offerings objects. In contemporary usage, the keris is more a matter of fashion accessories, has a number of cultural symbols, or a collection of objects is assessed in terms of aesthetics. Use of Keris spread to the community residents are never affected by the Majapahit, such as Java, Madura, Bali, Sumatra, Borneo coast, most of Sulawesi, Malay peninsula, southern Thailand and southern Philippines. Keris Indonesia has been listed on the UNESCO as World Heritage of Man since 2005.