[Sajen]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Yes, once we get into rural parts of Madura it is common to see people, mostly farmers & other rural workers, walking around with an arit or celurit dangling from their hand --- just the same as Javanese farmers do. The handles of those arits & celurits are usually just plain, unadorned wood, no brass studs, no coloured twine binding. Sometimes they stick them into their belt at the back. The tool type arits come in various sizes & can be used for light garden trimming to splitting firewood.

Hello Alan,

Yes, I know that still today farmers walk around with a celurit in hand or on their belt at the back. And yes, the handles are just plain wood, different from the look like the examples shown here.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

During the troubles that were taking place in the mid-1960's, the Madurese in both Madura itself & in other parts of East Jawa were well known to line up the people whom they wish to rid themselves of and cut their throats from behind with a celurit. Here is a good outline of what was happening then:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indone...965%E2%80%9366

I've read and heard a lot about these troubles, scary story.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Generally speaking, in the areas of East Jawa where there is a high proportion of Madurese people living, the Javanese & other ethnic groups tend to do their best to stay well clear of Madurese, they have a reputation for quick tempers & immediate & brutal response to perceived disrespect.

During the 1980's & 1990's I visited Sumenep & several other parts of Madura quite frequently, personally, I found Madurese people to be very hospitable, and I remember thinking back then that they were very similar to rural Australians in respect of their behaviour & values. I was quite comfortable with them, they acted & spoke in a very straightforward manner. The very best coffee I have ever tasted was served to me by a Madurese gentleman who lived in Sumenep.

At the time when I was freshly married with my wife the family was living in a perumahan in Sidoarjo, a city not far from Surabaja. When we visited the family I was in contact with an older gentleman from Madura living in Surabaja from whom I bought a lot of good keris which are partly still in my collection, a tough negotiating partner but a very nice person, later, when the family stayed a while on Bali and I had a room on Bali he visited me there and offered me his stuff.
And yes, Madurese people are feared by other population groups because of the behavior you described. And like you I only have very positive experiences with them.

Best regards,
Detlef