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Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
Quite frankly, some of --- no, most of --- the dhapur names leave me totally mystified. I feel that it is sometimes a case of something being relevant or understood at some point in the past, but being in the realm of complete nonsense now.
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On the oral tradition. People in the past in Java usually get lesson -- moral lesson, for instance -- from oral tradition. Not from books. But from "tembang" (javanese recited poetry). This tradition is so strong, and some of old people they could memorize each word of the tembang. Including names of kerises. Do you thing these names of keris mentioned in tembang -- for instance -- also are complete nonsense?
GANJAWULUNG