Interpretation of the Pre-Islamic Javanese Keris

[A. G. Maisey]

In the late 1970's I wrote the draft of an article on keris symbolism. At that time I understood very little about keris, and after reflection I decided not to publish this article.

In 1982 in Bali I met and spoke with a Brahmin of advanced age. I gained some quite startling insights from this conversation and I wrote the draft of another article, which once again I decided not to publish.

From the early 1980's onwards I wrote a lot of drafts, and published a few articles, but I did not publish anything that touched on the things that I considered to be really important.

In September 2011 I wrote the first draft of an article in which I have attempted to bring together knowledge and ideas that I have gathered over the last 30 years or so. This article has now been published in the Journal of the Antique Arms Collectors Society of Australia.

I have produced an on-line version which can be read here:-


http://kerisattosanaji.com/INTERPRETATIONPAGE1.html


I would request anybody who wishes to read this article to read the Preface very carefully before diving headlong into the actual article.

Hard copies of the Journal in which this article has been published are available, and anybody who wishes to obtain one should contact me for details.