visayan kris

[Ian]

chmorshuutz,

You raise a very valid point. The name of an item within its own culture should be respected. By extension, a wavy bladed dagger made in Germany or Japan, for example, could also be labeled a kris if the maker and local consumers think that is a good name for it.

However, there is another way to look at this. (David please add your expertise here too). In the Muslim world of S.E. Asia, especially in Indonesia, the keris/kris has spiritual and mystical significance. It is not always a wavy-bladed knife or sword (it can be straight-bladed also), however it occupies a special place in the culture of its people. Those cultural beliefs should be respected. A keris/kris is not just a wavy-bladed item. Using the term keris/kris for an item that may superficially resemble a keris/kris misses the inherent properties and significance of those items in the originating cultures.