The meaning of the tikel alis

A. G. Maisey · 14th December 2022, 08:12 AM

In Javanese the word "alis" means "eyebrow(s)".

The word "tikel" has a number of meanings depending upon context.

However when these two words are combined into "tikel alis" this becomes a standard phrase that has the meaning of frowning until the eyebrows meet.

At least that is the way I have understood it for some time, and when I asked a native speaker she was unable to explain it clearly, only demonstrate, so she frowned, looked very fierce, and her eyebrows met.

That is the meaning of the phrase, and like just about everything in keris terminology it is a euphemism.

If we look at keris design, it would seem that the tikel alis is cut into the base of the blade to direct blood flowing along the kruwingan away from the hand.

The kruwingan morphs into the gulo milir (flowing sugar) as it enters the sorsoran, the tikel alis provides an exit from the blade for blood flowing down the kruwingan and along the gulo milir.

The purpose of a fuller in a blade is twofold, it lightens a blade and at the same time can provide a wider blade at the same weight than would be the case of a blade without a fuller.

The idea that the fuller(s) in a blade are blood grooves is a myth. A persistent myth. Fullers have absolutely nothing to do with assisting in the withdrawal of a blade from a wound, fullers are present as an element of blade design that makes the blade lighter.

Where a keris blade has fullers present, these fullers are known as "kruwingan".

The sogokan when it is present in a keris blade are not fullers, their presence appears to be purely symbolic. There was a time when I fully endorsed the idea that form followed function in keris blades, but I abandoned that idea years ago as I began to realise that the symbolic elements of the keris began to appear much earlier than I had previously thought.

The principal symbolism of the keris as Meru very probably dates from before Majapahit.

The question remains as to whether or not the tikel alis has a symbolic meaning or intent. I do not know of any symbolic meaning that is associated with the tikel alis, it might well be able to be understood in some symbolic way, but I do not know of this.

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14th December 2022, 08:12 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	In Javanese the word "alis" means "eyebrow(s)". The word "tikel" has a number of meanings depending upon context. However when these two words are combined into "tikel alis" this becomes a standard phrase that has the meaning of frowning until the eyebrows meet. At least that is the way I have understood it for some time, and when I asked a native speaker she was unable to explain it clearly, only demonstrate, so she frowned, looked very fierce, and her eyebrows met. That is the meaning of the phrase, and like just about everything in keris terminology it is a euphemism. If we look at keris design, it would seem that the tikel alis is cut into the base of the blade to direct blood flowing along the kruwingan away from the hand. The kruwingan morphs into the gulo milir (flowing sugar) as it enters the sorsoran, the tikel alis provides an exit from the blade for blood flowing down the kruwingan and along the gulo milir. The purpose of a fuller in a blade is twofold, it lightens a blade and at the same time can provide a wider blade at the same weight than would be the case of a blade without a fuller. The idea that the fuller(s) in a blade are blood grooves is a myth. A persistent myth. Fullers have absolutely nothing to do with assisting in the withdrawal of a blade from a wound, fullers are present as an element of blade design that makes the blade lighter. Where a keris blade has fullers present, these fullers are known as "kruwingan". The sogokan when it is present in a keris blade are not fullers, their presence appears to be purely symbolic. There was a time when I fully endorsed the idea that form followed function in keris blades, but I abandoned that idea years ago as I began to realise that the symbolic elements of the keris began to appear much earlier than I had previously thought. The principal symbolism of the keris as Meru very probably dates from before Majapahit. The question remains as to whether or not the tikel alis has a symbolic meaning or intent. I do not know of any symbolic meaning that is associated with the tikel alis, it might well be able to be understood in some symbolic way, but I do not know of this.