Keris malela in Bujangga Manik

jagabuwana · 4th March 2023, 03:43 AM

Bujangga Manik is an Old Sundanese palm leaf manuscript about a prince who becomes a travelling ascetic, leaving behind his life at the court of Pakuan Pajajaran.

It is likely that the manuscript was written before the arrival of the Portuguese and, therefore, before the spread of Islam. It may be the oldest surviving piece of literature from this time, place, and language.

For those interested in the culture and history of the Sundanese people, this manuscript offers a valuable glimpse into one of the roles that the keris may have played among the Sunda elites - as a prestigious gift. In the story Princess Ajang Larang sends him a package of the finest gifts as part of her marriage proposal, including a keris malela [1]

According to Alex West (2021), the term "malela" in this context refers to wootz steel from India, rather than the more common interpretation of "plain steel" used today to describe some pamorless kerises [2].

The manuscript mentions the keris only as part of Ajang Larang's gifts, and always specifically as a "keris malela." This suggests that the keris malela may have been especially fine, superior, or rare compared to other kerises.

So what, Jaga?

Some questions arise from this interpretation.

For example, do we agree with West's view that "malela" refers to Indian wootz?

Have you seen, or can you share images of any old keris that have wootz or crucible steel as part of its construction?

Aside from the questions, I hope this is valuable to anyone interested in the keris, particularly in a pre-Islamic or Sundanese context.

Footnotes

[1] see Alex West's PhD thesis for the full text in transliterated Old Sundanese and his own English translation - pages 117-119 https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3163618

[2] ibid

4th March 2023, 03:43 AM	#1
jagabuwana Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 281	Keris malela in Bujangga Manik Bujangga Manik is an Old Sundanese palm leaf manuscript about a prince who becomes a travelling ascetic, leaving behind his life at the court of Pakuan Pajajaran. It is likely that the manuscript was written before the arrival of the Portuguese and, therefore, before the spread of Islam. It may be the oldest surviving piece of literature from this time, place, and language. For those interested in the culture and history of the Sundanese people, this manuscript offers a valuable glimpse into one of the roles that the keris may have played among the Sunda elites - as a prestigious gift. In the story Princess Ajang Larang sends him a package of the finest gifts as part of her marriage proposal, including a keris malela [1] According to Alex West (2021), the term "malela" in this context refers to wootz steel from India, rather than the more common interpretation of "plain steel" used today to describe some pamorless kerises [2]. The manuscript mentions the keris only as part of Ajang Larang's gifts, and always specifically as a "keris malela." This suggests that the keris malela may have been especially fine, superior, or rare compared to other kerises. So what, Jaga? Some questions arise from this interpretation. For example, do we agree with West's view that "malela" refers to Indian wootz? Have you seen, or can you share images of any old keris that have wootz or crucible steel as part of its construction? Aside from the questions, I hope this is valuable to anyone interested in the keris, particularly in a pre-Islamic or Sundanese context. Footnotes [1] see Alex West's PhD thesis for the full text in transliterated Old Sundanese and his own English translation - pages 117-119 https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3163618 [2] ibid