H4ow to count Luk???

[A. G. Maisey]

Again I must apologise to you Rasdan, I'm not very clear on exactly what you are asking here, but I'll answer what I think you are asking.

If we are talking about the number of luk in a Javanese keris blade there is only one way to determine that number, and that way bears no relationship to actuality:- it is part of a system of belief.

This being so, it is impossible for me to answer in terms of actual luk, only in terms of perceived luk.

In any system of belief we do not deviate from the conventions that are acknowledged as correct within that system.

Keris classifiable as Pengging are not like other Javanese blades in a number of ways, they are recognised as being quite peculiar in a number of respects. Why this is so I simply do not know.

The time and place where a keris was manufactured does result in it having certain identifiable characteristics, and this is also often true of keris made by different makers.

Whether luk are counted by the way I proposed as being used in early Jawa, or whether they are counted by the way that is used now, the only difference is that the number of luk will vary by two.

My proposition is dependent upon a hierarchical societal structure that cannot exist within Islam.