Pakem and Keris

A. G. Maisey · 28th April 2009, 04:35 AM

By "power object" I mean something that is related to a power, or a level of power, within a unit of human organization, thus something which symbolizes, represents or indicates a phenomenon external to the object itself.

By "magical object" I mean something that is believed to be related to occurrences that are not easy to explain by conventional reasoning, thus something which contains within itself the ability to cause or contribute to phenomenon in either a direct or an indirect way.

The primary practical purpose of a keris in the Jawa of 14th to 17th centuries appears to have been as the symbol of the masculine; there are repeated references to this in old inscriptions and literature. To extend the list past this we need to consider time and place. In my original post I was thinking in terms of Mataram and Majapahit, but to produce a comprehensive accounting of all the possible purposes and functions of the keris we need to extend the time frame from its first appearance up until the present day.

The door is open:- who wishes to enter?

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28th April 2009, 04:35 AM	#10
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	By "power object" I mean something that is related to a power, or a level of power, within a unit of human organization, thus something which symbolizes, represents or indicates a phenomenon external to the object itself. By "magical object" I mean something that is believed to be related to occurrences that are not easy to explain by conventional reasoning, thus something which contains within itself the ability to cause or contribute to phenomenon in either a direct or an indirect way. The primary practical purpose of a keris in the Jawa of 14th to 17th centuries appears to have been as the symbol of the masculine; there are repeated references to this in old inscriptions and literature. To extend the list past this we need to consider time and place. In my original post I was thinking in terms of Mataram and Majapahit, but to produce a comprehensive accounting of all the possible purposes and functions of the keris we need to extend the time frame from its first appearance up until the present day. The door is open:- who wishes to enter?