What is the relationship between a keris and its hilt in the ancient culture?

[Neo]

Yes, Javanese kerises. Does the Dutch museum have pictures online? Will appreciate the URLs. Thanks!!

[Neo]

Thanks, Penangsang II. By the way, are raksashas and deities always the theme for Hindu-JAVANESE kerises from sepuh era? Weren't there floral or simpler, non-figure designs similar to Balinese bebondolan or Javanese Yudawinatan in the past?

[David]

Neo, you can look at some old collections here, but they don't show everything and the collecting dates only seem to go back as far as 1700 or so.
http://collectie.tropenmuseum.nl/nBa...=&culturenode=

[A. G. Maisey]

Neo, you have specified a particular period in your question, and for this period it is probable that no answer can be given that could be supported.

The history of the keris extends over a period greater than 1000 years.

Even if we limit our enquiries to early Jawa/Bali a number of possible answers can apply.

For instance, in the Sang Hyang Siksakandang Karesian manuscript from 16th century Sunda weapons are categorised according to whether one is a noble, a farmer, or a priest. Only the nobles had kerises, and the dewa that applied to a nobles weapon was a raksasa, because these weapons were used to kill; a farmers weapons dewa was Detya because the farmer provided sustenance; a priests weapons dewa was Danawa.

At other times and in other places the relationship between the hilt and the blade can differ.

When we consider a later period, and we look at , say, Ganesha as a hilt figure, that does not mean that Ganesha is actually in the hilt, nor in the blade. In Bali-Hindu thought a figure of a dewa is only a recepticle for the dewa to occupy if the dewa is called and chooses to come. In fact, the place for the dewa to occupy need not necessarily be in the form of the dewa, the form given is only to help the human mind concentrate on that entity. When the mind is sufficiently advanced, no figure nor point of reference is required.

My earlier post indicating a protective function is probably accurate, but only in one context.

Many possibilities, very few certainties.

[Neo]

David: Thanks!!! I enjoy looking at the collections.

Mr. Maisey: That's pretty much the answer I needed, thanks. The reason behind my question is because I have some kerises that are likely to be from sepuh era - one probably from Jenggala and another from Majapahit. The warangka and hilts on these items are either mediocre or worn down, and I would like to make new ones someday.

My personal preference is to make a new set of warangka and hilt that are as close as possible to the norms of the era from which the blades were made.

From your answer, I suppose there are not much grammar and syntax I can strictly adhere to in choosing the right style. Perhaps someday I could just post the pictures of my blade here and have other forumites suggest some suitable themes

[tunggulametung]

Originally Posted by Neo

...The reason behind my question is because I have some kerises that are likely to be from sepuh era - one probably from Jenggala and another from Majapahit.....

Hello Neo, if I understand correctly, you have the reason to believe that your keris are coming from Jenggala and Majapahit, that is to say estimated 11-12 and 13-16 century keris. If I may learn from you, what indicate this please?

[Neo]

Gustav:That excerpt from Margaret Wiener is really helpful. Thanks. As for the Jasper and Mas Pirngadie, could you kindly translate that part into English? I only managed to guess about 20% of the meaning from the similarity of the sounds

TunggulAmetung:
Oops, I am a newbie so I dare not say you would learn from me, plus being a newbie means I am prone to making mistakes. I haven't got time to take picture of the kerises, so this is all I can say. There is one that I'm not sure if it was a Majapahit or a Mataram, (from my skill level, it is hard to tell the difference). The dealer who sold it to me said the iron grains look more like Majapahit because it has longer and more visible grains. As for the Jenggala one, I am very likely to be wrong as well. The gandik looks like "bemo", almost like a Segaluh, but the greneng part was very short and simple.

Someday I will post the images. Till then, thanks for your interest

[Gustav]

Regarding the term dewa, M.Covarrubias writes in "Island of Bali":

"When a Balinese speaks of his gods, collectively called dewas, he does not mean the great divinities of Hinduism, but refers to an endless variety of protective spirits - sanghyang, pitara, kawitan, all of whom are in some way connected with the idea of ancestry. The rather vague term dewa includes not only the immediate ancestors worshipped in the family temple, or the nameless forefathers, founders of his community, to whom the village temples are dedicated, but also certain Hindu characters of his liking whom he has adopted into the Balinese race and has come to regard also as his ancestors. Rama, for instance, the hero of the Ramayana, is Wisnu reincarnated into a brave prince who came to earth to save the world. In a later crisis the god oncemore took human form and came to Bali to put things in order (as Gadja Mada, according to Friederich), becoming the ancestor of the present Balinese."

Jasper and Mas Pirngadie about balinese hilts (page 230):

"De gouden en ivoren krisheften van de vier hierboven aangegeven vormen (togogan, gerantim, kocet-kocetan and djaglir) mochten vroeger alleen gedragen worden door de menschen, die tot de triwangsa (een der 3 kasten) behoorden. Tegenwoordig stoort men zich niet meer aan dat gebruik en ziet men gouden krisheften ook door rijke Soedra's dragen.

Dezen mochten vroeger alleen houten krisheften dragen, die er ongeveer uitzien als de eenvoudigste Javaansche krisheften, maar dikker en korter zijn. Zij heeten bebondollan (gewone form) of tjekahan (met symmetrisch horizontaal ingesneden gleuven). Soms hebben zij de form van een ietwat gebogen cylinder, die, om het vasthouden te vergemakkelijken, met een dikken idjoek-draad omwonden wordt."

And Margaret Wiener (page 68):

"It is the blade that bears a keris's name and personality, that is the receptable for the spiritual forces inhabiting the weapon. In fact, since hilts are detachable, in precolonial Bali different hilts might be worn by a blade on different occasions, for example, at audiences or in battle. But if not the source of keris's potency, both sheath and hilt may enchance its capacities and value. Indeed, both hilts (danganan or ulu, "head") and sheaths (sarung) of keris belonging to rulers were frequently embellished in ways that imaged or added to the qualities of the blade to which they ordinarily belonged.

Many royal keris, for example, had golden statuettes for hilts, in the form of such figures as the god Kala or raksasa (ogres). According to the Kidung Pamancangah (Berg 1929), the hilts of three of Klungkung's most famous regalia were in the shape of the god Bayu, god of wind and breath, or more generally force or energy. This was, of course, extremely relevant to the way these objects served as instruments of power, for as Ida Bagus Jagri noted bayu is what enables a person to achieve his goals.

The navels (center of the life force) and sometimes foreheads (location of the invisible "third eye" that sees what is niskala) of these statuettes were set with mirah, precious and semiprecious translucent stones cut into cabochons, as was a golden ring set just below the hilt. In a particulary fine keris these stones would be carefully chosen for their abilities to supplement the powers of the blade itself (such gems also adorn the bawa, or crowns, Brahmana priests wear to perform major rituals, and they are worn in rings by people of all ranks). Diamonds, for example, are "poison" and so counteract the poison of an enemy."

I suppose, a hilt incarnate a certain spiritual aspect, which the person wearing it needs, and a very important aspect for people from ruling families was the demonic aspect, demonic power. The most keris from oldest european collections, which in most cases also are high-end keris, have raksasa hilts.