The basics of keris understanding?

Jussi M. · 18th November 2011, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean

The title of this thread is "The basics of keris understanding". IMO this is a quite ambitious project considering the lack of reliable historical records and many legends and myths about the subject.

True. Yet a lot can be accomplished. For example one does not need to transport himself magically onto centuries afar to gain some understanding of the mechanics involved in the actual making process of a keris nor needs one to become a 1700 Javanese to gain some understanding of the importance and the many roles that the keris had in times past, how it evolved and continues to evolve even today.

Learning about history, culture, sociology etc can be enlightening as all this information - because this is how we learn - becomes more or less intentionally contrasted to where you are now, what kind of values you have, how you operate in the world and what are the drivers that motivate and give meaning to you. Thus any honest attempt to understand something a bit better regardless the field taken leads to a bit better understanding of yourself. If this vessel is the keris why should one not take it

Besides what is understanding anyways?

As a personal remark not aimed at anyone in particular, does it really matter where you´ll reach if you enjoy the journey?

Thanks,

J.

David · 18th November 2011, 04:05 PM

For me personally it is absolutely essential to spend a good deal of time attempting to understand the culture which the keris emerges from if one is to understand anything about the keris. Of course it is a difficult task and i do not feel that i have been at all fully successful in my studies, but the keris is meaningless in a vacuum as anything beyond a curious art object. What's problematic is that we must try to understand that Indonesia is a multi-cultural society so understanding varies from place to place and era to era. What's more, even in a single location such as Jawa the understanding and attitudes of the keris has changed over the centuries and through those changes a mingling of traditions has occurred. Kejawen or Kebatinan traditions, for instance, have assimilated outside influences over the years, adding bits and pieces of Islamic and Hindu thought to it's practice. Changes in keris understanding undoubtably took place as the Mojophahit kingdom was supplanted by an Islamic empire. In fact, with every shift of power i am sure came certain changes in the understanding of the keris and it's role in the culture and society.
Frankly, what i am least interested in when it come to keris is the actual mechanical process involved in it's creation. Of course i do seek some basic knowledge on the subject, but i don't see it as a key to understanding. One does need to develop an idea of what constitutes a "good" keris and keep in mind that ultimately the keris is a keraton art that has certain standards of excellence to be held to and various pakems which must be met to qualify for that level of keris art. Though i must admit that i am just as interested and enamored by keris made to meet the needs of the common people. The bottom line for me is similar to what Jussi had to say before about "cadence". Certainly a keris must speak to me if it is to join my family of blades. And i do consider my keris to be my children of sorts. It must, as Jussi puts it, have a kind of "cadence". For me that can just as easily be a village made blade as one from a keraton empu. There are different standards for evaluating both. Some village made keris may not have the technical excellence of form as some keraton keris, but they might appeal to me as art much in the same way that a painting by some Art Naiveté artist such as Rousseau can be seen a masterpiece.
I also do not find the study of keris mythology and legend to be fruitless in the understanding the keris. These myths and legends arise from the culture for reasons and reflect certain attitudes of that culture and it's people. It is important for one to understand that the "truth" in these legends is not as important as understanding that it may be what the people believe even if there is no real fact in them.

A. G. Maisey · 18th November 2011, 08:49 PM

More than ten years ago I wrote a little article entitled "The Keris and the Naga". It was published in an antique arms collector's journal, and it did not attract any attention , nor comment, of note. I think it is pretty much unknown.

However, in that article I did address the problems of attempting to understand the keris, and for anybody trying to come to terms with an understanding of the keris, the ten minutes or so that it will take to read that article could be time well spent.

I will not provide a link to this article, because doing so could infringe Forum rules, however, for anybody with any interest, it is easy enough to find in my site.

The field of keris study is very broad, and because of this there are many ways in which to approach the study of the keris. Study can be approached from a cultural perspective, a technical perspective, the perspective of art, the perspective of history. We can study the keris belief systems that are so beloved of Javanese students of the keris. We can study the way in which collectors of the keris in the Western World (whatever that means) approach the keris.

Lots of ways to go.

I personally doubt that it is possible for anybody to come to a thorough understanding of all aspects of the keris, in all times and all places. Perhaps an attempt at this could finish up producing a George Cameron Stone result:- massive superficial coverage, but no depth of understanding at all. In effect, a storekeeper's primer that will permit reasonably accurate cataloging and filing.

For this reason, my personal belief is that if one is to truly understand the keris in any one of its roles, one needs to identify the area of greatest interest, in respect of geographic area, and area of knowledge, and within a defined time frame, and then to concentrate most of one's attention on that particular area.

In my own case, my specific area of interest is the pre-Islamic keris and its place within Javanese society. But this does not mean I have turned my back on all other aspects of the keris, it simply means that the very limited time I have available for study is directed towards attempts to gain a better understanding of the keris within the time and place I have identified.

18th November 2011, 04:05 PM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,229	For me personally it is absolutely essential to spend a good deal of time attempting to understand the culture which the keris emerges from if one is to understand anything about the keris. Of course it is a difficult task and i do not feel that i have been at all fully successful in my studies, but the keris is meaningless in a vacuum as anything beyond a curious art object. What's problematic is that we must try to understand that Indonesia is a multi-cultural society so understanding varies from place to place and era to era. What's more, even in a single location such as Jawa the understanding and attitudes of the keris has changed over the centuries and through those changes a mingling of traditions has occurred. Kejawen or Kebatinan traditions, for instance, have assimilated outside influences over the years, adding bits and pieces of Islamic and Hindu thought to it's practice. Changes in keris understanding undoubtably took place as the Mojophahit kingdom was supplanted by an Islamic empire. In fact, with every shift of power i am sure came certain changes in the understanding of the keris and it's role in the culture and society. Frankly, what i am least interested in when it come to keris is the actual mechanical process involved in it's creation. Of course i do seek some basic knowledge on the subject, but i don't see it as a key to understanding. One does need to develop an idea of what constitutes a "good" keris and keep in mind that ultimately the keris is a keraton art that has certain standards of excellence to be held to and various pakems which must be met to qualify for that level of keris art. Though i must admit that i am just as interested and enamored by keris made to meet the needs of the common people. The bottom line for me is similar to what Jussi had to say before about "cadence". Certainly a keris must speak to me if it is to join my family of blades. And i do consider my keris to be my children of sorts. It must, as Jussi puts it, have a kind of "cadence". For me that can just as easily be a village made blade as one from a keraton empu. There are different standards for evaluating both. Some village made keris may not have the technical excellence of form as some keraton keris, but they might appeal to me as art much in the same way that a painting by some Art Naiveté artist such as Rousseau can be seen a masterpiece. I also do not find the study of keris mythology and legend to be fruitless in the understanding the keris. These myths and legends arise from the culture for reasons and reflect certain attitudes of that culture and it's people. It is important for one to understand that the "truth" in these legends is not as important as understanding that it may be what the people believe even if there is no real fact in them. Last edited by David; 18th November 2011 at 07:18 PM.

18th November 2011, 08:49 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	More than ten years ago I wrote a little article entitled "The Keris and the Naga". It was published in an antique arms collector's journal, and it did not attract any attention , nor comment, of note. I think it is pretty much unknown. However, in that article I did address the problems of attempting to understand the keris, and for anybody trying to come to terms with an understanding of the keris, the ten minutes or so that it will take to read that article could be time well spent. I will not provide a link to this article, because doing so could infringe Forum rules, however, for anybody with any interest, it is easy enough to find in my site. The field of keris study is very broad, and because of this there are many ways in which to approach the study of the keris. Study can be approached from a cultural perspective, a technical perspective, the perspective of art, the perspective of history. We can study the keris belief systems that are so beloved of Javanese students of the keris. We can study the way in which collectors of the keris in the Western World (whatever that means) approach the keris. Lots of ways to go. I personally doubt that it is possible for anybody to come to a thorough understanding of all aspects of the keris, in all times and all places. Perhaps an attempt at this could finish up producing a George Cameron Stone result:- massive superficial coverage, but no depth of understanding at all. In effect, a storekeeper's primer that will permit reasonably accurate cataloging and filing. For this reason, my personal belief is that if one is to truly understand the keris in any one of its roles, one needs to identify the area of greatest interest, in respect of geographic area, and area of knowledge, and within a defined time frame, and then to concentrate most of one's attention on that particular area. In my own case, my specific area of interest is the pre-Islamic keris and its place within Javanese society. But this does not mean I have turned my back on all other aspects of the keris, it simply means that the very limited time I have available for study is directed towards attempts to gain a better understanding of the keris within the time and place I have identified.