New Member, New Keris

Jean · 3rd December 2013, 05:30 PM

I found this article about "Warangka wulan tumanggal" (Alan was right as usual!) in the Keris magazine vol. 07-08/2007. May be one Indonesian member would be kind enough to summarize the contents for our reference?

Regards

A. G. Maisey · 3rd December 2013, 07:48 PM

Jean, the title is clear, isn't it? With your additions?

The little bit of text says nothing at all that is relevant to the wrongko type, its just a repeat of the fall of Mojo and the rise of Demak. Historical stuff, but having said that, it appears to be framed as popular history, not in the light of the most recent academic opinion.

If you can post copies of the other pages I'll read them and give a summary, but I most sincerely doubt that you will find any revelations therein. Accuracy of information might also be a problem.

Jean · 3rd December 2013, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Jean, the title is clear, isn't it? With your additions?

The little bit of text says nothing at all that is relevant to the wrongko type, its just a repeat of the fall of Mojo and the rise of Demak. Historical stuff, but having said that, it appears to be framed as popular history, not in the light of the most recent academic opinion.

If you can post copies of the other pages I'll read them and give a summary, but I most sincerely doubt that you will find any revelations therein. Accuracy of information might also be a problem.

Thank you Alan, I will scan the other pages and send them to you by Email for copyright reasons.
Regards

David · 3rd December 2013, 08:28 PM

Nice find Jean, if only for another source for the name of this particular sheath form.

A. G. Maisey · 5th December 2013, 08:56 PM

Jean sent me a copy of this article and I've read it, at his request I'm posting here the precis I sent to him.

" The author is of the opinion that the WT wrongko form was inspired by the Middle-Eastern symbol of the crescent moon and star, and that this wrongko form arose on the Nth. Coast of Jawa with the blossoming of Islam. Islam used as one of its methods of penetration the penetration of Javanese keris culture.

He points out that the form also exists in the Malay Peninsula and can be found until today, so he asks the question:- " did the WT form originate in Jawa or in Malay Pen.?"
The answer to this questions is:- "from the assumption that keris culture began in Jawa, thus all things associated with keris culture also come from Jawa"

This generates the question of how it got from Jawa to Malaya.

Answer:- a fleet of ships put together on the Nth. Coast of Jawa set out with the intention to destroy the Portuguese in Malacca, however, Sultan Trenggono wanted the Portuguese to destroy this fleet, because by doing so it would weaken his competitors in Jawa. The fleet never made it to Malacca, but beached on the east coast, the ships were burnt, and the crews settled in the area and became farmers, married locally and never returned to Jawa, but traces of Javanese culture remained, including the form of the WT wrongko. The area where they settled they named Trengganu in memory of Sultan Trenggono. You can disregard spelling variation, if it sounds right it is right, Javanese is a non-standard language.

In summary:- the writer theorises that the WT form arose in Jawa with the rise of Islam, and was taken from Jawa to the Malay Pen. By a group of ship-wrecked warriors. The form was inspired by the Middle Eastern symbol of the crescent moon and star.

It’s a theory of origin, and may well have a grain of truth in it, but the writer produces no evidence nor logical argument to support his theory. There is lots of popular history in the article but how much is fact and how much is myth or legend is open to question."

Jean · 6th December 2013, 08:53 AM

Thank you Alan and this theory makes sense for explaining the presence of similar wrongkos "dua hari bulan" in Malaysia and East Sumatra (Riau).

Regards

Uwik · 9th January 2014, 09:03 AM

If I may be allowed to offer an opinion on the meaning of Wulan Tumanggal, it would be as follows:

Wulan tumanggal = gêlaring baris awangun satêngah buwêngan (ora têmu-gêlang)

Essentially, it means that it's a line with circular shape and neither of its ends connect. (Doesn't form a bracelet)

A crescent moon is a Wulan Tumanggal shape. In this context, that Warangka shape would fall into this category as well.

3rd December 2013, 05:30 PM	#1
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	I found this article about "Warangka wulan tumanggal" (Alan was right as usual!) in the Keris magazine vol. 07-08/2007. May be one Indonesian member would be kind enough to summarize the contents for our reference? Regards Attached Images

3rd December 2013, 07:48 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,044	Jean, the title is clear, isn't it? With your additions? The little bit of text says nothing at all that is relevant to the wrongko type, its just a repeat of the fall of Mojo and the rise of Demak. Historical stuff, but having said that, it appears to be framed as popular history, not in the light of the most recent academic opinion. If you can post copies of the other pages I'll read them and give a summary, but I most sincerely doubt that you will find any revelations therein. Accuracy of information might also be a problem.

3rd December 2013, 08:28 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,228	Nice find Jean, if only for another source for the name of this particular sheath form.

5th December 2013, 08:56 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,044	Jean sent me a copy of this article and I've read it, at his request I'm posting here the precis I sent to him. " The author is of the opinion that the WT wrongko form was inspired by the Middle-Eastern symbol of the crescent moon and star, and that this wrongko form arose on the Nth. Coast of Jawa with the blossoming of Islam. Islam used as one of its methods of penetration the penetration of Javanese keris culture. He points out that the form also exists in the Malay Peninsula and can be found until today, so he asks the question:- " did the WT form originate in Jawa or in Malay Pen.?" The answer to this questions is:- "from the assumption that keris culture began in Jawa, thus all things associated with keris culture also come from Jawa" This generates the question of how it got from Jawa to Malaya. Answer:- a fleet of ships put together on the Nth. Coast of Jawa set out with the intention to destroy the Portuguese in Malacca, however, Sultan Trenggono wanted the Portuguese to destroy this fleet, because by doing so it would weaken his competitors in Jawa. The fleet never made it to Malacca, but beached on the east coast, the ships were burnt, and the crews settled in the area and became farmers, married locally and never returned to Jawa, but traces of Javanese culture remained, including the form of the WT wrongko. The area where they settled they named Trengganu in memory of Sultan Trenggono. You can disregard spelling variation, if it sounds right it is right, Javanese is a non-standard language. In summary:- the writer theorises that the WT form arose in Jawa with the rise of Islam, and was taken from Jawa to the Malay Pen. By a group of ship-wrecked warriors. The form was inspired by the Middle Eastern symbol of the crescent moon and star. It’s a theory of origin, and may well have a grain of truth in it, but the writer produces no evidence nor logical argument to support his theory. There is lots of popular history in the article but how much is fact and how much is myth or legend is open to question."

6th December 2013, 08:53 AM	#6
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	Thank you Alan and this theory makes sense for explaining the presence of similar wrongkos "dua hari bulan" in Malaysia and East Sumatra (Riau). Regards

9th January 2014, 09:03 AM	#7
Uwik Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Indonesia Posts: 1	If I may be allowed to offer an opinion on the meaning of Wulan Tumanggal, it would be as follows: Wulan tumanggal = gêlaring baris awangun satêngah buwêngan (ora têmu-gêlang) Essentially, it means that it's a line with circular shape and neither of its ends connect. (Doesn't form a bracelet) A crescent moon is a Wulan Tumanggal shape. In this context, that Warangka shape would fall into this category as well.