Requesting Help!! Identifying the specifics of a Kris

[Mickey the Finn]

Just a comment about my quote on legitimacy of a dhapur.

Mickey, you probably have quoted me correctly, I have said similar things for years, and still do, but that can only ever apply in the context of an accepted pakem, Surakarta or otherwise.

I usually don't speak or write an explanation of this along with the comment, because I expect the person I am addressing to understand this.

Probably if I know I'm addressing somebody who has not yet come to an understanding of the variability in keris belief & terminology I might give a very brief explanation, but usually I do not consider this necessary --- I don't really like to go on & on repeating the same things.

I know. I think of you, very generally speaking, as a "Surakarta guy". I'm not saying that I think you can always be counted on to be the voice of Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat at this forum.

Some of my more serious problems in life may be taking for granted that (some, not all) other people "know what I mean" and understand "where I'm coming from" when I say something, and assuming that other people have the same perspective as I do. I make ambiguous statements, and I've never entered into a "lets define terms" session before discussing anything with anyone.

At a forum I frequented about 20 years ago, I remember one guy wrote a lengthy post decrying the habit of other members of posting dissertation style rebuttals to posts they disagreed with, and stated his preference for my habit of simply posting "Nah" in response to something I disagreed with.
I don't have time to preface posts with explanations of what I know, believe, and/or assume, and unfortunately, I also don't have time to set forth those things which I wish my reader(s) to know that I understand and/or am aware of, those things which I assume they will understand, how I expect them to take what I say etc.

It has happened again. It's 05:08 and I just don't have much more time to continue this post.

Alan, I've read many of your posts, including many from long before I first started ghosting at this forum. Many of your posts [as well as many of the posts of other people] are way over my head. My understanding of other statements which I believe I comprehend may be completely wrong.
I think I've wasted a whole lot of my time writing this post, but I've sunk too much time into it now to not post it. I ask that you take all of what I've said at face value, ie: nothing more than words on a screen. When I have more time...

Sincerely and Respectfully,
Mickey

[A. G. Maisey]

All clear, all understood Mickey. I think that perhaps what you have written reflects the position of many of us, and possibly humanity in general.

As to me being a Surakarta guy.

Most of the time I have spent in Indonesia has been spent in Surakarta. I have relatives living in Surakarta, I used to have business interests in Surakarta, most of my Indonesian friends come from Surakarta, all except one of my keris teachers were from Surakarta.

With that sort of background I think it is pretty correct to classify me as being orientated towards Surakarta. But you're dead right, I am most certainly not the voice of the Karaton Surakarta. I have not now, nor at any time in the past had any official association with the Karaton Surakarta, and the situation that has prevailed in respect of that kraton since the passing of PBXII fills me with sadness. Currently I would not want to be associated with it.

However, my principal teacher of the keris was absolutely committed to the Karaton Surakarta and it is inevitable that my own standards and attitudes have been influenced by this.

But putting this personal position of mine to one side, any objective examination of the history and politics of Jawa for the last, say, 800 years cannot produce any conclusion other than that the senior branch of the House of Mataram is the Surakarta Branch of that House, and as such must represent the definitive standard of what it means to be Javanese.

And I will leave the final sentence of this post unwritten.

[jagabuwana]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

But putting this personal position of mine to one side, any objective examination of the history and politics of Jawa for the last, say, 800 years cannot produce any conclusion other than that the senior branch of the House of Mataram is the Surakarta Branch of that House, and as such must represent the definitive standard of what it means to be Javanese.

Should there be any representatives of Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta among us, I look forward to dawn rapier duel in the Warung Kopi parking lot.

[A. G. Maisey]

He who fights has already lost.

[Mickey the Finn]

I had been cosidering, while suffering from non-COVID related illness over the past 7 days, about making a post pertaining to D.I. Yogyakarta, Letjen Soedirman and other loosely connected topics, but I'll hold off, perhaps indefinitely.
And thoughts of rapiers at dawn had crossed my mind, as well... But I don't own a single one. The closest thing I have is an Indian-made copy of an AN XIII cuirassier sabre/ pallasch/ call it what you will.
And as I've said before, if it isn't cricket, it's just not cricket, Old Boy. And besides, Robert Mugabe is said to have said "Cricket civilizes people and creates good gentlemen". If this is the case, then surely differences of opinion can be settled in a less sanguinary manner. And I'm neither implying nor denying that any difference of opinion exists.
Surakarta is certainly the senior branch of the House of Mataram. This is a fact which is beyond dispute.
You're a very magnanimous man, Alan Maisey.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
Mickey