Keris from Garut with Quranic inscriptions

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

But the hilt and description is of interest to me. This "veiled Durga" thing has been a stone in my shoe for a long time. It is to the best of my knowledge a totally westernised appellation.


Importantly, what does this hilt form represent?

WOW. Thank you for the insight into the etymology of this hilt! My post isn't exactly cogent to where Mr. Maisey is taking his argument. It is just a little back story as I've been thinking on this style of hilt for a while, off and on for a year. The carvings I have always found invoke a emotional response that is as vague and powerful as the images themselves.

I have not gotten into the Javanese interpretations of Durga yet, only the synopsis of the source material the Javanese used. My main source so far has been Rao's Hindu Iconography. Using that I have not found a clear match of which incarnations are in David's pictures from post #4. The first seems reminiscent of Mahakali with tusks, eight arms, and the head dress. To me it seems most probable the statues are Katyayani? The buffalo is certainly Mahishasura. I am not sure what the small figure on the right would represent in two of the statues. I am attaching a bit of back ground information to this post. I believe this information is from a Shivistic point of view and to me seems more appropriate for a conversation on Javanese thought. The book was published in 1914 so I believe it is public domain. Sorry for the p. 350 being turned.

[Interested Party]

A bit more background. Hopefully this will show how multi faceted the subject is in main line Hindu thought. Sorry the image turned again when uploaded.

[A. G. Maisey]

You will probably think much longer on this hilt style, IP. It has been in my thoughts since I first encountered it, and I really forget how long ago that is.

In fact, I am not taking any argument anywhere, I am only laying out a few ideas for consideration, currently I do not wish to push any firm ideas on this hilt style, except for one:- my personal belief is that every idea I have so far encountered in respect of this hilt style is wrong. I am not yet ready to push a replacement idea.

In the study of things related to pre-Islamic Jawa, and to Bali, an understanding of mainline Hindu beliefs is useful, but as with most belief systems, there are a number of ways for the beliefs to be understood. Mainline Hindu belief has four major belief systems and I don't know how many sects.

Gopinatha Rao's "Iconography" was re-published sometime in the 1990's, it was originally four volumes, in the republication those four volumes were republished in two volumes. I've had it for about 20 years, I had been aware of it long before i bought it, but had never seen a complete copy. When I got it I set out to read it cover to cover. I failed. I dive into from time to time, but in all honesty I do not find it to be of much use.

There are a number of variations in all the Hindu stories and beliefs, and since my principal interest is Jawa-Bali, I have needed to concentrate on that. Although we speak of Jawa-Hindu, and Bali-Hindu, there is variation between these belief systems and mainline Hindu. Jawa-Hindu was a synthesis of Hindu + Buddhist + plus indigenous Javanese belief. Bali-Hindu is indigenous Balinese belief + Hindu-Buddhist belief imported from Jawa + Hindu belief and Buddhist belief that entered Bali prior to the Javanese influences that came into play. In recent times this syncretic mix has been overlaid with all kinds of external influences, including those which have arisen from the time of formation of the new political entity of "Indonesia". Bali-Hindu is now known as Agama Hindu Dharma.

When we consider Balinese interpretations of Hindu or Buddhist figures we often see interpretations that would not be recognized by a follower of mainline Hindu or Buddhist belief. We find that characteristics get mixed, or misinterpreted, and then we have the indigenous characters, whose characteristics are sometimes mixed with characteristics of Hindu or Buddhist characters.I have come to a place where I am inclined to believe that perhaps the carver of a figure is really the only person who knows exactly who or what he has carved --- the rest of us can only guess.

IP, you might find Dowson's "Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology" to be of interest, it was first published around 1870, and has been through many re-prints since.

Edit

Oh yeah, that little figure the left. I cannot recall having read who or what that might be, but the demon kerbau was only the asura Mahisa in animal form, when the demon buff was killed, Mahisa emerged from its throat. In some sculptures of this type Durga is seen touching the head of the little figure, in Javanese culture this is an extremely insulting thing to do. It might be Mahisa. There are plenty of references on Javanese sculpture, you'll probably find an educated opinion in one of them. I'm only guessing.

[Gustav]

The little figure being the "human" form of Asura Mahisa is common knowledge for some longer time already.

Here two of the more recent papers, handling the Durga/Uma/Rangda/Calon Arang topic, in their entirety:

http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/303

https://www.academia.edu/35754671/We..._Durga_in_Bali

[A. G. Maisey]

Possibly so Gustav, possibly so, but "common knowledge" does not always penetrate the perimeters of separated, or even merging, circles. Still, since there are only three characters in this little story one would hardly need to be particularly bright to guess who the little fellow is standing to Durga's left. I'm pleased that so many people must agree with my guess.

The links you have supplied are a nice addition, I'm sure they could be of use to anybody who wished to expand their knowledge of this matter. Neither of these authors seem to disagree much with my own understanding of these matters, but I do feel that Weiss is perhaps repeating information gathered from a lay source. Many people in Bali will merge Durga, Calon Arang & Rangda into one character, but in my experience this common understanding is not always shared by all people from the higher levels of society.

All these folk stories have a multitude of variation, I sometimes think that every person has his or her own personal version of every story, or more realistically, versions, because depending on an individual's emotional state on any given day, one can hear differing versions of the same story that emphasise either positive or negative aspects. Variation in the story, then leads to variation in understanding, particularly by a person from outside of Balinese society.

[A. G. Maisey]

The third foto of Durga that David has shown us is a statue from Candi Jawi, located in the village of Candi Wates, about 40km from Surabaya in East Jawa.

Candi Jawi was built by Kertanegara, the last ruler of Singasari, who died in 1292. It is mentioned in the Nagarakertagama. Candi Jawi is a Hindu-Buddhist candi, rather than pure Hindu.

This statue of Durga is now in the Mpu Tantular Museum in Surabaya.

From the perspective of keris study, the kadgo in the form of a Keris Buda, or proto-keris, provides guidance as to keris form and method of use at this time.

Here is a foto of the Durga kadgo that I took a few years ago.

[Gustav]

In Balinese Barong play Rangda carries a white cloth, Kekudung, or in high Balinese, Kekereh (spelling according to Fred Eiseman Jr.). By putting it over her face she becomes invisible. Barong also has such a cloth.

Of course Rangda from Barong play has exactly as much to do with Wadon hilt as the real life person Queen Mahendradatta (or more precisely, Gunapriyadharmapatni) with Calon Arang.

But there could be one link, and that is tantric rites indeed. The other case, where a persons face is covered, is the "Giant from Pejeng", Bali, and the Chatuhkaya from the same place. Both depict abstract masks instead of faces, on giants statue the masks fastening with ribbons is clearly discernible. Both pieces depict demonic figures, Bernet Kempers calls the Giant Bhairava (Bhima is also proposed as possibility, he notes there are several Bhimas - the hero from Mahabharata, Bhima as semi-divine figure, redeemer and initiator into certain mystic circles, and Bhima as one of the eight manifestations of Siva, with terrifying appearance - with preference for the last one) and writes "The Giant and his companions seem part of Siva's spiritual ambiance, suggestive of certain mystic rituals which apparently took place in the Pejeng region. ( A rakshasa figure in Pura Pegulingan, Pejeng, carries an inscribed shield. According to K. C. Crucq the characters reveal the rakshasas name: dha(h ma) dasara, "the honorable Boozer")." In his book "Ancient Indonesia Art" he depicts also a Kala head from East Java with a similar feature partly covering the face.

After the conquest of Bali in 1343, according to Nagarakrtagama, supervisors from Java are sent. There are nine Buddhist domains. "Eight are kept by Bajradharas (vajra-bearers), or tantrists. Only one was cared for by "observers of the vinaya (disciplinary regulations)", people apparently following earlier regulations." (Bernet Kempers)

It seems to me, one crucial element of Wadon hilt is, that it itself is an embodiment of idea of transformation. The women's figure (which fits the Indian iconography of a widow with unadorned arms and ancles, more or less exposed more or less hanging breasts) is in a shift between a very realistic depiction and a planar hilt, where sometimes only head and arms, marked as lines, are still discernible.

The figure becomes invisible indeed.