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[A. G. Maisey]

Not quite so David, Balinese keris can come in various lengths and various scabbard sizes, & when it is worn at the back, it is called "nyungklit", when worn at the waist it is "nyelet", when worn in front and slightly tilted it is called "nyote", when in hand and in defensive mode it is called "mukur".

When the culture police are patrolling during certain holy days, they invariably wear the keris as "nyote", ie, waist level, slightly tilted with the hilt towards the right hand.

When somebody is dressed for a formal occasion, they will usually wear the keris behind the shoulder when they are dressed in sarung, but if dressed with a jacket they normally carry the keris in their hand, &when it becomes necessary to have both hands free, they usually stick it into the setagen (waist sash) as a sort of cross between nyelet & nyungklit.

I have a few old --- in one case very old --- Balinese keris that are in smaller dress that would be quite impossible to wear at the back with the hilt rising behind the shoulder.

But putting all that to one side, yes, it is completely possible for a short keris to be dressed in a sarung that will permit it to be worn as nyungklit.

[David]

Thanks for the clarification Alan. I have never encountered Balinese keris is these shorter sarungs that you mention so they are outside my knowledge. But as you point out, smaller keris are somtimes housed in longer sarungs so that they can permit it to be worn as nyungklit. This was the point i was trying to get across to Hugh,
Do you have access to any old photographs that show Balinese wearing keris in either "nyelet" or "nyote" positions. I would love to see this. Thanks!

[A. G. Maisey]

Probably not David, I don't take much notice of these old photos, many, if not most of them were posed. I do have a couple of old keris that are quite short, & I have a few photos of the Culture Police.