Tiger and the keris - do they connect?

[kai]

Hello Jussi,

No, not that bewildering.

A tiger is certainly strong and may be dangerous to man but in SE Asia the elephant is generally considered to be the "king of the jungle" - one of the reasons to utilize ivory with ethnographic pieces (i. e. power transfer).

OTOH, the keris blade is associated with mythical "snakes" assuming the position of a god: Naga, snake deities from the Hindu pantheon. If your blade already embodies a mythical beast, there's certainly less impetus to bother with less divine animals, I guess...

Best wishes,
Kai

[PenangsangII]

I believe lion and dragon motifs on keris derive from the Chinese philosophy, but with local vedic flavors

[Jussi M.]

Originally Posted by PenangsangII

I believe lion and dragon motifs on keris derive from the Chinese philosophy, but with local vedic flavors

Chinese?

[David]

Originally Posted by Jussi M.

Chinese?

It is fairly well established that the Chinese had early contact and trading with various parts of what is now Indonesia. Whether or not that contact influenced keris motifs is another question.
I have not seen too many dragons used in keris motifs. I think it would be a mistake to assume that the symbol of the naga is the same as the symbol of a dragon.