Pakem and Keris

Rick · 26th April 2009, 09:11 PM

Thanks Mick .

A. G. Maisey · 26th April 2009, 11:06 PM

Depends what we want to think of as "Old Jawa", Rick.

The pakems of which I know are all pretty recent productions, by which I mean all produced within the last couple of hundred years at the extreme outside.

I believe that in the Old Jawa of , say, prior to the Java War, the names and attributes of the various dhapurs would have been part of the special knowledge of highly placed empus.

Perhaps the bureaucracy of the kratons only became involved after the keris became elevated to court art, and many of its traditions had already been forgotten.

There is a degree of variation between the pakems of which I know, and this is only to be expected, bearing in mind the environment that has produced these pakems.

For many of the older dhapur, we can find reference to the empu who made that dhapur, and under which ruler he worked.

For more recent dhapur, this information is lacking.

However, when we think of "information" we must consider the concept of information in a Javanese way, and what this means is that the information presented as fact, is actually a concensus of opinion that has morphed into myth ---or maybe the other way round.In any case, it is Javanese fact, not necessarily fact as some of us may consider fact to be.

However, having said that, yes, if we make a particular dhapur, then we must make it exactly according to the required ricikan for that dhapur, and we need to follow an identified pakem in determination of the required ricikan.

Rick · 26th April 2009, 11:46 PM

Thanks Alan,
At what point in time did the keris become court art ?

A. G. Maisey · 27th April 2009, 02:02 AM

I do not know Rick. But I can guess.

We know that during the Kartasura period there was a resurgence of Javanese national pride, we also know that by the early 19th century the keris in Jawa had become not much more than an item of dress. During the 19th century and through into the early 20th century Javanese pride was taking a beating from the extremes of Dutch administration.

In an attempt to regain some national pride it seems that Javanese attention became more focussed on those things over which the Javanese themselves had control, and in which the Dutch overlords could not interfere, or perhaps did not want to interfere.

Thus "Javaneseness" found itself being expressed in those things that were for the most part outside the understanding of the foriegners.

Those things that prior to the Javanese War had only a touch of mysticism associated with them were elevated to a mystic stature that was out of reach of the foriegners, even though a couple of hundred years earlier, the superstition and belief in magic that was harboured by the Dutch at that time very probably contributed to the Javanese attitude to mysticism and superstition.

By the 19th century the Dutch had moved forward from their 17th century beliefs and superstitions, but the social conditions in Jawa had seen an intensification of these beliefs amongst the Javanese, in part, as a balance to the oppression of the Dutch.

So, by the mid 19th century the keris in Jawa was well and truly a magical object, as Europeans understood magic, whereas previously it had been a power object as that was understood within the framework of traditional Javanese society.

We can find examples of what we now refer to as "keris art" in keris that date to the 17th century , and prior to this, however, I doubt that at that time we were looking at an art form , but rather at art being used to ornament an object that still had a number of practical uses.

My own feeling is that the keris was elevated to a defined art form in the courts of Jawa as a part of that response of the Javanese rulers to Dutch overlordship. To put that within a time-frame, perhaps mid-19th century forward. It certainly was in full blossom by the PBX era---roughly 1890 to 1940.

Bear in mind, this is opinion only.

Rick · 27th April 2009, 02:49 AM

Thanks Alan, sometimes all we have to go by is opinion .

David · 27th April 2009, 07:24 PM

Thanks for you opinion on this subject Alan. As Rick points out sometimes opinions are the best we have to go on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

So, by the mid 19th century the keris in Jawa was well and truly a magical object, as Europeans understood magic, whereas previously it had been a power object as that was understood within the framework of traditional Javanese society.

Could you go into this difference a bit further Alan. I think it might be helpful to more definitively establish what we mean by "magical object" vs. "power object".

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

We can find examples of what we now refer to as "keris art" in keris that date to the 17th century , and prior to this, however, I doubt that at that time we were looking at an art form , but rather at art being used to ornament an object that still had a number of practical uses.

So practical purposes would be, of course, as a physical weapon and on a royal level as a way to hold, assign and distribute power. Can we extend this list further?

A. G. Maisey · 28th April 2009, 04:35 AM

By "power object" I mean something that is related to a power, or a level of power, within a unit of human organization, thus something which symbolizes, represents or indicates a phenomenon external to the object itself.

By "magical object" I mean something that is believed to be related to occurrences that are not easy to explain by conventional reasoning, thus something which contains within itself the ability to cause or contribute to phenomenon in either a direct or an indirect way.

The primary practical purpose of a keris in the Jawa of 14th to 17th centuries appears to have been as the symbol of the masculine; there are repeated references to this in old inscriptions and literature. To extend the list past this we need to consider time and place. In my original post I was thinking in terms of Mataram and Majapahit, but to produce a comprehensive accounting of all the possible purposes and functions of the keris we need to extend the time frame from its first appearance up until the present day.

The door is open:- who wishes to enter?

Jussi M. · 28th April 2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

The door is open:- who wishes to enter?

I am game.

Jussi M. · 29th April 2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

By "power object" I mean something that is related to a power, or a level of power, within a unit of human organization, thus something which symbolizes, represents or indicates a phenomenon external to the object itself.

Mr. Maisey - above you are referring to the keris as an object that bears or symbolizes powers which are external to the keris itself. As I have understood it the keris is mostly a personal item, yet you are referring it also as a "totem" item tied to a group of people or an organization that unites them.

Could you please tell what kinds of powers in your opinion can the Javanese keris symbolize or represent and what roles does it bear when looked upon from this perspective either from the viewpoint of the man in possession of the keris or the society in which he lives in? You may choose the period of time in which your answer is based upon freely.

Thanks,

J.

26th April 2009, 09:11 PM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Thanks Mick .

26th April 2009, 11:06 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,046	Depends what we want to think of as "Old Jawa", Rick. The pakems of which I know are all pretty recent productions, by which I mean all produced within the last couple of hundred years at the extreme outside. I believe that in the Old Jawa of , say, prior to the Java War, the names and attributes of the various dhapurs would have been part of the special knowledge of highly placed empus. Perhaps the bureaucracy of the kratons only became involved after the keris became elevated to court art, and many of its traditions had already been forgotten. There is a degree of variation between the pakems of which I know, and this is only to be expected, bearing in mind the environment that has produced these pakems. For many of the older dhapur, we can find reference to the empu who made that dhapur, and under which ruler he worked. For more recent dhapur, this information is lacking. However, when we think of "information" we must consider the concept of information in a Javanese way, and what this means is that the information presented as fact, is actually a concensus of opinion that has morphed into myth ---or maybe the other way round.In any case, it is Javanese fact, not necessarily fact as some of us may consider fact to be. However, having said that, yes, if we make a particular dhapur, then we must make it exactly according to the required ricikan for that dhapur, and we need to follow an identified pakem in determination of the required ricikan.

26th April 2009, 11:46 PM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Thanks Alan, At what point in time did the keris become court art ?

27th April 2009, 02:02 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,046	I do not know Rick. But I can guess. We know that during the Kartasura period there was a resurgence of Javanese national pride, we also know that by the early 19th century the keris in Jawa had become not much more than an item of dress. During the 19th century and through into the early 20th century Javanese pride was taking a beating from the extremes of Dutch administration. In an attempt to regain some national pride it seems that Javanese attention became more focussed on those things over which the Javanese themselves had control, and in which the Dutch overlords could not interfere, or perhaps did not want to interfere. Thus "Javaneseness" found itself being expressed in those things that were for the most part outside the understanding of the foriegners. Those things that prior to the Javanese War had only a touch of mysticism associated with them were elevated to a mystic stature that was out of reach of the foriegners, even though a couple of hundred years earlier, the superstition and belief in magic that was harboured by the Dutch at that time very probably contributed to the Javanese attitude to mysticism and superstition. By the 19th century the Dutch had moved forward from their 17th century beliefs and superstitions, but the social conditions in Jawa had seen an intensification of these beliefs amongst the Javanese, in part, as a balance to the oppression of the Dutch. So, by the mid 19th century the keris in Jawa was well and truly a magical object, as Europeans understood magic, whereas previously it had been a power object as that was understood within the framework of traditional Javanese society. We can find examples of what we now refer to as "keris art" in keris that date to the 17th century , and prior to this, however, I doubt that at that time we were looking at an art form , but rather at art being used to ornament an object that still had a number of practical uses. My own feeling is that the keris was elevated to a defined art form in the courts of Jawa as a part of that response of the Javanese rulers to Dutch overlordship. To put that within a time-frame, perhaps mid-19th century forward. It certainly was in full blossom by the PBX era---roughly 1890 to 1940. Bear in mind, this is opinion only.

27th April 2009, 02:49 AM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Thanks Alan, sometimes all we have to go by is opinion .

28th April 2009, 04:35 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,046	By "power object" I mean something that is related to a power, or a level of power, within a unit of human organization, thus something which symbolizes, represents or indicates a phenomenon external to the object itself. By "magical object" I mean something that is believed to be related to occurrences that are not easy to explain by conventional reasoning, thus something which contains within itself the ability to cause or contribute to phenomenon in either a direct or an indirect way. The primary practical purpose of a keris in the Jawa of 14th to 17th centuries appears to have been as the symbol of the masculine; there are repeated references to this in old inscriptions and literature. To extend the list past this we need to consider time and place. In my original post I was thinking in terms of Mataram and Majapahit, but to produce a comprehensive accounting of all the possible purposes and functions of the keris we need to extend the time frame from its first appearance up until the present day. The door is open:- who wishes to enter?