Keris Sedhotan

[ganjawulung]

Dear All,

Is there anyone of you can explain to us about "keris sedhotan"? Is it related to a certain spiritual aspect? A certain rite to empower kerises? Or maybe just "fake spiritual" rite?

Ganjawulung

[David]

Ganja, can you explain a bit more of what it is for those who don't know?

[ganjawulung]

Dear David,

I didn't have experience on this. But what I heard, keris sedhotan is a keris that can be obtained in a certain place, by certain people. Some people believed, that such kerises have certain power... That's what I know...

Ganjawulung

[Pangeran Datu]

AswrWb

Hi all,

Ganjawulung, I'm not to sure if this is what you meant:

Using the more generic term 'Pusaka Sedhotan':

This is a process whereby a pusaka is plucked, seemingly, out of the ground, from inside a tree, from thin air, or indeed, even from inside a rock/boulder.
I have never actually witnessed any of this. Also, the term sedhotan may mean 'by sucking/suction' or 'result of sucking/suction', in the context of: 'sucking something out of something else'.
Please allow me to relate the following story:

I was once travelling from Bandung (West Java) to Jakarta with my son and a life-long friend (NOT my wife). I convinced him to go via Puncak, which, while taking longer, is always more invigorating to the soul.
Along the way, he started talking about his penca (Sunda martial art) master, who lived in the area. Apparently, the master was old-school: a healer as well as a martial artist. My friend also mentioned that he had once witnessed an event whereby the master had caused kerises (plural) to materialise out of thin air. Being skeptical, I greeted this with a polite response. However, a question sprang up in my mind: How can my well-educated, well-seasoned and well-travelled friend, who doesn't entertain supernatural/paranormal ideas, believe this?
Anyway, we decided to pay the master a courtesy visit.
While there, he spoke with my son (who is a skeptic first, a believer last) about 'kebatinan'/inner-self. At one stage, the master went into a room and came out with a bottle of liquid and asked us to follow him outside.
Once outside, he picked up a piece of metal that was on the ground and poured some of the liquid on it. The metal smoked and changed colour and corroded.
The master then handed the bottle to my son, rolled up his shirt-sleeve and asked my son to pour some anywhere on that arm, which he did accordingly, after much assurance. Nothing happened to his arm. He then asked my son to focus his mind and pour some on his own palm. After MUCH reassurance that the master would not let anything bad happen, my son did so. Nothing happened to his hand. He was then told to pour some of the bottle on any other piece of metal he could find on the ground, to make sure the solution was still potent. Thich he did. The metal hissed and bubbled and corroded.

Trickery?
Should I also believe that this penca master is also a sedhotan master? Not without seeing it. Even though it means that I find what my trusted friend said hard to believe.
All this occurred long before I ever even heard of the term:'Pusaka Sedhotan'.

Anyway, thanks for putting up with my drivel.

Cheers.

WsWrWb

[BluErf]

Not to say that such "supernatural" (or something that is just not understood) acts definitely do not exist, but my rational mind thought about water and Sodium metal.

In its pure state, Sodium is a soft metal. When in contact with water, it would burn and react violently (with hissing and corrosion) to form Sodium hydroxide. I wonder if the ground could have been seeded with Sodium metal or some other similar metal

I have also heard about the case where a bomoh would tell his troubled client that he would need to look in a certain place for a certain keris which would rid him of his troubles. And when the client looked, sure enough, there was a keris buried in the vicinity.

But I'd like to see these things for myself someday.

[PenangsangII]

Blu & Pangeran,

IMHO, the pencak master & the bomoh exploits can be categorized as either trickery or black magic (sihir / istidraj), or both. I would stay away from them if I were you.

Another thing, if a keris can simply be obtained thru suction / sedhotan, then I fear one day, empus, pandai keris, keris craftsmen will be out of job

[Newsteel]

Keris Sedhotan (or sedutan, tarikan),
This is having some ritual to obtain keris or pusaka from the mentioned (by Pangeran). Most people got tricked by this claimed although little were true cases.

A "good smart" bomoh or individual can keep the keris or pusaka in the mentioned places which acts like a "deposit box". He would then call or announced to some group of enthusiast people about the ritual event and showing some proof of examples. During the ritual, that individual would just opened-up the "deposit box" and collect what he has kept. He later sold that at a certain price or dowry.

Though there are some true event, where one knew at certain places kept or buried good old keris or pusaka. He would then seek help from "good knowledgeble" person to scan and obtained it.

[Alam Shah]

Whatever it is... keris is made by humans and for humans... period.

I've seen a picture of an example of what Newsteel had mentioned.
When looking at the blade of such 'extraction'... it seems new... probably Maduran-made. These pieces is, probably imbued by someone whom is well-versed in the mystic arts. A 'clever way' of ridding some of these hard-to-sell... 'tourist-class' blades.

There are true cases, but these are rare and far between.

[David]

As i have mentioned in the past, being very good friends with a couple of the world's best stage magicians definitely keeps me a bit skeptical of such displays. Seeing is not always believing. Kai Wee's sodium explanation is just one example of how this could have been done to fool Pangeran and his friend.
Still, i do not completely dismiss that such things could occur. I also would not completely dismiss the "master" who i might catch at such trickery. A great deal of working magick effectively is the "show". Magick most often works through our states of mind and it is remarkable what the mind can manifest into reality through belief. Many wise "masters" therefore use trickery to put people into an accepting state of mind that will allow the "real" magick to occur. This is certainly not always the reasoning and unfortunately much trickery is merely used to seperate a "poor sucker" from their money.
In trying to reach judgement about such cases i alway ask myself, how much money is involved and just who stands to gain. I generally feel more secure about spiritual experiences which are not bought with money.

[ganjawulung]

Dear All,

Thank you, for your useful information on this "confusing" matters for me. Such case often seen in Jakarta, or in Central Java, East Java. And even, broadcated in television. The image of keris in Indonesia, always related to the magical happenings, or witchcraft... Thank you Pangeran Datu, BluErf, PenangsangII, Newsteel, Alamshah and David for your explanations.

Pangeran Datu:
Your story remind me to many shows in Indonesian television on "Debus" in Banten. Maybe it is not trickery, but I don't know exactly why this can happen. Many Banten "jawara" -- usually they are pencak masters -- who has such kind of "magic devine power". Even they slice their hands but unhurt, in front of television camera...

BluErf:
I am thinking of this trick too (about Pangeran's story on the penca master). Really a tricky show, maybe...

PenangsangII:
Yes, the empus and keris makers will be out of job, if this "sedhotan keris" is not trickery...

Newsteel:
I am suspicious too, and thinking about the "deposite box" possibility. Oneday, my friend brought me a stained and muddy keris. He said, that this keris is a "sedhotan keris" obtained by an "orang pintar" (I don't know the English word). But what I know is, that the muddy keris is really pretty sure a Madurese 20th century or even 21th century keris. With the quality of, say it -- tourist keris, or souvenir keris.

David:
This trickery brings a negative image of keris in Indonesia. Keris always related with trickery craftmanship. And the exposure of such things in television is too much, usually via the "sinetron" (cinema in television), or certain misleading "mystical" program in Indonesian television...

Ganjawulung

[HanaChu69]

Hi all,

I’m clueless on “sedutan” rituals but lately was invited (last minute) by someone from the other forum to witness this. Alas, I could not attend due to time constraint. There are true cases and also gimmicks by profit making individuals. I feel it’s all depending on the charges incurred. If the dowry (asam garam) of the keris is only a few cents worth, I find that it’s most probably genuine. What worry me are the terms and conditions in keeping the keris. I will not want to be involved in the ritual but as a bystander to witness the procedure.

Truthfully,
Hana