Tiger and the keris - do they connect?
 

Greetings,

I´ve been searching the forum trying to find what kind of relationship does the tiger have with the keris but have not found much, next to nothing. This strikes me odd as one would expect that a such a powerful animal original to the area from where the keris sprang from would of have made it´s way to it?

Please could you advise me what is the relationship of these animals and the keris?

Thanks,

Jussi

probably no connection at all between the keris and the tiger :) Seriously, keris is more associated with snakes or dragon or even garuda, but I never come accross its connection with tiger either....

Thank you.

Isnt that odd? One would expect it. I wonder what are the reasons why?

Thanks,

J

Singa / lions are found on keris.

scorpions are also used as motif and as inlays.

Are they lions?

Are do we just understand them as lions?

Is the scorpion really a scorpion, or is it a reference to something entirely different?

Understanding keris symbolism is perhaps not so simple as understanding just a word, or a picture.

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

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

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.