[A. G. Maisey]

Kulino, you may address me as Alan.

You have raised a number questions with your most recent post, and I will interpolate my responses.

Thank you for your elaborate answer. I'm not sure how my education in keris compares to your knowledge. One of my teachers descended from the kraton Solo, my other teacher is related to the kraton Yogja. I believe them both to be honest and truthful.

All people are honest and all people are truthful, however, honesty and truthfulness has different levels, thus honesty and truthfulness towards one person is not necessarily the same as honesty and truthfulness towards another person.
Then, in Jawa there is the ingrained cultural reflex that absolutely militates against the concept of gratuitous truth. In simple terms gratuitous truth is never welcome.
The natural result of this is that in a situation where one has a relationship with another person that permits the exchange of information in a form that is as accurate as the informant is prepared to indulge in, that accurate information will only come in response to a question that demonstrates that the person asking the question is ready to receive the accurate answer.

I would refer to inside the kraton as to the place where the Isi of the kraton is kept, guarded.

So in fact you were talking about the Royal Pusakas.
Yes, agreed, these can be regarded as objects to which access is severely limited.
However, it would be very wise to investigate the nature of the Royal pusakas of Surakarta, a good place to start might be Ricklefs: "The Missing Pusakas of Kartasura". Then of course we have the concept of 'mutrani'.

There are levels of knowledge and levels of permitted understanding.


Outside would be the face that is shown to the outside world.
However, I wonder if this is still a topic which should be discussed on this forum. I would be happier to exchange ideas in a different way.


For my part I have never put anything into this Forum nor into any other publicly accessible place that is unfit for general knowledge, nor will I.


Because of your response I will try to give words to my ideas.
I hope you agree with me that Javanese are very private persons. Sharing feelings, inner thoughts doesn' t come easy to them.

This depends totally upon the relationship, and upon the nature of the people involved. But yes, as a general rule it is correct behaviour to act in a restrained manner in public and with those judged to be on a different emotional level. As above, "gratuitous truth is unwelcome", and this means all gratuitous truth. The behaviour pattern is probably the result of the extremely hierarchical society.

As I was taught keris reflect large parts of this inner world, their personal inner world (if not all). Showing core pusaka and thus revealing your inner core during public cleaning ceremonies, would therefore impossible, not done.

The concept of public cleaning ceremonies never occurred to me. This is simply not done. If it occurs it is for the people who are still children. One does not parade one's personal possessions for all the world to see, and this applies most especially with one's keris, as the keris in fact represents the man who has custody of it.


Fear of contamination, stealing Isi, giving insight in the inner core, a no go area.. I was told, the keris used during these ceremonies were copies. The real pusaka would stay inside, out of sight, guarded by the keepers.

Any such ceremony, should it occur in Central Jawa could be regarded as sandiwara, something to amuse yg belum dewasa.


Again, this story sounds very plausible to me. Apart from my two sources, I cannot verify this story. Saying it is true would reveal a plausible strategy, but also a scam. Denying it would support the current status: pure on the inside, stained/weak on the outside. This idea could be supported by the way the keris sajen looks. Nothing cosmetic, pure. The seals showing an intimate connection to Paku Buana.
To me, it is enough to relate to the keris who are in my house.



What one truly believes is reality for he who truly believes it.
Nowhere is this more true than in Jawa, and within Javanese society, nowhere does this maxim apply more accurately than to keris related ideas.


Not paying homage to keris does not mean, not caring or not looking after. They are family. One could consider this as a different perspective.
To me, it differs from keris to keris, depending on its function.

"what one truly believes ---"

Do you have any comment on the dapur?

No, not really. I cannot give it an accurate name, it does not look like Jawa Tengah, but more like North Coast. In Solo I think most people would probably give it as campur bawur luk tujuh, but strictly speaking it cannot be campur bawur. Light gonjo, long point, North Coast or Madura Sepuh maybe.