[Kulino]

Hi Alan,

With the metal varieties I mean the descriptions as recorded in the Pakem Pusaka, duwung,sabet, tumbak. As described by R.Ng Ronggowarsito, put in roman/latin writing by R.Ng. Hartokretarto in 1925. Chapter 1, dumugi and chapter 2 Rupinipun tosan ingkang awon sarta ingkang sae. It describes 44 types of iron like tosan malela, tosan padma, tosan wulung, tosan sembodja, etc. with scent, colour, glow, layers, skin and sometimes sound. It also describes the effects of these metals on the owner.

My Yogja teacher gave me this advice years after my Solo teacher passed away. They haven't met in person. My Solo teacher left Indonesia in the sixties. He was very much of a rebel, loyal to the Dutch. Concerned that the knowledge from his photographic memory would be lost he urged me and my co-students to write down the answers to our questions and more. He went back only once to find others had taken hold of his house(s) and its content. He adopted me in his family. I enjoyed his teachings and warm company during weekends and vacations for more than 14 years. He once said to me: "Now you know and can't ever pretend you did not know'. These words weigh heavy on my shoulders. Only now I begin the understand the scope his teachings. Only now the pieces of puzzle start coming together more and more.

The cult of keris which is here now, was not there at that time. At risk of sounding patronising, general public should not be give open access to all information. If people really want to know, answers will be given. Only when questions are asked. Not the full extent of all possible information because this needs to filled with understanding, maybe even in a different cultural context.
Understanding keris is different from collecting or trading. To me it means knowing wayang, lakons, stones, herbs, colours, mustika etc and their coherence.

Knowledge is connected to responsibility. To protect the content but also the potential users.
I'm sure my Solo teacher would have agreed to this. This was the line in him educating me. It was respect shown by my Yogja teacher towards my Solo teacher. But I believe this principle is not different than you described in your message?

In my opinion pamor signs are not isolated phenomena. It is a manifestation of a part of a reality. The pamor descriptions I have are more detailed, less grouped. They are like an alphabet. They can be grouped differently, generating different meaning, depending on the context. Drawing them, grasping them, grinds understanding, creating interpretation. It's almost like Chinese characters. No one knows them all, you have to study them to understand. In combination with each other, they create context which needs to be interpreted. With keris the context has to be completed with the dapur, metal hulu, dress and the present custodian/fellow traveller. Without that context the keris has no purpose, is just a wonderful ethnographic object.
I guess it is the same with you understanding dapur and more. It took effort, time to sink in. It is useless to share.

Again, I’m afraid this is far beyond which is allowed in this section of Keris. Please excuse me for trespassing.