Keeping a keris for protection

Pusaka · 20th December 2007, 11:52 PM

In Indonesia a household may keep a keris to protect the family. It is said that a keris can warn its owner of danger. The keris is said to rattle, move or make noise.

I guess my question then is do you believe this and have you had any experiences of such things?

David · 21st December 2007, 01:17 AM

I really doubt that this would be a major reason why a household would keep a keris. There are so many other well know reasons. There have indeed been stories of particular keris (or perhaps just a particular keris) which had the ability to warn it's owner of danger by rattling in it's sheath. I can't remember the name of that keris off-hand. Perhaps someone else will. Whether or not i believe this seems unimportant to the larger question. The purpose of keris is not to act as a home alarm system.

pakana · 21st December 2007, 08:09 AM

Hello to all,

Indeed there are many stories associated with keris that warned their owners for dangers not only in Indonesia. I dont think that the keris owners in the past, kept their keris just for their artistic value.They believed that there is something more "inside", and that was their main purpose from the beginning of "ordering" a keris from the mpu.

We, as westerners,have an artistic aproach to the subject(plus, we have the financial ability to collect more than one in our collections).I guess in the past, the Indonesian families couldn't afford to have more than one keris(except kings,royal family..)

Now,about stories, I have a story of a friend of mine, that a thief tried to steal his motorcycle, and he claims that his keris ruttled in its sheath at that time, to warn him.Fortunately for me, he sold the keris to me

george

PenangsangII · 21st December 2007, 09:50 AM

I keep more than a keris at home....and believe you me, though I come from this very same keris culture, I would still regards the keris first & foremost a weapon. If by making keris as a weapon means personal home protection, then I completely agree. In the confined space of my apartment, keris is just perfect

David · 21st December 2007, 03:27 PM

Well, i think both of you are missing my point. When i said that there are so many other reasons for keeping a keris in a household in Indonesian cultures artistic appreciation (as seen by Western collectors) was the furthest from my mind. And Pakana, i am not sure you are correct in your assumption that families could only afford one household keris. The keris is a personal weapon and every male of a certain age would have had at least one. Many of them would not have been made by an mpu though. More likely a village pandai.
And yes Penangsang, a keris is certainly a very good close quarters weapon. However, the question at hand i believe is whether they were kept in households because of the belief that the could warn of danger by rattling in their sheaths. Again, i don't dismiss this completely a possiblity in limited cases with "special" keris, but i don't believe this is or was the norm and certainly not the "reason" for owning a keris.

Lew · 21st December 2007, 06:32 PM

Well here is my view . Indonesia is in a very active earthquake area so it could be possible that a keris could start rattling in it's scabbard just prior to the quake warning the owner and his family. Of course this is just my personal theory. I have always thought that the keris was more for spiritual protection of the household rather than the physical?

Lew

20th December 2007, 11:52 PM	#1
Pusaka Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 341	Keeping a keris for protection In Indonesia a household may keep a keris to protect the family. It is said that a keris can warn its owner of danger. The keris is said to rattle, move or make noise. I guess my question then is do you believe this and have you had any experiences of such things?

21st December 2007, 01:17 AM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,124	I really doubt that this would be a major reason why a household would keep a keris. There are so many other well know reasons. There have indeed been stories of particular keris (or perhaps just a particular keris) which had the ability to warn it's owner of danger by rattling in it's sheath. I can't remember the name of that keris off-hand. Perhaps someone else will. Whether or not i believe this seems unimportant to the larger question. The purpose of keris is not to act as a home alarm system.

21st December 2007, 08:09 AM	#3
pakana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 74	Hello to all, Indeed there are many stories associated with keris that warned their owners for dangers not only in Indonesia. I dont think that the keris owners in the past, kept their keris just for their artistic value.They believed that there is something more "inside", and that was their main purpose from the beginning of "ordering" a keris from the mpu. We, as westerners,have an artistic aproach to the subject(plus, we have the financial ability to collect more than one in our collections).I guess in the past, the Indonesian families couldn't afford to have more than one keris(except kings,royal family..) Now,about stories, I have a story of a friend of mine, that a thief tried to steal his motorcycle, and he claims that his keris ruttled in its sheath at that time, to warn him.Fortunately for me, he sold the keris to me george

21st December 2007, 09:50 AM	#4
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	I keep more than a keris at home....and believe you me, though I come from this very same keris culture, I would still regards the keris first & foremost a weapon. If by making keris as a weapon means personal home protection, then I completely agree. In the confined space of my apartment, keris is just perfect

21st December 2007, 03:27 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,124	Well, i think both of you are missing my point. When i said that there are so many other reasons for keeping a keris in a household in Indonesian cultures artistic appreciation (as seen by Western collectors) was the furthest from my mind. And Pakana, i am not sure you are correct in your assumption that families could only afford one household keris. The keris is a personal weapon and every male of a certain age would have had at least one. Many of them would not have been made by an mpu though. More likely a village pandai. And yes Penangsang, a keris is certainly a very good close quarters weapon. However, the question at hand i believe is whether they were kept in households because of the belief that the could warn of danger by rattling in their sheaths. Again, i don't dismiss this completely a possiblity in limited cases with "special" keris, but i don't believe this is or was the norm and certainly not the "reason" for owning a keris.

21st December 2007, 06:32 PM	#6
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Well here is my view . Indonesia is in a very active earthquake area so it could be possible that a keris could start rattling in it's scabbard just prior to the quake warning the owner and his family. Of course this is just my personal theory. I have always thought that the keris was more for spiritual protection of the household rather than the physical? Lew