Kris Sumatra or Malay?

[A. G. Maisey]

In Javanese symbolism, and as far as I am aware in all other symbolism associated with any ethnic group, including European and the sub-divisions, a symbol will commence as something that may or may not be well known in the general community. Possibly only truly known to a select group within a community, but recognised by the general community as something special, that symbolises something , but the general community is not quite sure what it symbolises, just that its "special".

The symbol continues in (principally) art and continues to be recognised as a symbol that has a meaning, but that meaning becomes lost or distorted by time, even though the symbol itself is still recognised and continues in use. We can see this in European artistic usage, particularly in Renaissance art:- Renaissance art was principally about religion and the people who understood the language of art at that time in history could read a painting and understand what was being said. The ordinary people were not privy to all of the language used and could not read the painting. Here in 21st century even our expert authorities seem to be confused by some of the Renaissance symbolism, and the same is true of symbolism in all other historic art. People forget. They continue to use the symbols because those symbols belong in a particular place, but they forget the meaning of the symbols, or because of a change in society and cultural foundations, the meaning of the symbol changes.

Time alters perspective.

What one sees and understands now is not what one might have seen or understood at some previous point in time.

In this matter of the triangle I will not answer any questions, I will not say if in my opinion the answers given are right or wrong, because an answer might be partially correct and to say that it is correct would necessarily entail an explanation that would cause the cessation of enquiring thought. After a complete answer has been given I will say if I am in agreement or not.

More than 30 years ago I stumbled onto something that caused me to start to think about the keris in a different way to the way in which most people think about the keris. It took me a very long time to join some of the dots that provide some sort of an answer.

This upwards pointing triangle is one doorway into the same room that those dots have built.

If you can understand the triangle you have the beginning of a true understanding of the keris.

Jean, you have asked me if this triangle represents Mt. Meru.

I'm not going to say yes or no, rather I'm going to ask you to tell me if it does and to substantiate your answer. In other words do the research and the thinking required.

Gustav, I believe I have also answered your question in what I have written above. As to where else the triangle might appear in other forms of keris, well, that is not at all relevant, because these other forms of keris were simply copying what had gone before, it is somewhere between highly unlikely and extremely impossible that the makers and users of these other forms of keris had even the vaguest idea of the original meaning of the triangle in the early keris. This where you need to look:- early keris and the society that gave birth to the keris.