Keris Tindih -- The Neutralizer

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by Raden Usman Djogja

nice keris.
is your keris' shape jalak budho or sombro?

I also got information that keris tindih is for neutralizing other kerises especially an agresive one. A question remained is to neutralize from what? If the purpose of keris tindih is to neutralize other keris power, so you must take keris tindih far away from the keris which you want to activate its power. Vice versa, you must bring it together whenever you want to deactivate its influence.

The first keris with pamor "janur sinebit" is keris betok. Dapur betok has a different proportion: although the blade is wider than normal keris, the length is shorter. Betok has no "ricikan" (details). Only "gandik polos" (without "sekar kacang" or "kembang kacang"). Different tangguh, different style too. Especially betok from Pajajaran era (11-12th century, not 13th century as I told before), the entire blade is thinner than betok from Singasari era (13th century) for instance.

Jalak Budo, usually thicker than Pajajaran betok. It has "sogokan" (front sogokan thinner than the rear). The blade of old Jalak Budo is very specific: looks like stone, clay, and many old traces in the blade. Every collector (I don't mention, traditional owner of kerises by heritage), is usually eager to have Jalak Budo as keris tindih.

Maybe "the neutralizer" is not the right word. Keris tindih, is used to minimize the negative influence of "bad" kerises. Some believe also, that keris tindih is meant for "mediating" the strong influences among the kerises. So, actually "neutralizing" may be is not the right English word (?).

Sombro, according to Bambang Harsrinuksmo's Ensiklopedi, is a very famous female empu from Pajajaran kingdom (11th century). The wellknown style of betok Sombro usually thin blade but strong enough, cannot be bent. And in the end of the Sombro's peksi there is a hole, believed to be use to take the blade with cord, and put the cord around the hips.

Mas Boedi, will you help me to give more information on this, please...