Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Keris Warung Kopi
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
Old 17th January 2022, 12:38 PM   #1
jagabuwana
Member
 
jagabuwana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 281
Default Kala and the carvings on a keris hilt

From keris glossary on Alan's website:
"Cecekan -The small areas of carving (normally 2) on a Central Javanese planar ukiran which are said to be the stylised representation of a kala face."
(source: http://www.kerisattosanaji.com/keris-glossary)

If I'm not mistaken, a kala is a demon form in the Javanese and Hindu belief system.

Kala also means "time" in sanskrit. Kala the personality is a Batara, a god, and is the god of time.
  • We know that demons are often represented in figural hilts, and they make for good guardians to temples, shrines and consequently kerises. But why is it kalas specifically that are present and ubiquitously symbolised through the cecekan, as opposed to other demons or raksasas more generically?
  • Is there a relationship between kalas and Kala?
  • Am I right in thinking that kalas a veiled way of representing Kala the god without doing so directly, in the same way that the keris represents or depicts Siva and Sivaistic elements?

Last edited by jagabuwana; 17th January 2022 at 12:39 PM. Reason: added link/source
jagabuwana is offline   Reply With Quote
 


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:33 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.