Bugis keris

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

To my mind if there is a problem, it is just that perhaps all of the easy questions have already been answered and nobody has yet gathered sufficient understanding to permit them to ask the hard questions. I doubt that there is much that can be done about that except to encourage an ongoing learning process amongst our participants.

Amen Alan. I have had my basic questions answered or have been given the tools to answer many of my own inquires. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this process. I believe there is a certain due diligence required to ask a question. I would not want to waste anyone's valuable time. I.e. is there already an answer on file if one spends the time to find it. There is so much in the archives. I believe most of what is left for me to find in the English language on keris culture is here on file. Minus the elusive Groneman of course I feel when we join this group we ask many questions. Often the answers are patiently given in references to old threads. After a few of these are given often I would imagine many members get the hint and take the onus of self education before posting. I will say looking through the archives I have had the honor to watch people and the overall knowledge base to grow, and opinions to change and then mature. This process does make for more inciteful questions, though harder to answer.

For me the next step is to improve my Bahasa Indonesia reading comprehension so to explore more obscure nooks and crannies. Then one day I hope to travel. My big fear would be in the 10 years it would take for me to ask a mature question will there be a loss of knowledge that makes it unanswerable?

Today's question for me before I read this thread was the difference in iconography and meaning between a kala mask and a kirtmuktha. Both ideas reinforcing the value of the moments given us and personal growth, but sometimes slow, steady change makes for dull reading.

My apologies to Paul for continuing the hi-jack of the thread instead of focusing on the ferric metals and abstract elephants, birds, and snakes.