Bali Wadon(?) Hilt

[David]

Soooooo....95 views and not a single reply. Is it that folks consider this a dead end or that they feel everything has been said that can be said? I still find this hilt form to be one full of mystery and unanswered question. I do realize that questions can't always be answered, but i can't help but be left wanting more in this case. I don't find myself content with either Durga of simply wadon as the designation for this hilt.

[Jean]

Hi David,
As usual it is very difficult to get any reliable information about the krisses from Bali /Lombok.
According to the the book "Keris Bali Bersejarah" from the Neka Art Museum this hilt (danganan) is called meseh rupa (see page 134) without any information.
And there are several similar silver hilts shown in the book "Keris di Lombok" by H. Lalu Djelenga (see pages 82,83, and 168), they all look pretty recent and the local name is different (I forgot it), may be Pak Hartadi can confirm it as well as the local interpretation.
To me this hilt seems to depict the veiled Durga or Calon Arang/ Rangda.
Regards

[David]

Originally Posted by Jean

To me this hilt seems to depict the veiled Durga or Calon Arang/ Rangda.

Thanks for your response Jean. I am sorry to press you here, but why, exactly does it seem valid to you as a depiction of the veiled Durga or Calon Arang/ Rangda. When i search for images of Durga from the Bali/Jawa area i mostly find multi-armed statues often with Durga standing on a buffalo to depict her victory over the buffalo demon Mahisha. Sometimes she is astride a lion (sometimes a tiger). I cannot find any known depiction of this goddess veiled though or any stories that would give reason for a veiling of her face.
Calon Arang and Rangda are often associated with Durga, but most certainly not the same being. These witch demons also have very standard depictions in Bali and Jawa culture, fierce demon woman with wild hair, bulging eyes, fangs and long nails (claws) on all their fingers (note in my example that only the pinky nails are long) . They are often seen as hefty females forms, often topless. But i have never seen them veiled either. Hiding their frightening appearance under a veil would also seem counter to their purpose in the lore. There is no mystery about their appearance, they are meant to strike fear in the hearts of those who view them.
But these "wadon" hilts show none of that. They are a veiled mystery with a stilled silence about them. They have none of the usual motifs or accompanying figures that are known to be related to Durga, Calon Arang or Rangda. So i have a real difficulty accepting the designation simply because it has been called that in a passing reference in a book. It just doesn't seem to jive to me.
I do not own the Balinese reference books you mention so i am afraid i cannot follow your page citations."Meseh Rupa" is a at least a dead end on the internet. Maybe someone has more on this. I would also be curious to find out approximately when this hilt form first made it's appearance. You say the ones in Keris di Lombak look fairly recent. Mine has some age, but i don't believe it is too old. Does anyone have any obviously old examples to this form to show?

[Loedjoe]

I have nothing to offer on the name, I'm afraid, but it seems likely that this type is of some age.There are at least three early examples of this type: in Jensen (Karsten Sejr), Den Indonesiske kris, et symbolladet våben (1998), p. 87, on a keris acquired before 1676 (a better photograph of this one is in his Krisdisk. Krisses from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (compact disk published by the author, 2007), ch. 6, pp. 26) and p. 91, on a keris acquired before 1618. The Krisdisk also has another, assigned to the 16th/17th century, ch. 6, p. 27.

[Jean]

The common balinese name of this hilt is Balu Mekabun (the veiled widow?), and according to the detailed reference book from EAN Van Veeendaal "Krisgrepen en scheden uit Bali en Lombok" page 22, it depicts Durga/ Rangda. I have no more information to add but all the authors agree on this interpretation in absence of any other one.
The specimens shown in the books from the late Jensen or Kerner are older Javanese versions of this hilt IMO.
Regards

[Gustav]

I am not able to answer on Davids questions or post pictures of some older specimens, yet have some observations.

I have seen some older hilts of this type, and they fill a wide range between quite realistic depictions, like the Keris from Vienna, symplified planar forms, and hilts, where this figure pass into floral ornaments.

In the KITLV publication of Gronemans "The Javanese Kris" there is something like a Pakem from 1840, written in Surakarta. It starts on page 117 and has some hilts of this type. Quite realistic, with discernible palms, are hilts on pages 117, 123 (which otherwise is covered with floral motifs). Another, more abstract specimens are depicted on pages 119, 130, 131, 135. These hilts sometimes are already like "open borders" to planar or West-Javanese/Madurese floral hilts. An early specimen of this kind is depicted in Krisdisk, Ch. 6, p. 7. Another one - in Solyoms book, p.32.

It seems these "Wadon" hilts could have been an issue in emergence of modern planar hilt forms (with Patra). Patra occur at the places, where breasts and toes are depicted on "Wadon" hilts.There are also some older planar hilts with grooves, which are connecting both Patra.

An interesting point is orientation of the hilt. The old (and also the newer ones from Bali) figural hilts are always mounted with face to the width of the blade. The old "Wadon" hilts, which also are "figural" are always mounted with face to the Gandhik, like all planar hilts.

Yes, and a beautiful specimen from an old thread, on a 17th century Javanese blade:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=veiled+durga

[Gustav]

Now I have read the whole thread http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=veiled+durga, with the excellent posts of Marto Suwignyo, and must say, my post as such was completely superfluous.

A good lecture.