Mantras keris and empu

[Pusaka]

Originally Posted by David

Pusaka, are you operating under the impression that only an empu can create a "real" keris. If so you have eliminated a great deal of antique keris from the "real keris" category.

It is impossible to look at an ancient keris and know if the person who made it was an empu or not purely based on physical appearance. The technique to enliven a blade in its details is or was within a few family's and they dont hand that information freely out. Therefor without that knowledge (precise knowledge of the mantras etc) you cannot produce a living blade. You can produce a beautifully looking blade but you cant fill it ie it is a keris mati (a dead keris).

The question is what happens if you change religion can you still practice that ritual or do you have to change it?

There are legends in various silat schools about who the first empu was and who he inherited this knowledge from.