How to read a greneng

[Johan van Zyl]

I want to try to dispel some of the seriousness of this debate/discussion with a humorous anecdote of my own. Having varied interest, not only in the keris, I have followed many such debates, just as lengthy and convoluted as this one. A noteworthy example is the incessant "battle" that was carried on years ago in the letters column of one of our major agricultural magazines by a certain Dr Lucas Potgieter on hunting rifles and stopping power, and how to quantify the latter. His "antagonists" were a number of practical hunters equally adept in hunting as he. As the debate petered to a close eventually, with no "winner" having attained victory, one elderly hunter wrote in and said (I quote from memory): "I and my friends have been following this debate with great interest. We had not taken part at all, as we had been sitting high up in a thorn tree out of harm's way while the bulls were battling it out on the ground. It is only now that the dust is settling, that we see fit to come out of the tree."

I think that illustrates my own position during this debate/discussion!

I found myself admiring the limitless patience which the debaters had for one another's views. I have followed debates in other forums where the verbal attacks against parties expressing their opinions have been vicious to say the least. I saw none of that here.

My two cents worth is that the present "lengthy circuitous exchanges" do not serve to educate forum members effectively. At the same time I feel it would be a tragedy if knowledgeable people like Alan & Gustav (and others) decide to hold back their expert comments in order to prevent a circuitous "outbreak" of debate/discussion.

I myself now know a little something about my tiny collection of two kerisses, exactly because forum members were willing to answer and discuss my many and varied questions. For that I am eternally grateful.