Keeping a keris for protection

[A. G. Maisey]

In 1978 I moved into a new house. I did not move in overnight, but moved some things in, then a week later came back and took up residence. When I came back the second time I found that my new house had been burgled. The thieves had taken everything of value---they even took a jacket and a pair of shoes.

Now, what I realised was that I had left my new house empty and without a particular keris that I knew to be very powerful in the prevention of robbery. During the next 20 odd years in that house nobody ever tried to break in again. Some of my neighbours houses were burgled, but not mine, even though my house was very easy to get into because it had a low, hidden back window that a burglar could access without being seen.

Why?

It must have been because from the day I moved into that house and lived there I had that one particular keris with me.

Not only that, but my house never ever burnt down either, and I reckon that is proof of the power of another keris that I take care of that prevents houses from being burnt down.

But its not only keris that prevent these unfortunate events from taking place. My grandmother always used to hang garlic above the windows and doors, as did one of my aunts. The aunt took extra measures too---she had a holy water font at each doorway. The purpose of the garlic was to ensure that no evil spirits entered the house, and they never did. Not in either house. So you see garlic can be a very powerful preventative too.

I could go on and on about the power of various types of preventative charms. For instance, my mother never moved outside the house without St. Christopher around her neck. She lived well into her 70's, and never, ever during her entire life was she involved in any sort of unfortunate event while travelling from one place to another.

But the whole problem is that we are surrounded by disbelievers. My next door neighbour in that house that was burgled was a manufacturer of burglar alarms, and when my house was burgled, he immediately offered to instal an alarm for me at cost. I agreed and he put motion detectors everywhere and warning stickers all over the windows. He reckoned it was his good work that kept the burglars away. Like I said---disbelievers everywhere.