Video, poison keris blade

[Amuk Murugul]

Hullo Everybody,

Sorry for joining in late.
I can add a little to what others have said. Maybe someone can also take it from there.

When I was being 'traditionally socialized'(= Patilasan Karoehoen) in Tatar Soenda in the early 1950's, I was told various stories about how people put 'poison' on their weapons, depending on the purpose.
Anything from the poison from a scorpion, or from a tree frog, to the 'bodily fluids' produced by a cadaver just before it is cleaned for burial (and cocktails thereof).
If one needed something of a more 'supernatural' nature, one would need to supplement the poison by sticking the weapon in some holy/hallowed ground and meditating (focusing on the intent while mentally reciting mantras) uninterruptedly until completion.
Sometimes this would only need one night's ( dusk to dawn) meditation.

Of course there was the 'easy' way; just get a doekoen or expert to do it for you.

Best

[Pusaka]

Originally Posted by Amuk Murugul

If one needed something of a more 'supernatural' nature, one would need to supplement the poison by sticking the weapon in some holy/hallowed ground and meditating (focusing on the intent while mentally reciting mantras) uninterruptedly until completion.
Sometimes this would only need one night's ( dusk to dawn) meditation.

Sounds like Voodoo magic. Since we are on the subject of poisonous effects of the keris I guess it counts. Another way to use a keris in a similar way is to use mental focus/intention whilst pointing it at an opponents marma. There are 32 points which can be effected in such a way.

[David]

Originally Posted by Pusaka

Sounds like Voodoo magic. Since we are on the subject of poisonous effects of the keris I guess it counts. Another way to use a keris in a similar way is to use mental focus/intention whilst pointing it at an opponents marma. There are 32 points which can be effected in such a way.

As one who has also spent a fair amount of time studying Caribbean Vodoun i will say that i have found quite of lot of similarities between magickal practices there with those of Bali. I can't say for other areas of Indonesia. It should be noted that these magickal practices, for the most part, take place within the framework of Vodoun culture, but outside the practice of the religion itself. But i digress....

[PenangsangII]

According to Malay belief, though not dipped into poison concoction, a fighting keris made by an empu, has already been imbued with magical properties.including "unseen poison".

[David]

Originally Posted by PenangsangII

According to Malay belief, though not dipped into poison concoction, a fighting keris made by an empu, has already been imbued with magical properties.including "unseen poison".

Perhaps, but this is quite a different topic from the one we are discussion here.

[Bill S]

Originally Posted by David

Perhaps, but this is quite a different topic from the one we are discussion here.

Maybe not. If the "unseen poison" is an integral part of the keris folklore, it may well be the basis of stories about keris being dipped in poison. People who might be unwilling to accept the concept of metaphysical poisons may translate the idea into chemical poisons to put it into a realm they can accept.

[David]

Originally Posted by Bill S

Maybe not. If the "unseen poison" is an integral part of the keris folklore, it may well be the basis of stories about keris being dipped in poison. People who might be unwilling to accept the concept of metaphysical poisons may translate the idea into chemical poisons to put it into a realm they can accept.

You may have a good point here Bill. It does seem to me from all of the discussion that we have had on this subject that the practice of physically adding poison to the keris blade was not a general or universal one. This is not to say that no one has ever done it.