SAJEN kerises

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

G.B. Gardner's "Keris and Other Malay Weapons" was first published in 1936. Gardner sourced his information on keris from contact with Malay people during the time he was stationed in British Malaya. In his 1936 publication he mentions the "keris Majapahit", and that place is probably where most European usage of the term is grounded.

However, in 1933 Gardner published an article in the Journal of Malay Branch of Royal Asiatic Society :- " Notes on Two Uncommon Varieties of Malay Keris". The two keris were the Keris Majapahit, and the keris picit.

At that time Gardner had been in Malaya for 20 years.

A reading of this article indicates Gardner is using these two terms based upon what he had learnt from Malay informants.

So, it would seem to be probable that the term "keris Majapahit" is not a European invention at all, but rather a term that was in common usage in Malaya during the first quarter of the the 20th century.

Dear Alan,
Let me try to elaborate further on this "keris majapahit" topic again. Not only GB Gardner did mention this type of keris as "the earliest form of keris that probably originated from Majapahit era". But also other writers in that same book, such as GC Woolley (1938), AH Hill (1956) and also Abu Bakar bin Pawanchee (1947). Most of them had quoted much the famous book of Thomas Stamford Raffles', The History of Java (1817).

This Raffles' book, (now the Indonesian translation is published in Yogyakarta) of course it is a great book. One of among a few pioneers on documenting the javanese past trace, although some of the information -- especially on keris -- was told in "legend version"...

As you know, the Jamaican born Raffles was then the Lieutenant Governor of Java, during British government in East Indies on 1811-1816. He then moved to Sumatera -- building a second greatest fort in Asia Pasific for Britain until 1823... Died in the year of 1826.

British government ruled Java in only less than 6 years in East Indies (then Indonesia) -- compared to the Dutch which ruled Java since 1602, interupted 6 years by the British and then continued the Dutch rule after 1816, until 1943... But this short British government brought much documentation on Indonesia. Of course, it was "another version" of Dutch documentation on Java in the past.

GANJAWULUNG