Introduction

A. G. Maisey · 4th February 2017, 08:45 PM

This behaviour pattern is still evident in Jawa, and it does not just apply to making keris, it can be seen at every turn in ordinary life.

An example that I think I might have quoted previously involved a little booklet on how to make keris, that Empu Pauzan Pusposukadgo published. It certainly told how to make keris, but with the omission of one step that would not be obvious to anybody who did not already know that step.

Women who are acknowledged as good or great cooks will freely give their recipes to anybody who asks, but those recipes always have something missing from them.

Panembahan Harjonegoro was notorious for giving misleading and incomplete information to people who asked for his assistance in keris and other cultural matters. In one reasonably well known instance of his deception, a major Indonesian art book that was written by a foreigner contains straight out lies in respect of a keris shown in the book. Lies that were concocted by Harjonegoro for the express purpose of putting the author into a situation where those who already knew the subject would understand that the author did not understand much about the subject at all.

There are certain societal standards in Jawa that govern the giving of knowledge:-

1) all knowledge is worth money, thus no knowledge is ever given free

2) deep knowledge will usually only be given to a direct descendant, usually a son or daughter, sometimes a grandchild; where no suitable direct descendant is available, but another suitable candidate to receive the knowledge is available, that person will normally be adopted to make him/her a part of the family.

3) in any case, knowledge is never given to anybody unless that person is deemed to be ready to receive the knowledge.

This pattern is apparent at a lower level, where even in a casual verbal exchange people almost never give accurate information in respect of a destination or purpose.

You're going to the market to buy some pisang rojo?

Somebody asks where you're going, you're off to the post office to post a letter.

In Jawa nobody but a fool gives accurate information unless it is absolutely essential, and nobody provides gratuitous truth at any time.

4th February 2017, 08:45 PM	#14
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,013	This behaviour pattern is still evident in Jawa, and it does not just apply to making keris, it can be seen at every turn in ordinary life. An example that I think I might have quoted previously involved a little booklet on how to make keris, that Empu Pauzan Pusposukadgo published. It certainly told how to make keris, but with the omission of one step that would not be obvious to anybody who did not already know that step. Women who are acknowledged as good or great cooks will freely give their recipes to anybody who asks, but those recipes always have something missing from them. Panembahan Harjonegoro was notorious for giving misleading and incomplete information to people who asked for his assistance in keris and other cultural matters. In one reasonably well known instance of his deception, a major Indonesian art book that was written by a foreigner contains straight out lies in respect of a keris shown in the book. Lies that were concocted by Harjonegoro for the express purpose of putting the author into a situation where those who already knew the subject would understand that the author did not understand much about the subject at all. There are certain societal standards in Jawa that govern the giving of knowledge:- 1) all knowledge is worth money, thus no knowledge is ever given free 2) deep knowledge will usually only be given to a direct descendant, usually a son or daughter, sometimes a grandchild; where no suitable direct descendant is available, but another suitable candidate to receive the knowledge is available, that person will normally be adopted to make him/her a part of the family. 3) in any case, knowledge is never given to anybody unless that person is deemed to be ready to receive the knowledge. This pattern is apparent at a lower level, where even in a casual verbal exchange people almost never give accurate information in respect of a destination or purpose. You're going to the market to buy some pisang rojo? Somebody asks where you're going, you're off to the post office to post a letter. In Jawa nobody but a fool gives accurate information unless it is absolutely essential, and nobody provides gratuitous truth at any time.