Keris Ligan

Rick · 7th March 2008, 02:27 AM

Thank you for responding Brekele; I'll bet you are correct in your assesment of this term .
I had heard that these were longer than the average Bali keris .

I'm not sure that I see much resemblance to a pedang in the blade profile though .

I'm most grateful to you .

Best,

Rick

A. G. Maisey · 7th March 2008, 06:50 AM

Yes, Brekele is correct in his interpretation of "ligan", when the word is used in Javanese.

I believe that correctly ngliga means "without a shirt", which is what "ora kelamben" also means, so its not "without clothes", but "without a shirt". Still, near enough.

Again in Javanese "ngliga" when applied to a weapon, means "to unsheath" (the weapon).

Ligan correctly means "unsheathed", not lacking sheath, but removed from the sheath, so in Javanese, a keris ligan is an unsheathed keris.

However, the ligan as weapon is a Bali/Lombok creation.

Here is what Lalu Djelengga says about it:-

KERIS PEDANG/LIGAN

Adalah keris lurus berbentuk pedang, atau pedang berbentuk keris.Disebut keris karena pangkalnya seperti keris,lengkap dengan ganjanya, dan disebut pedang karena bilahnya seperti bentuk pedang. Baik bahan maupun tata cara pembuatannya sama dengan pola pembuatan keris ,sehingga dipastikan berpamor dan berisi, tentu saja selama sementara belum ada kegiatan pemalsuan.
Biasanya masih diberikan sarung seperti wrangka keris.

A loose translation of this would be:-

There is a straight keris that is shaped like a pedang, or a pedang that is shaped like a keris. Its called a keris because basically its like a keris, complete with ganja, and called a pedang because its blade is like the shape of a pedang. Its material, and the way it is made is the same as a keris, while it certainly has pamor and is "berisi" ( has some sort of spirit in it---AM) it is certain that there is not yet any activity to make fakes.
Normally it is given a wrongko like a keris.

I only know the name from what Lalu Djelenga has written, but he seems to know and understand Bali/Lombok weaponry better than adequately, so for myself, I'm more than prepared to accept his assurance that this is the name for it in Bali/Lombok.

I've seen a couple of types of these ligan things. some have a blade that is very keris-like except for the absence of a gandik and blumbangan, and some fancy file work directly under the ganja; others have half the back edge of the blade without an edge.

gwirya · 27th October 2008, 09:39 AM

Dear all,
I recently acquired this ligan (pedang keris) from Lombok. I think it fits the description from Ir. Lalu Djelenga book, Keris di Lombok. The blade itself is not straight, it curves like a pedang. It also has half the back edge of the blade(inner side of the blade curve) without an edge (see pictures). The pesi itself has a rectangular shape. I dont have a scale handy while taking the pictures; but the blade has approximately 60 cm in length from tip of the blade to the pesi end. (two pieces of A4 photocopy paper combine together in length)
Any idea how old is this? Pamor type?
Any comments positive or negative will be appreciated

Marcokeris · 27th October 2008, 10:56 AM

IMO the nice blade seems old (pamor Walang Sinuduk?) but hit not so old.
The Solo keris' sarong wood (Cendana?) seems fantastic

semar · 27th October 2008, 03:42 PM

Hello guys I don`t know of this is one keris ligan but the dapur looks like a pedang

semar

gwirya · 28th October 2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by semar

Hello guys I don`t know of this is one keris ligan but the dapur looks like a pedang

semar

Hallo semar, I think the keris on the first picture is a keris ligan. In addition to what Alan mentioned above, looking at the pictures of keris ligan in my Keris in Lombok book, it seems like all keris ligan don't have gandik, sekar kacang, jenggot, lambe gajah etc ( all the ricikan on the left side of the keris if you hold the keris as usual). It does have sogokan, bungkul and ada ada. About the size, I am not sure if it has to be bigger than normal Bali/Lombok keris.
To Marcokeris, brekele and Newsteel, thanks for your comments

Rick · 29th October 2008, 02:19 AM

Of my Ligan .
Note the odd number of open spaces, 7 .

Comments ?

brekele · 27th October 2008, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwirya

Any comments positive or negative will be appreciated

Thanks Gwirya for showing us your keris.
Absolutely nice keris and RARE!!!

A. G. Maisey · 27th October 2008, 09:33 PM

Marco, in respect of the Solo ladrang,that appearance is more typical of trembalu than cendana.

Newsteel · 28th October 2008, 01:33 AM

Very good old nice keris pedang gwirya !!!! Has been some time back I'd seen something similar keris pedang with Shiva eyes.

David · 28th October 2008, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newsteel

Very good old nice keris pedang gwirya !!!! Has been some time back I'd seen something similar keris pedang with Shiva eyes.

You must have missed this thread from this past June.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=ligan

Ghaniyya · 30th July 2009, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwirya

Dear all,
I recently acquired this ligan (pedang keris) from Lombok. I think it fits the description from Ir. Lalu Djelenga book, Keris di Lombok. The blade itself is not straight, it curves like a pedang. It also has half the back edge of the blade(inner side of the blade curve) without an edge (see pictures). The pesi itself has a rectangular shape. I dont have a scale handy while taking the pictures; but the blade has approximately 60 cm in length from tip of the blade to the pesi end. (two pieces of A4 photocopy paper combine together in length)
Any idea how old is this? Pamor type?
Any comments positive or negative will be appreciated

So beatifully....

look at from the iron, it's the same as Majapahit era.

Paul B. · 19th April 2020, 01:51 PM

How about my LIGAN keris?
Blade size 47,5 cm, overall 67 cm. That's quite a large one.
Kocet-kocetan might not belong to it (as it is from Lombok?) but the selut is from gold / suasa so a valuable part of the handle.

jagabuwana · 20th April 2020, 12:45 AM

That's stunning, Paul.

I learned a lot in this thread. Had I not known any better I would have thought I was looking at some kind of keris dhapur sepang.

Anthony G. · 20th April 2020, 03:48 AM

Modern era Bali made keris Ligan.

Correct?

27th October 2008, 09:39 AM	#3
gwirya Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 15	Dear all, I recently acquired this ligan (pedang keris) from Lombok. I think it fits the description from Ir. Lalu Djelenga book, Keris di Lombok. The blade itself is not straight, it curves like a pedang. It also has half the back edge of the blade(inner side of the blade curve) without an edge (see pictures). The pesi itself has a rectangular shape. I dont have a scale handy while taking the pictures; but the blade has approximately 60 cm in length from tip of the blade to the pesi end. (two pieces of A4 photocopy paper combine together in length) Any idea how old is this? Pamor type? Any comments positive or negative will be appreciated Attached Images Last edited by gwirya; 27th October 2008 at 11:04 AM.

27th October 2008, 10:56 AM	#4
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	IMO the nice blade seems old (pamor Walang Sinuduk?) but hit not so old. The Solo keris' sarong wood (Cendana?) seems fantastic Last edited by Marcokeris; 27th October 2008 at 02:43 PM.

27th October 2008, 03:42 PM	#5
semar Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 272	Hello guys I don`t know of this is one keris ligan but the dapur looks like a pedang semar Attached Images

29th October 2008, 02:19 AM	#7
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	The Sorsoran Of my Ligan . Note the odd number of open spaces, 7 . Comments ? Attached Images Last edited by Rick; 29th October 2008 at 02:31 AM.

19th April 2020, 01:51 PM	#13
Paul B. Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 205	How about my LIGAN keris? Blade size 47,5 cm, overall 67 cm. That's quite a large one. Kocet-kocetan might not belong to it (as it is from Lombok?) but the selut is from gold / suasa so a valuable part of the handle. Attached Images

7th March 2008, 02:27 AM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	Thank you for responding Brekele; I'll bet you are correct in your assesment of this term . I had heard that these were longer than the average Bali keris . I'm not sure that I see much resemblance to a pedang in the blade profile though . I'm most grateful to you . Best, Rick

7th March 2008, 06:50 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Yes, Brekele is correct in his interpretation of "ligan", when the word is used in Javanese. I believe that correctly ngliga means "without a shirt", which is what "ora kelamben" also means, so its not "without clothes", but "without a shirt". Still, near enough. Again in Javanese "ngliga" when applied to a weapon, means "to unsheath" (the weapon). Ligan correctly means "unsheathed", not lacking sheath, but removed from the sheath, so in Javanese, a keris ligan is an unsheathed keris. However, the ligan as weapon is a Bali/Lombok creation. Here is what Lalu Djelengga says about it:- KERIS PEDANG/LIGAN Adalah keris lurus berbentuk pedang, atau pedang berbentuk keris.Disebut keris karena pangkalnya seperti keris,lengkap dengan ganjanya, dan disebut pedang karena bilahnya seperti bentuk pedang. Baik bahan maupun tata cara pembuatannya sama dengan pola pembuatan keris ,sehingga dipastikan berpamor dan berisi, tentu saja selama sementara belum ada kegiatan pemalsuan. Biasanya masih diberikan sarung seperti wrangka keris. A loose translation of this would be:- There is a straight keris that is shaped like a pedang, or a pedang that is shaped like a keris. Its called a keris because basically its like a keris, complete with ganja, and called a pedang because its blade is like the shape of a pedang. Its material, and the way it is made is the same as a keris, while it certainly has pamor and is "berisi" ( has some sort of spirit in it---AM) it is certain that there is not yet any activity to make fakes. Normally it is given a wrongko like a keris. I only know the name from what Lalu Djelenga has written, but he seems to know and understand Bali/Lombok weaponry better than adequately, so for myself, I'm more than prepared to accept his assurance that this is the name for it in Bali/Lombok. I've seen a couple of types of these ligan things. some have a blade that is very keris-like except for the absence of a gandik and blumbangan, and some fancy file work directly under the ganja; others have half the back edge of the blade without an edge.

27th October 2008, 09:33 PM	#9
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Marco, in respect of the Solo ladrang,that appearance is more typical of trembalu than cendana.

28th October 2008, 01:33 AM	#10
Newsteel Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 132	Very good old nice keris pedang gwirya !!!! Has been some time back I'd seen something similar keris pedang with Shiva eyes.

20th April 2020, 12:45 AM	#14
jagabuwana Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 290	That's stunning, Paul. I learned a lot in this thread. Had I not known any better I would have thought I was looking at some kind of keris dhapur sepang.

20th April 2020, 03:48 AM	#15
Anthony G. Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 470	Modern era Bali made keris Ligan. Correct? Attached Images Last edited by Anthony G.; 20th April 2020 at 03:01 PM.