FIGURAL HILTS -- Bird (Demon)

BluErf · 7th June 2008, 07:28 AM

The jawa demam is not related (at least not closely) to the tajong, or the rashaksa hilts that seemed to be the ancestor of the tajong.

If you look carefully at the posture of the arms and legs, you can see the difference between the jawa demam hilt, and the rashaksa hilts. The tajong's posture has been so stylized that if you had not seen the rashaksa hilts, you probably would not be able to make out that it is the vestigial representation of the rashaksa's posture. I believe someone had named the postures before, as well as the hand sign, or mudra. Anyway, the rashaksa is squatting, with hands on knees, with the thumb of one hand sticking out, while the little finger of the other hand is sticking out. This is supposedly a mudra to drive away evil.

At some point in time, some rashaksa changed posture, with one leg raised, the other leg down. This is possibly the rajalila posture. The arms have also changed posture, folded across the chest instead.

Now, how did the jawa demam come about? That's the million dollar question. The jawa demam is squatting, it has one arm folded across the chest, but it is not the same even with the latter day rashaksa. The rashaksa is both arms folded equilaterally in front of the chest. The jawa demam is one arm folded across the chest, holding on to the other shoulder, while the other arm is folded against itself. There is also the suggestion of a blanket of clothe over the shoulder that is held by the arm stretching across the chest. What is the origin of jawa demam? There seems to be no obvious answer.

The palembang hilt posted above (the garuda form with the long nose, not the lampung one) has the jawa demam arm posture and the squatting legs, but that's where the similarities end. The long nosed lampung hilt adopts the old rashaksa's posture.

Anyway, jawa demam and the tajong are not that related, at least posture-wise.

7th June 2008, 07:28 AM	#14
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	The jawa demam is not related (at least not closely) to the tajong, or the rashaksa hilts that seemed to be the ancestor of the tajong. If you look carefully at the posture of the arms and legs, you can see the difference between the jawa demam hilt, and the rashaksa hilts. The tajong's posture has been so stylized that if you had not seen the rashaksa hilts, you probably would not be able to make out that it is the vestigial representation of the rashaksa's posture. I believe someone had named the postures before, as well as the hand sign, or mudra. Anyway, the rashaksa is squatting, with hands on knees, with the thumb of one hand sticking out, while the little finger of the other hand is sticking out. This is supposedly a mudra to drive away evil. At some point in time, some rashaksa changed posture, with one leg raised, the other leg down. This is possibly the rajalila posture. The arms have also changed posture, folded across the chest instead. Now, how did the jawa demam come about? That's the million dollar question. The jawa demam is squatting, it has one arm folded across the chest, but it is not the same even with the latter day rashaksa. The rashaksa is both arms folded equilaterally in front of the chest. The jawa demam is one arm folded across the chest, holding on to the other shoulder, while the other arm is folded against itself. There is also the suggestion of a blanket of clothe over the shoulder that is held by the arm stretching across the chest. What is the origin of jawa demam? There seems to be no obvious answer. The palembang hilt posted above (the garuda form with the long nose, not the lampung one) has the jawa demam arm posture and the squatting legs, but that's where the similarities end. The long nosed lampung hilt adopts the old rashaksa's posture. Anyway, jawa demam and the tajong are not that related, at least posture-wise.