DURGA Hilt?

[VVV]

AFAIK it's first described as a Durga hilt in Martin Kerner's A4 book on Keris hilts. You will find additional info about it in Jensen's Kris Disk.
I don't think that's a hilt usually seen in Cirebon?

Michael

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by VVV

I don't think that's a hilt usually seen in Cirebon?

Michael

I don't know, Michael. But at least I saw two more hilts such like this in the Pesta Rakyat Cirebon last week. They called such hilts as "gendheng permoni hilts". (I myself got two hilts such like this from Cirebon and Banyumas (south of Cirebon) area in the past...

"Gendheng Permoni" known as a goddess in Wayang world. A very beautiful goddess with "bad" manner. She wished to be Bathara Guru's (the highest god in Kahyangan or Heaven Kingdom) wife. But Bathara Guru only took Permoni's beautiful body as his wife, while he exchanged Permoni's soul/spirit with Dewi Uma's.

Previously, Dewi Uma was cursed by Bathara Guru -- to become a "raseksi" (female giant creature) after Uma refused to make ... with Guru, while they were riding "lembu Andini" or sacred buffalo of Andini.

The "raseksi's" (the giant Uma's body) with Permoni's soul, then called as Bathari Durga. While beautiful Permoni's body with good-mannered Uma's soul, as Dewi Umayi. Only Permoni's body, became Sang Hyang Bathara Guru's wife. And not Permoni's soul...

GANJAWULUNG

[ganjawulung]

... And this is the "Bali version" of such hilt. Of course, the hilt size is much much bigger.

GANJAWULUNG

[ganjawulung]

Another pics on "permoni" or "durga hilts". The brown one, I found it in Banyumas area -- about 100 or more kilometers South of Cirebon (western part of Central Java), and the black one I got it from Cirebon area...

GANJAWULUNG

[VVV]

Ganja,

Thanks for the nice reference pictures as well as for sharing the interesting story about Gendheng Permoni, that I haven't heard before.
In the European collections it seems like the old keris with this kind of hilt were collected in outmost East Java/Blambangan and Bali, not the Cirebon/Banyumas area?

Michael

[A. G. Maisey]

Is there any source predating 1940 that gives a name to this hilt form?

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by VVV

Ganja,

Thanks for the nice reference pictures as well as for sharing the interesting story about Gendheng Permoni, that I haven't heard before.
In the European collections it seems like the old keris with this kind of hilt were collected in outmost East Java/Blambangan and Bali, not the Cirebon/Banyumas area?
Michael

Dear Michael, every traditional Javanese who likes wayang, is usually familiar with this popular figure -- Gendheng Permoni, a very popular nickname of Bathari Durga in Jawa. And this "Gendheng Permoni" name, is not only used in Central Java or East Jawa, but even in "wayang golek" -- another genre of wayang with wooden rod-puppet of West Jawa.

As you know, West Java speak Sundanese and sometimes not understand Javanese, while Central Java and East Java, speaks Javanese -- and sometimes they don't understand Sundanese dialect. Either Wayang Golek in West Jawa, or Wayang Kulit (leather puppet) are still living until now, and still performed in villages in West Jawa, or Central and East Jawa. Some live-performance, also broadcasted in some local television.

According to wayang story (not Hindhu story, although wayang is also a Hindhu folk art), Gendheng Permoni lives in Kahyangan Setra Gandamayit (Kingdom of corpse-smelled forest) in Forest of Krendawahana. A place where all kind of ghost, genie and all kinds of spirits are living...

Bathara Kala, is the husband of Gendheng Permoni or Bathari Durga. Batara Kala is the sperm of Bathara Guru -- which once fell in the sea, while Bathara Guru and Dewi Uma were "travelling" on Lembu Andini, or sacred buffallo of Andini. According to "wayang-belief", Batara Kala used to eat "sukerta" children. Sukerta children, for instance -- only child in family, or twin children with different sex... etc So, every "sukerta children" must be specially treated in a special ceremony, called "ruwatan"... (Sukuh Temple told this special rite, in Sudamala story) to avoid from Bathara Kala...

Back to the so called "durga hilt". Are we sure, that this type of hilt only found in Blambangan and Bali?

Blambangan, maybe exist. But I don't think this type of hilt -- the smaller size -- is balinese. But possibly too West Jawa, and western part of Central Jawa -- around Banyumas. (The site of former Hindu Segaluh Kingdom)

As you know, there had been two Hindhu kingdoms in West Jawa between 10th to 13th century -- Pajajaran Kingdom, and Segaluh Kingdom... But during Hindhu Mataram (not Islamic Mataram in 16th century) king Empu Sindok -- 10th century -- the kingdom moved to East Jawa, because of the devastating volcano eruptions.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Is there any source predating 1940 that gives a name to this hilt form?

i don't have any source on this hilt name. What I told you in the previous post, is only "locally known today" in Cirebon. I don't even ever hear the name of "durga hilt" before, until mentioned sometimes ago in this warung kopi.

Maybe like "keris majapahit" mentioned by western expert, but locally in Jawa they call such kerises as "keris sajen". In Malaysia, they call this javanese "keris sajen" (offering kerises) as "keris pichit"...

Hopefully my limited ability in English doesn't make you misunderstood...

GANJAWULUNG

[VVV]

Thanks for the explanation.
I have only read one Sundanese Ruwatan in full, it's about the Origin of Kala, were Mahadewi is named Emban Durga in the play.
Do you have the Kris disk by Karsten Sejr-Jensen?
In it there are a couple of really old hilts that is the same style.
I don't either think it's documented before Kerner as it's quite rare.

Michael