Kris(English) or Keris (Malay Bahasa) or ‘Kekheh’ (Patani Malay) mean piercing is the dagger used as the weapon dressed at the waist for every Malay gentle men in the old time before the advent of the most sophisticated tools for defending and attacking the enemy and vise versa . The hundred thousand nights story of this magic and mystical weapon was told by the Malay nation, generation after generation about its invincible action and savoir in the battle field, the palace and the village. It’s the only weapon that consist of an element of charming, beauty, dignity, aggressive and defensive quality at the same time. This Malay dagger become the symbol of Malayness, especially after the independence of
Back Ground
Keris, believed to be originated in India brought to Malay archipelago via Java, another sources believed that keris is indigenous product originated in Malay archipelago. (“The primitive Malay had no flint, but
made various polished and unpolished instruments ”G. B. GARDNER)
In Prambanan complex,central Java (early 10th century), a few bas-relief have leaf-shaped bladed daggers, which have some commonality with the Keris Buda. These daggers may be considered as proto Keris.
Keris become popular and well known in the time of Majapahit empire as wrritten by Ma Huan in “The overall survey of the ocean's shore” Ma Huan was a translator who accompanied the Chinese Admiral Zheng He. During Zheng He third visited the Majapahit kingdom in 1416,He gave the account of expedition as follow:-“ men in Java have a pa-lak(Keris and badik) stuck in their girdle. Everybody is carrying such a weapon, from the child of three years up to the oldest man. These daggers have very thin stripes and whitish flowers and made of the very best iron alloy; the handle is of gold, rhinoceros or ivory, cut into the shape of devil faces and finished carefully". Keris is widely dressed before the coming of Ma Huan in early 15th century.
Type or Category of Keris
Keris classification was based mainly on its production place, keris experts will sometime identify its origin by instinct and sometime by magical power but there's a certain principle of keris classification standard that is known by its characeristic; different production places had a different details of its characteristic(arts or strength ). We may roughly divided the category of keris as follow:- Keris from
Java, Bali, Madura, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Peninsula(Patani, Malaysia), Moro, Sajen
Type or Category of Keris
Keris classification was based mainly on its production place, keris experts will sometime identify its origin by instinct and sometime by magical power but there's a certain principle of keris classification standard that is known by its characeristic; different production places had a different details of its characteristic(arts or strength ). We may roughly divided the category of keris as follow:- Keris from
Java, Bali, Madura, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Peninsula(Patani, Malaysia), Moro, Sajen
keris is not a slashing weapon like any other fighting knife, but rather a stabbing instrument. There are many stories of keris being made especially for killing a specific person or ethnic group of people. The wound made by a keris was terrible; the edge of the blade "danced" in the wound, and left tatters of dead flesh, which would begin to rot, hence ; for the purpose of defense and attack, keris had a unique structure as follow:-
Hulu (Malaysia)
Hilt Cup
Mendak = lower ring below the hilt
Selut = larger upper ring that fits into the hilt
Blade
Wilah (Indonesia)
Mata (Malaysia)Sheath
Warangka (Indonesia)
Sarung (Malaysia)
The blades of Keris are usually narrow and have a wide, asymmetrical base. Blade length is highly variable. The blade is made from different iron ores and often contains nickel. A bladesmith, or empu, makes the blade in layers of different metal. Some blades can be made in a relatively short time, while more legendary weapons can take years or even a lifetime to complete. In high quality kerisses the metal of the blade has been folded dozens or even hundreds of times and handled with the utmost precision. There are keris blades that carry the imprints of the smith's thumbs, or even lips, used in the Blade pattern.
Keris had long been used for personal weapon in the Malay world before the advent of new kind of more sophisticated destroying tools (at one time) in the history of Mankind. We don’t specifically know, where was keris originated? When was the first keris invented? Who was the father of keris world?
Keris had long been used for personal weapon in the Malay world before the advent of new kind of more sophisticated destroying tools (at one time) in the history of Mankind. We don’t specifically know, where was keris originated? When was the first keris invented? Who was the father of keris world?
The answer to this question is not firmly assured by the expert in this matter but some of the hypothesis being presented by the historians, archaeologist, kerissologist and anthropologist. It is only the hypothesis, we have to do more discovery on this matter in the future not because of its supremacy and sophisticated destroyer but as the monument of human calamities and destructions, lessons of the past for peace and prosperity in the future.
Keris is part of human inventions in the past, today it’s nothing to do with the violence or any aggressive, provocation purpose and it become part of human heritage, distinct arts, culture and the history. Keris become part of Antique, Decoration and Souvenir business world.
Today, Keris is used for waist dressing in the wedding, traditional celebration, important events every where in the Malay world.
Keris was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005:
"Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity"
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