I don't think I ever questioned that it was a snake. I am sure other forumites can give a more scholarly reply, but there are many keris with a naga head where the kembang kecang usually is, with a wavy tail heading up to the tip.
In martial arts (silat), snake style is for knife fighting.
It is interesting to note that it is the tail of the snake, that is the tip of the keris. Indonesian folklore has snakes that can sting with their tails.
Anyway, I enjoyed the idea that a centipede can magically replace the snake.
I'll look for some keris naga pictures. Modern examples are plentiful on Google, but it would be nice to find an earlier example. I will look on the forum.
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