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Old 27th September 2020, 10:12 PM   #38
A. G. Maisey
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Join Date: May 2006
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There are multiple variations of the kocetkocetan/kusia hilt, the symbolism is of transformation:- man > spirit > rebirth; evil > good; good > evil; child > adult.

Read different authors, speak to different people you will get different interpretations.

Whether something is kocetkocetan or kusia or whether they are both the same is subject to opinion too. BBK makes the differentiation subject to the presence of tusks.

The overall style is Balinese, Balinese occupation of Lombok was an extension of Balinese culture, Balinese in Lombok used the Balinese language for communication. The Sasak people did not adopt Balinese style, the Balinese people did not adopt Sasak style. How can "kusia" be associated with Sasak people?

The word "kepompong" is Indonesian, it means "pupa" or "chrysalis".

The pupa form of an insect symbolises the time of change.

Just because some source of information is older does not make it correct. In fact, insofar as the societies of SE Asia are concerned, old information provided by anybody must be looked at very carefully, and in reality, the same applies to recent information. If you ask a question of people in many of these societies you will get anything other than an accurate response.

The word used for the same object can vary constantly in Bali, just as it can in Jawa. Move from one place to another, usage & dialects can change. This is not unique to only SE Asia.

Last edited by A. G. Maisey; 28th September 2020 at 01:02 AM. Reason: correction of error
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