Bali Wadon(?) Hilt

[A. G. Maisey]

I can add nothing of any value to what has already been offered.

Currently I'm in Solo, but before getting here yesterday I was in Bali for a few days. When this question was once again raised by David, I asked a couple of keris conscious friends to have a look at the hilt form posted and give an opinion. One of these friends is a man of 69 years who has collected and dealt keris for most of his adult life.

Neither of my friends had any definitive answer. All the most knowledgeable friend was willing to say was that :-
"it is clearly a woman",
so OK, what woman? deity ? someone from myth or legend? can we name the woman?
" I' ve never heard anybody with any true knowledge give a name to that woman or that handel form"

This just about boils down to what I've been told in Solo years ago:- "wadon"

Possibly the answer may lay in the function of the keris as a cosmic bond , with the blade having masculine character, the scabbard having feminine character, the pesi as lingga, and the feminine enclosing the lingga, so we have the female wrongko enclosing the male wilah, and the female jejeran enclosing the male lingga. As a totality we have a representation of society.
The female has no face, because she is representative of the female element, not any specific female.

Don't take what I've just written as any accurate explanation. Its not. Its just an idea based upon the nature of the keris and the way people here can think.

[David]

Thanks for sharing your ideas Alan. I see the logic in your possible explanation, though certainly won't consider it a definitive answer. But your kind of critical thinking was what i was trying to get started even if it does not lead to any solid conclusions. Hopefully i am not the only one who finds this mysterious hilt form an alluring enigma.

[Hartadi]

In Lombok, hilt like this named "Balu Mekebun"

Balu = widow
Mekebun = Condition where the hairs screws up

with the explanation of a process during a woman become a devil. (LEAK = devil in Lombok language). She will bring down all of her hairs to cover her face until no body know she will be a "LEAK / devil "

I've got the hilt on my room made of silver.

[Jean]

Hello Hartadi,
Nice hilt, thanks!
And do you know if this woman is just an unknown demon or if she depicts an Hindu Goddess?
Regards

[Hartadi]

Originally Posted by Jean

Hello Hartadi,
Nice hilt, thanks!
And do you know if this woman is just an unknown demon or if she depicts an Hindu Goddess?
Regards

By the name " Balu " is divorced women. Thats what we believe here.

[David]

Thanks for the addition input Hartadi...and the beautiful silver example!

[A. G. Maisey]

Thank you for your comments, Mr. Hartadi. I find this Lombok attribution to be rather thought provoking.

The following comments that I will make are not in any way to be understood as a casting of doubt upon your comments, nor as any sort of challenge to the beliefs of keris conscious people living in Lombok --- or anywhere else for that matter.

However, what you have written does vary significantly from the usual Balinese understanding of the leak, and in addition, what you have written does raise some questions.

The leak (or leyak) is an indigenous Balinese being. In daylight they appear to be a normal human being, but at night they can appear as they really are, just a head with trailing guts. They have the power to transform into other things, not necessarily living things, they might take the form of some sort of inanimate thing.

Leaks are generally perceived in Bali as really bad news, to be avoided at all costs, but many years ago I was told by a Brahmin whose daughter was married to my wife’s cousin that leaks are not necessarily bad and can help a person if the way is understood. Actually, a leak is a human being who has changed to a leak because of the practice of black magic.

There are several different types of leak, and I forget what they are and what their characters are, I cannot go to my references as I am away from home at the moment.

The boss of the leaks is Rangda, who as we know is an incarnation of Dewi Durga.

I cannot recall any belief or tradition in Bali where a leak will cover its face to avoid recognition. In fact, a leak has the ability to change form if it wishes to avoid recognition, and during daylight hours a leak will look like an ordinary person. So, cover the face with hair to avoid recognition? Maybe in Lombok, but not in Bali.

If I were at home I could give references to substantiate what I have written, but I’m not at home, so I cannot.. However, leaks and their place in the Balinese folk belief systems are very well known so finding references should not be at all difficult.


Whenever I hear or see discussion on this female hilt form there is always one question that comes to the front of my mind:- when and where were the names that are commonly used first found?

Who first decided this form was a representation of Dewi Durga?

Who first named this form as “Balu Mekabun”?

When?

Then there is the question of exactly who and what Balu Mekabun is. My memory is far from perfect, as is my knowledge, but I cannot recall ever hearing “Balu Mekabun” applied to any character in Balinese folk belief other than by some people with an interest in the keris.

Does Balu Mekabun exist in the wider spectrum of Balinese folk belief?


I could be dead wrong, but I sort of have the feeling that what we have in Balu Mekabun is a European creation intended to give the impression of authenticity. Once in play, the term takes on a life of its own , just as Balinese hilts are widely referred to in Bali as “hendel”, or in a similar fashion to the way that the term “Keris Mojopahit” replaced the term “Keris Sajen” probably in the mid-1980’s. Inventions by bules that are taken up by people living in Jawa-Bali. Lets face it:- it helps trade if you let the buyers think they know what they’re talking about.

If asked a question, make sure you give the answer that is expected. Don’t upset people who have power or money.