BUNTEL MAYAT

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

... Of course, the question remains as to why this same pamor should be regarded as a very positive one in Bali and Lombok, where it bears a different name. Even without my belief in Empu Suparman, were I to consider this contradiction in an objective fashion, I would be forced to the conclusion that the pamor motif entered Bali in ancient times, prior to the emergence of the Modern Javanese language taking hold in Jawa itself, and prior to the development of the present Javanese keris belief system.

Then again, perhaps we should ask ourselves why any Javanese empu would set out to produce a pamor that no sane person would have in his house.

Interesting fuel for thought.

This time, I remember Shakespeare's phrase of "What is in a name?" Buntel Mayit is "dreadful" for some Javanese people, but pamor "Tambangan" and "Tambangan Badung" (in Lombok, according to Lalu Djelenga's book for this same pamor) is very good for dignity and bravery, heroism... Maybe it was a matter of local sentiment, which based on history, or certain reality in the past that I don't know yet. Primordial matters? I don't know either..

At least, pamor Buntel Mayit (and pamorless "keleng") is the favorite pamor of my keris-friend, Gus Im or Mr Hashim Wahid, the "author" of punk rocker's keris. Of course, Gus Im is a Javanese...

Ganjawulung