Sepuh or ipuh in a keris

[David]

Originally Posted by Gustav

David, Negeri Sembilan on Malay Peninsula actually has very strong Minang roots.

Some quotes from Newbold, 1839:

"The inhabitants of the states in the interior of the southerly part of the Malayan peninsula, particularly those of Sungie ujong, or Simujong, Rumbowe, Johole, and Srimenanti, derive their origin from the parent empire of Menangkabowe, in Sumatra, more directly than the natives of the neighbouring states."

"Sir S. Raffles, in a letter to Mr. Marsden, thus notices the state of Rumbowe: "Inland of Malacca, about sixty miles, is situated the Malay kingdom of Rumbowe, whose Sultan, and all the principal officers of state, hold their authority immediately from Menangkabowe, and have written commissions for their respective offices. This shows the extent of that ancient power, even now reduced as it must be in common with that of the Malay people in general. I had many opportunities of communicating with the natives of Rumbowe, and they have clearly a peculiar dialect, resembling exactly what you mention of substituting the final o for a (...). In fact, the dialect is called by the Malacca people the language of Menangkabowe."
The forgoing remarks apply equally to the three adjoining states, Sungie-ujong, Johole, and Srimenanti, and, as has been aqlready observed, to Naning. It is also worthy of remark, that in the ancient records of the Dutch, preserved in the archives of Malacca, the natives of Rumbowe and Naning are invariably styled "Menangkabowes".

The Malacca Straits and even interior parts of Sumatra and Malay Peninsula for a long time have been an incredible mix of ethnic groups, and this we see mirrored also in Keris.

Regarding Keris Selit, here an old interesting thread, which mentions several restrictive bans as a possible purpose of their emergence. Unfortunately it leaves us without proper facts:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=273

Knowing the character of Malay people, I can imagine them used as actual weapons, at least in 19th cent.

Thanks for this information Gustav, but i don't think it counters what i was trying to get across. Cultures of the archipelago have always mixed and settlements of different cultures have been settled in areas away from there place of origin through the history of the Indonesian area. We find enclaves of Balinese in Madura and the Bugis have certainly maintained settlements all over the archipelago. I think it is still fair to say that the culture in Rumbowe, for instance, whose sultan owed his authority to Minangkabau, followed customs closer to that of Minangkabau than the Malays of the mainland Peninsula. The question centered around whether this keris might be a keris selit and whether there is any tradition of keris selit within the Minang culture (i am still not certain if there is or is not, but have never heard of such a tradition). So the question remains as to whether or not we can view this keris as selit. Minang keris do, however, tend towards the smaller size in general and this one is almost 10 inches long (longer than many keris selit) so i am inclined to think that is was not intended as a keris selit. That it has been hardened for use as a weapon validates that somewhat, though you may well be correct that some keris selit may also have received sepuhan.

[Gustav]

Sorry David, I know. Just when I read "Minangkabau culture is distinctly different from the Malay cultures of the Peninsula as well as other cultures on Sumatra", - Minang culture IS Malay culture, and a part of the Malay culture on Peninsula, one of it's oldest parts. Encyclopaedia Britannica from 1911 says:

"MENANGKABOS, the most civilized of all the true Malays of Sumatra, inhabiting the mountains above Padang. Their district is regarded as the cradle of the Malay race, and thence began, about 1160, those migrations which ended in the true Malays becoming the dominant race throughout the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago."

The date mentioned is somewhat of a legend, but around 1400 there is a bigger wave of Minang settling in Peninsula.

Well, I don't know about connection between small sized Minang Keris and dress Keris on Peninsula. What is for sure, Keris Panjang on Peninsula is an invention by Minang, the best Panjang coming from Rumbowe.

But it is appropriate to say, Keris (Karih) is part of ceremonial Minang dress. Being primarily such and not a weapon anymore, Keris surely becomes diminutive in size. Known are even Minang specimens with wooden blades.

Regarding influence of bans on wearing Kris on emergence of diminutive Keris form - wasn't there a ban on Keris imposed by Dutch on Minang after the Padri wars, which ended 1837?

[David]

Gustav, i never said that Minangkabau culture was not a part of Malay culture. I said it was distinctly different from other Malay cultures of the Peninsula. You have already noted the language differences, a distinct indicator of cultures. I might also note that Minangkabau is notably a matriarchal society (Adat perpatih). I believe this is also true of the pockets of Minangkabau culture that settled on the Peninsula in Negeri Sembilan, but can it be said of the majority of Malay culture? The Minangkabau also brought with them distinct dances and cuisine, also distinct indicators of culture. I am sure that aspects of their keris culture are also distinct from other Malay cultures.
So again, my statements were an attempt to establish whether or not keris selit were a part of Minangkabau keris culture since Oracle brought the question of whether this was keris might be a keris selit given the size.

[oracle_2010]

Originally Posted by Gustav

Sorry David, I know. Just when I read "Minangkabau culture is distinctly different from the Malay cultures of the Peninsula as well as other cultures on Sumatra", - Minang culture IS Malay culture, and a part of the Malay culture on Peninsula, one of it's oldest parts. Encyclopaedia Britannica from 1911 says:

"MENANGKABOS, the most civilized of all the true Malays of Sumatra, inhabiting the mountains above Padang. Their district is regarded as the cradle of the Malay race, and thence began, about 1160, those migrations which ended in the true Malays becoming the dominant race throughout the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago."

The date mentioned is somewhat of a legend, but around 1400 there is a bigger wave of Minang settling in Peninsula.

Well, I don't know about connection between small sized Minang Keris and dress Keris on Peninsula. What is for sure, Keris Panjang on Peninsula is an invention by Minang, the best Panjang coming from Rumbowe.

But it is appropriate to say, Keris (Karih) is part of ceremonial Minang dress. Being primarily such and not a weapon anymore, Keris surely becomes diminutive in size. Known are even Minang specimens with wooden blades.

Regarding influence of bans on wearing Kris on emergence of diminutive Keris form - wasn't there a ban on Keris imposed by Dutch on Minang after the Padri wars, which ended 1837?

Hi Gustav, I want to show with you another example of keris Minang which has intrigued me in regards with our discussion about the practical function of sepuhan and therefore, its existence in small keris particularly in Minang culture (and whether or not it is separable from the Malay culture in general).

Attached, I sent you pictures of a keris Minang with small size with blade length just about 20 cm (actually it fits exactly the length of my palm). After I clean the rust with coconut water, it appear that this keris is constructed from different kinds of steel: pasir malela steel (or "bunga garam") along the center part of the blade and the ganja; then malela steel or "besi miang" along the edge part of the blade. It is also given sepuhan from the part above sor-soran to the tip.

Given the complexity of making such a small keris, maybe it really serve a practical purpose? So not just as a dress keris.