Nogo and Singo Origins

David · 23rd October 2025, 03:30 PM

Thanks Alan. I think i might have thrown you off the track of my enquiry by using the word "Origin". I do, of course, realize that the terms "nogo" and 'singo" have their origins in Hindu culture. I am not seeking information of the origins of the words. I am attempting to determine when nogo and singo figures began appearing on keris. Clearly, despite the origins in Hindu culture, these figures appearing with some regularity on Islamic era keris. But i can't recall specifically seeing them all that much on keris that have been identified as Mojopahit. So i am trying to understand the timeframe in which they began tio appear.

A. G. Maisey · 23rd October 2025, 10:49 PM

OK, so if we try to put a date on when these two cultural icons first began to appear on keris, we need to be able to put a date on the keris first, & that is something that is close to impossible, although a "True Believer" will tell us that "Tangguh Mojo" really does mean that the keris was made in the Mojo era. Which it does not. It is an opinion formed on certain stylistic and material factors.

I have seen an abstract naga on a bronze keris buda, but I really cannot put a date on that KB, except to say it was excavated. Old, certainly, but how old?

We can find both naga & singha on Balinese keris, & these most certainly cannot be attributed to Islamic influence.

The two representations have existed for a very long time, and can be found in decorative art & in monumental art, they can be found on very old keris, but how old are those keris?

That is a question that nobody can realistically answer.

23rd October 2025, 03:30 PM	#1
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,261	Thanks Alan. I think i might have thrown you off the track of my enquiry by using the word "Origin". I do, of course, realize that the terms "nogo" and 'singo" have their origins in Hindu culture. I am not seeking information of the origins of the words. I am attempting to determine when nogo and singo figures began appearing on keris. Clearly, despite the origins in Hindu culture, these figures appearing with some regularity on Islamic era keris. But i can't recall specifically seeing them all that much on keris that have been identified as Mojopahit. So i am trying to understand the timeframe in which they began tio appear.

23rd October 2025, 10:49 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,128	OK, so if we try to put a date on when these two cultural icons first began to appear on keris, we need to be able to put a date on the keris first, & that is something that is close to impossible, although a "True Believer" will tell us that "Tangguh Mojo" really does mean that the keris was made in the Mojo era. Which it does not. It is an opinion formed on certain stylistic and material factors. I have seen an abstract naga on a bronze keris buda, but I really cannot put a date on that KB, except to say it was excavated. Old, certainly, but how old? We can find both naga & singha on Balinese keris, & these most certainly cannot be attributed to Islamic influence. The two representations have existed for a very long time, and can be found in decorative art & in monumental art, they can be found on very old keris, but how old are those keris? That is a question that nobody can realistically answer.