Keeping a keris for protection

David · 21st December 2007, 02:27 PM

Well, i think both of you are missing my point. When i said that there are so many other reasons for keeping a keris in a household in Indonesian cultures artistic appreciation (as seen by Western collectors) was the furthest from my mind. And Pakana, i am not sure you are correct in your assumption that families could only afford one household keris. The keris is a personal weapon and every male of a certain age would have had at least one. Many of them would not have been made by an mpu though. More likely a village pandai.
And yes Penangsang, a keris is certainly a very good close quarters weapon. However, the question at hand i believe is whether they were kept in households because of the belief that the could warn of danger by rattling in their sheaths. Again, i don't dismiss this completely a possiblity in limited cases with "special" keris, but i don't believe this is or was the norm and certainly not the "reason" for owning a keris.

21st December 2007, 02:27 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,218	Well, i think both of you are missing my point. When i said that there are so many other reasons for keeping a keris in a household in Indonesian cultures artistic appreciation (as seen by Western collectors) was the furthest from my mind. And Pakana, i am not sure you are correct in your assumption that families could only afford one household keris. The keris is a personal weapon and every male of a certain age would have had at least one. Many of them would not have been made by an mpu though. More likely a village pandai. And yes Penangsang, a keris is certainly a very good close quarters weapon. However, the question at hand i believe is whether they were kept in households because of the belief that the could warn of danger by rattling in their sheaths. Again, i don't dismiss this completely a possiblity in limited cases with "special" keris, but i don't believe this is or was the norm and certainly not the "reason" for owning a keris.