Executioner's Keris For Comment

[Newsteel]

We are here to learn.

Lew,
Taking the possibilities, the hilt to me looks more like a handle for parang jenguk/ginah (a sickle like blade) from Kelantan northern Malaysia. I haven't record any real old photos having such hilt for a keris panjang. Maybe that tapak kuda floral carved type hilt form is for aesthetic reasons, but it could be as functionally for execution.

I doubt if that little dot of hole could hold enough cotton to clean the blood from the blade and cover the opening from the pierce as said.

[David]

Originally Posted by Newsteel

I doubt if that little dot of hole could hold enough cotton to clean the blood from the blade and cover the opening from the pierce as said.

Well, the hole runs deep into the hilt and cotton is both flexible and compressible/expandable so i think you could probable store enough cotton for the job in there. That doesn't support Lew's story as much as it doesn't deny it. This is still a hilt form that i have not seen for a panjang before, but i am sure that there is much that many of us have not seen before.
Is there some reason why your "very good source" can't be identified Lew?

[asomotif]

Dear Lew,

Indeed I would like to learn the origin of this theory (or historic fact).

That would make this keris one of the very very very few practically used excecution keris.
For some reason vereybody wants the eloborate hilts, either old/new/carved or even diecast.

Best regards,
Willem

[Lew]

The person who provided me with the information said it came from a very old Dutch book.


Lew