The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or swordnowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but alsoindigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis inthe southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade(luk), but many have straight blades as well. The numbers of luks is always oddnumbered, ranged from three to thirteen waves, however there is also luks thatreach 29. Kris can be divided into three parts: bilah (blade), hulu (hilt), andwarangka (sheath). These parts of kris are the object of art, often carved inmeticulous details and made from various materials; metal, precious rare typesof wood to gold or ivory. A kris' aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the formand design of the blade, with around 150 variants), the pamor (the pattern ofmetal alloy decoration on the blade, with around 60 variants), and tangguhreferring to the age and origin of a kris
Both a weapon and spiritual object, kris are oftenconsidered to have an essence or presence, often considered to possess magicalpowers, with some blades possessing good luck and others possessing bad. Krisesare used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, sanctifiedheirloom (pusaka), auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, as an accessory forceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism,etc.Legendary krisses that possess supernatural power and extraordinary abilitywere mentioned in traditional folktales, such as the krisses of Mpu Gandring,Taming Sari, and Setan Kober.
It is believed that the earliest kris prototype canbe traced to Dong Son bronze culture in Vietnam circa 300 BC that spread toother parts of Southeast Asia. Another theory is that the kris was based ondaggers from India. Some of the most famous renderings of a kris appear on thebas-reliefs of Borobudur (825 CE) and Prambanan temple (850CE). However fromRaffles' (1817) study of the Candi Sukuh that the kris recognized today cameinto existence around 1361 AD in the kingdom of Majapahit, East Java.
In 2005, UNESCO gave the title Masterpiece of theOral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity to the kris of Indonesia. In return,UNESCO urged Indonesia to preserve their heritage.
The origin of the word kris derived from the oldJavanese term ngiris which means to stab, wedge or sliver. "Kris" isthe more frequently-used spelling in the West, but "keris" is morepopular in the dagger's native lands, as exemplified by the late BambangHarsrinuksmo's popular book entitled Ensiklopedi Keris (Keris Encyclopedia).Two notable exceptions are the Philippines, where it is usually called kalis orkris, and Thailand where it is always spelled and pronounced as kris. Otherspellings used by European colonists include "cryse","crise", "criss", "kriss" and "creese"
Kris history is generally traced through the studyof carvings and bas-relief panels found in Southeast Asia. It is widelybelieved by archaeologists that the earliest kris prototype can be traced toDong Son in Vietnam circa 300 BC. Another theory is that the kris was based ondaggers from India.Frey (2003) concludes from Raffles' (1817) study of theCandi Sukuh that the kris recognized today came into existence around 1361 ADin the kingdom of Majapahit in Java. The scene in bas relief of Sukuh Temple inCentral Java dated from 15th century Majapahit era, shows the workshop of aJavanese keris blacksmith. The scene depicted Bhima as the blacksmith on theleft forging the metal, Ganesha in the center, and Arjuna on the rightoperating the piston bellows to blow air into the furnace. The wall behind theblacksmith displays various items manufactured in the forge, including kris.These representations of the kris in Candi Sukuh established the fact that by theyear 1437 the kris had already gained an important place within Javaneseculture.
There exist claims of earlier forms predating theMajapahit kris but none are verifiable. In the past, the majority of kris hadstraight blades but this became less frequent over time. Some of the mostfamous renderings of a kris appear on the Borobudur temple (825 CE) andPrambanan temple (850CE). Tome Pires, in early 16th century, describe theimportance of Kris to the Javanese:
Kris were worn on a daily basis, especially whentravelling because it might be needed for self-defense against wild animals orbandits. During wartime it is the weapon of choice together with kris-edgedspear (tombak). During time of peace, people wore kris as part of ceremonialattire. Ceremonial kris oftern meticulously decorated with intricate carving ingold and precious stones. Heirloom blades were handed down through successivegenerations and worn during special events such as weddings and otherceremonies. Men usually wore only one kris but the famous admiral Hang Tuah issaid in the Hikayat Hang Tuah to have armed himself with one short and one longkris. As women were also permitted to learn silat, they sometimes also worekris, though of a smaller size than a man's. In battle, a fighter might carriedmore than one kris, some carried three kris: his own, one from hisfather-in-law, and one as a family heirloom. The extra two served as parryingdaggers but if none were available, the sheath would serve the same purpose.
Kris were often broken in battle and requiredrepairs. Yearly cleanings, required as part of the spirituality and mythologysurrounding the weapon, often left ancient blades worn and thin. The repairmaterials depended on location and it is quite usual to find a weapon with fittingsfrom several areas. For example, a kris may have a blade from Java, a hilt fromBali and a sheath from Madura.
In many parts of Indonesia, the kris was the choiceweapon for execution. The executioner's kris had a long, straight, slenderblade. The condemned knelt before the executioner, who placed a wad of cottonor similar material on the subject's shoulder or clavicle area. The blade wasthrust through the padding, piercing the subclavian artery and the heart. Uponwithdrawal, the cotton wiped the blade clean. Death came within seconds.
In 16th century, European colonial power introducedfirearms into the archipelago that contribute to the decline of kris'prominence as the weapon of choice in battle. However its spiritual andceremonial function still continued and celebrated mainly in kratons andistanas (courts) throughout Indonesia and Malaysia.
Until the 1990s, kris-making activities in Java hadalmost come to a standstill due to economic difficulties and changingsocio-cultural values. However, thanks to several concerned kris experts, thetradition is being revived and kris craftsmanship has increased again.
Over the past three decades, krises have lost theirprominent social and spiritual meaning in society. Although active and honouredempus who produce high quality krises in the traditional way can still be foundon some places such Madura, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar And Palembang,their number is dramatically decreasing, and it is more difficult for them tofind successors to whom they may transmit their skills
A kris' aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the formand design of the blade, with around 150 variants), the pamor (the pattern ofmetal alloy decoration on the blade, with around 60 variants), and tangguhreferring to the age and origin of a kris.
Kris blade is called wilah or bilah. Kris blades areusually narrow with a wide, asymmetrical base. Kris is famous for its wavyblades (luk), however the older types of kris dated from Majapahit era arestraight blades ones. The numbers of luks is always odd numbered,[1] the commonnumbers of luks ranged from three to thirteen waves, however there is also luksthat reach 29. Today the wavy blade kris is more commonly found than thestraight ones. The exact purpose of wavy blade is unknown. It was suggestedthat wavy blade is symbolize both fire and water, the two elements presentduring the forging of metal blade. In Bali kris is associated with Nāga (dragonserpent) which also symbolyze irrigation canals, rivers, springs, wells, spouts,waterfalls and rainbows, thus the wavy blade symbolyze the movement of theserpent. Some keris have a naga or serpent head carved near its base with thebody and tail following the curves of the blade to the tip. A wavy kris is anaga in motion, aggressive and alive; a straight blade is one at rest, itspower dormant but ready to come into action.
Another theory suggested that the wavy blade designwas meant to inflict severe wound upon victim. During keris stabbing, the wavyblades severes more blood vessels, creating wider wound which caused the victimto easily bleed to death. However in older Javanese tradition it is also commonto apply various types of poisons upon keris blade, which can inflict morepotent mortality upon battle.
Different types of whetstones, acidic juice ofcitrus fruits and poisonous arsenic bring out the contrast between the darkblack iron and the light colored silvery nickel layers which together formpamor, damascene patterns on the blade. The distinctive pamor patterns has specificmeanings and names which indicate their special magical property.
Kris handle or hilt (hulu keris) is the object ofart, often carved in meticulous details and made from various materials;precious rare types of wood to gold or ivory. In Bali kris handle is carved indemon-like creature coated in gold and adorned with semi precious and preciousstones, such as rubies. In Java kris handle is made in various type, the mostcommon design is the abstract stylized representation of human. The example ofkris hilt styles such as Tunggak Semi Putri Kinurung hilt from Surakarta, Hulukeris Batara Guru and Pulasir from Madura, hulu keris Punukan from Palembang,Ratmaja from Bali, hulu keris Pulungan from Cirebon, and seabird-like hilt fromLampung and Sulawesi.
The kris usually has a curved pistol-grip hilt thataids in stabbing strikes. It allows the palm of the holding hand to addpressure to the blade while stabbing. A kris only offers minimal protection forthe hand by the broad blade at the hilt. In rare cases, the blade may be forgedso its axis lies at an angle to the hilt's axis. The intention is to get theblade automatically turning to slip past the ribs but this works poorly andmakes the weapon less durable
Just like kris hilt, its sheath (warangka) is alsothe object of art. It can be made from various materials, usually wooden frameto hold the blade which can be coated with metals; such as brass, iron, silver,or even gold, usually carved in sulur floral motifs. The upper part of sheathformed a broad curved handle made from wood or sometimes ivory. It could beadorned with precious or semi-precious stones.
The making of a kris was the specialised duty ofmetalworkers called empu or pandai besi. In Bali this occupation was preservedby the Pande clan to this day, members of whom also made jewellery. A bladesmith, or empu, makes the blade in layers of different iron ores and meteoritenickel. Some blades can be made in a relatively short time, while morelegendary weapons take years to complete. In high quality kris blades, themetal is folded dozens or hundreds of times and handled with the utmostprecision. Empu are highly respected craftsmen with additional knowledge inliterature, history, the occult, etc.
Krises were worn at special ceremonies, withheirloom blades being handed down through successive generations. Both men andwomen might wear them, though those for women are smaller. A rich spiritualityand mythology developed around the weapon. Krises are used for display, astalismans with magical powers, weapons, sanctified heirloom, auxiliaryequipment for court soldiers, as an accessory for ceremonial dress, anindicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc.[3]
In Javanese culture kris is revered as tosan aji(Javanese for "sacred heirloom weapon") and considered as pusaka.Kris is believed to have ability to infused bravery upon its holder, thisproperty is known as piyandel in Javanese which means "to addself-confidence". The pusaka kris or kris-tipped spear given by a Javaneseking to nobles or his subjects, was meant to symbolize the king's confidencebestowed upon the receiver and considered as a great honor. During Javanesewedding ceremony, kris is required to be adorned with chains of jasmine flowerarrangement as an important part of Javanese groom's wedding costume. Theaddition of jasmine arrangement around the kris was meant as a symbol that aman should not easily be angry, cruel, fierce, too aggressive, tyrannical andabusive.
Kris-makers did more than forge the weapon, theycarried out the old rituals which could infuse the blade with mystical powers.For this reason, kris are considered almost alive because they may be vesselsof spirits, either good or evil. Legends tell of kris that could move of theirown volition and killed individuals at will. Some kris are rumored to standupright when their real names are called by their masters. It was said thatsome kris helped prevent fires, death, agricultural failure, and many otherproblems. Likewise, they could also bring fortune, such as bountiful harvests.Many of these beliefs, however, were erroneously derived from the possession ofdifferent kris by different people. For example, there is a type of kris inJava that was called Beras Wutah, which was believed to grant its possessor aneasy life without famine. In reality, this kris was mainly assigned togovernment officers that were paid, in whole or in part with foodstuff such asrice.
There are several ways of testing whether a kris islucky or not. A series of cuts on a leaf, based on blade width and otherfactors, could determine if a blade was good or bad. Also, if the owner sleptwith the blade under their pillow, the spirit of the kris would communicatewith the owner via dream. If the owner had a bad dream, the blade was unluckyand had to be discarded, whereas if the owner had a good dream the dagger wouldbring good fortune. However, just because a blade was bad for one person didn'tmean it would be bad for another. Harmony between the weapon and its owner wascritical.
Because some kris are considered sacred and believedto possess magical powers, specific rites needed to be completed to avoidcalling down evil fates which is the reason warriors often made offerings totheir kris at a shrine. There is also the belief that pointing a kris atsomeone means they will die soon, so silat practitioners precede theirdemonstrations by touching the points of the blades to the ground so as toneutralise this effect
Several folktales — linked to historical figures — werementioning about the legendary krises that possess supernatural power andextraordinary ability. Most of the magical krises are from Javanese origin,while the tales are derived from Javanese ancient manuscript, Babad (Javanesechronicle) and Malay Annals.
One of the most famous legends from Java derivedfrom Pararaton (The Book of Kings), describes a legendary bladesmith called MpuGandring and his impatient customer, Ken Arok, that took place during the endof Kediri kingdom. The customer ordered a powerful kris to kill the mightychieftain of Tumapel, Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok eventually stabbed the oldbladesmith to death because he kept delaying the scheduled completion of thekris. Dying, the bladesmith cursed the kris through prophesied that the unfinishedor incomplete kris would kill seven men, including Ken Arok. Ken Arok uses theMpu Gandring's cursed kris to assassin Tunggul Ametung, cunningly put the blameto Kebo Ijo, and build a new kingdom of Singhasari. The prophecy finally cametrue, with four men enlisted as the kris' first death roll, including MpuGandring himself, Tunggul Ametung, Kebo Ijo to whom Ken Arok lent the weapon,and finally Ken Arok himself. The unfinished kris then disappeared.
Another version of the tale describes that the krispassed to Ken Arok's stepson Anusapati which in turn killed his stepfatherafter recognized that his genuine father was killed by Ken Arok with the samekris. The bloody revenge continued on and on until the reign of Kertanegara,the last king of Singhasari kingdom.
The Keris Taming Sari (translation: Flower ShieldKris) (Taming Sari's kris) is one of the most well-known kris in Malayliterature, said to be so skilfully crafted that anyone wielding it wasunbeatable. In some versions of the legend, the weapon would grant its userphysical invulnerability. The legend took place sometimes during the fall ofMajapahit Empire and the rise of Malacca Sultanate. Tun Sri Lanang's book, theSejarah Melayu, tells that it was made by javanese empu and first used by thechampion of Majapahit, a pendekar named Taming Sari. He was defeated in a duelto the death by the Melakan admiral Hang Tuah, after which the king ofMajapahit presented the weapon to the victor.
After being framed by a jealous official, Hang Tuahwas ordered to be executed, but he managed to escape and go into hiding withthe help of a minister who knew the truth. Hang Tuah's kris and title ofLaksamana (admiral) were passed on to his comrade Hang Jebat. Furious that hisbest friend was unfairly put to death, Hang Jebat rebelled against the royaltyand took over the palace. The desperate ruler of Melaka pardoned the ministerso long as Hang Tuah could win him back the throne. Having trained under thesame master since childhood the two friends were nearly equals but of the two,Tuah was the superior fighter. However, even after a long battle in the palace,neither could best the other because the Kris Taming Sari evened the odds. Onlyafter taking his weapon back did Hang Tuah manage to stab Jebat, who died soonafter.
Another Javanese folk story tells of AryaPenangsang, the mighty Adipati of Jipang who was killed by his own kris calledKeris Setan Kober (Javanese for: Devil of the Grave Kris). This kris is apowerful one with 13 luks and tangguh Pajajaran (created in kingdom ofPajajaran) by Mpu Bayu Aji, a skillful bladesmith. Near the finish when the Mputried to infuse spiritual power into the kris, he was disturbed by the cryingdemon (jinn) of the graveyard. As a result, although powerful, the kris isdefective. Since Mpu Bayu Aji is so ambitious to create a powerful weapon, plusthe disturbance from the devil, the kris has a temperamental evil nature thatcauses the wielder to be overly ambitious and impatient.
The story took place during the fall of DemakSultanate that had replaced Majapahit as the ruler of Java. The Keris SetanKober were safely kept by Sunan Kudus, one of nine Islamic saints of Java.However Sunan Prawoto, son of Prince Trenggana and grandson of Raden Patah,stole it and used it to assassinate his uncle Raden Kikin by the river, sincethen Raden Kikin also refer as Sekar Seda Lepen (flower that fell by theriver). Raden Trenggana rise as Sultan and later after his death, replaced bySunan Prawoto. Kikin's son, Arya Penangsang of Jipang with the help of histeacher, Sunan Kudus, took revenge by sending an assassin to kill Prawoto usingKeris Setan Kober. Prawoto younger sister Ratu Kalinyamat seeks revenge onPenangsang, since Penangsang also murdered her husband. She urged her brotherin-law, Hadiwijaya (Joko Tingkir) the ruler of Pajang, to kill Arya Penangsang.Hadiwijaya sent his adopted son and also his son in-law Sutawijaya, who wouldlater become the first ruler of the Mataram dynasty.
During a battle, Sutawijaya stabbed Penangsang withKyai Plered spear right in his gut. Arya Penangsang is bathing in his ownblood, and his intestines were hanging from his gut. However because AryaPenangsang is a mighty fighter that possess aji or kesaktian (spiritual powerin martial art), he keep fighting with an open wounded stomach. He encircledhis hanging intestines on his kris hilt, and continue to fight. When trying toattack his opponent, the reckless, fierce and impatience Panangsang pulled hisown Keris Setan Kober off its sheath, foolishly cut his own intestines, andfinally died.
The Javanese tradition of putting jasmine garlandschain around the kris' hilt, especially on groom's kris during the weddingceremony, are actually derived from this tale. It is to symbolyze that thegroom should not be reckless, easily get angry, impatient and abusive like AryaPanangsang.[ To replace the intestine, the kris is coiled with a floral garlandof jasmine chain that resemble intestine. The jasmine is to symbolizesacredeness, patience, grace, humility, kindness and benevolence, the qualitieslack in Panangsang. However another source mentioned that actually Sutawijayaadmired Penangsang's fighting spirits, still fighting although his intestineencircled around his kris. Impressed by Penangsang's deed, later he command hismale descendants to follow his step, adorned the kris with"intestine" made from the chain of jasmine, as a symbol of bravery.The story of Arya Penangsang has inspired and performed as Javanese ketoprakdrama
Throughout the archipelago, kris is a symbol ofheroism, martial prowess, power and authority. As a cultural symbol, themeticulously decorated keris represent refinement, art and beauty, as the prideand prized possession for its owner; however, as a weapon it is associated withviolence, death and bloodshed. Probably for this reason, although the kris iswidespread in Javanese culture, it is not used to symbolise Javanese culture orroyalty, as Javanese tradition promotes harmony and discourages direct confrontation(hence the absence of knives on Indonesian dinner tables). This is also why theJavanese traditionally wear the kris on their back, to symbolize violence asthe last resort. However, in other parts of archipelago, from Sumatra to theMalay Peninsula and to Sulawesi, the kris is worn on the front or left side onthe hip.
The kris is depicted on different emblems, coats andlogos. For example, it can be seen in historical flag of Mataram Sultanate andformer emblem of Siam to represent Malay minority in Southern Thailand. Kris isdisplayed in emblems of Riau, Riau Islands Province, Terengganu and Selangor.It also can be seen on an obverse copper-zinc-tin RM1 coin with a songketpattern in the background. The Malaya and British Borneo dollar 1 cent coin of1962 also depicted a pair of crossed kris.
Since the independence of Malaysia, the kris hasbecome something of a symbol of Malay nationalism. It is still regarded by someas a symbol of ketuanan Melayu, the doctrine of Malay as the dominant race attheir homeland, and has been incorporated into the Sang Saka Bangsa, theofficial flag of the United Malays National Organisation.
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