How 1,200-Year-Old Keris Daggers Tradition Is Fighting To Survive | Still Standing

This tradition is pretty awesome, can’t believe it has been alive for 1200 years! Would like to experience this tradition.

The keris is misunderstood by modern humans, even the Javanese themselves. 'The keris is the main weapon', in fact it is NOT. If you lose your weapon during battle, the Keris is to be your last defense

I absolutely love the fact that the master is willing to open the tradition to women. There are TOO many disappearing culturally significant crafts in danger of disappearing and the men who traditionally do it would never teach a woman or hadn't even thought that they are precluding half the population that could keep it alive. THIS is the best way to modernize and KEEP beautiful, meaningful traditions alive.

In The Netherlands, a country with colonial ties and a large Indonesian diaspora, the Dutch Ministry of Defense organizes a "Keris Day" (Krissendag) in one of their museums (Bronbeek in Arnhem, to be precise), every year. People from far and wide can bring their Kerises to be identified (and often appraised) by historians and experts. There's even an expert from the Ministry who specialises in exorcism and removing magical properties from such Kerises that might be haunted or otherwise holding magical properties.

You know where usually some weapons from a game have magical damage instead of only physical damage? This is how they might made it. Had one as a heirloom, absolutely gorgeous

They're not completely forgotten. In Bali, especially in Ubud, keris makers are still thriving, they still make them for religious ceremonies, heirloom, or for collection. Most of them are from Pande Clan. Some even have magical element to it, like a perk in a video game.

It's good that Indonesians still have keris as part of there culture, even if it's just ceremonial. They were used here in the Philippines too, but that tradition was lost when we were colonized by Spain

in Bali (part of Indonesia) we still use keris as part of traditional HIndu ceremony and lot of keris crafter still exist today. We are still held and proud of our tradition because its connected with our religious practice

Pak Subandi, Mas Danar dan rekan2 lainya, mohon lanjutkan tradisi leluhur kita. Jangan lupa mengupdate teknik2 tersebut tanpa melupakan tradisi. Ilmu2 metalurgi banyak yg berkembang, gandeng rekan2 dari kampus. Jangan lupa update HSE (Health Safety Environment); penggunaan kacamata safety (goggle), pelindung tangan dll. Materi pandai besi tersebar di berbagai wilayah Indo, mohon kembangkan sumber material agar mendapatkan yang terbaik. Terus berjuanggg!!!

Some facts about keris: - it's not dying per se, it's just dying in Java and Sumatra, due to the tantric stuff involved. In Bali it's still thriving - there's a lot of etiquettes to keris. For ex: you can not wear your keris up front unless in war or battle. You wear it on the back to symbolize Hindu-Buddhism's Ahimsa practice. Also if you want to show your keris, you must not pull the keris out of the scabbard, you pull the scabbard instead. - men used to bring up to 3 keris to war. One is his family's keris, one is his own personal keris and the last is keris gifted to him by his inlaws as a dowry. - keris in wedding is actually the one dying tradition. It used to be that the groom would be given a keris by his soon-to-be father in law, and give his own personal keris to his bride. Symbolizing that he was tasked to protect his wife, while his wife is tasked to control her husband so that he live a peaceful life. - straight keris design is older than keris luk (the curvy one). It's the one that saw Dyah Vijaya betraying the Mongols. - old keris can be a pair of two. If they are the same they are considered twins, or just sisters if they differ a bit. Some very-very rare pair are called lanang-wadhon (male-female, husband-wife), usually the male is keris luk while the female is keris lurus. According to the story, these pair could be forged from same ore or the souls imbued to the blade to be siblings or young husband and wife who met an unfortunate end. - if you didnt notice, women were also used to wield keris. Why? Cause in Indonesia, Shikhandi (Srikandi) an androgynous character from the epic Mahabharata is super popular. - still on the topic of emulating heroes/heroine. In Bali or some places in Eastern Java, it's the youngest son that inherit the keris (also the land and the blades) of his father, not the oldest. This is to emulate Airlangga (he-who-crossed-the-strait), a hero king that revived the Ishana dynasty in East Java, instead of inheriting the Warmadewa throne from his father Udayana of Bali.

Hearing "keris daggers" is weird. Daggers are just classifications of short swords so calling it keris is fine. It's sad that the craft is dying and the use of keris is mainly for ceremonial purposes or decoration nowadays but I'm proud that this tradition is still ongoing. My grandparents were from Kendal, Central Java. Much love from Singapura!

Losing this tradition would be a tragedy. The Kris is a work of art on par with the katana

It's interesting to hear that the 3-day fasting period when the mpu only consumes white rice and water is called "mutih", which is pretty much the active verb form of "putih", meaning 'white'. The 'white' in this case purifies mind, soul, and body before the mpu can start making the keris in earnest.

I agree that there are ways to modernize the craft without losing its traditional values. Masters should wear protective gear such as goggles and gloves and use modern tools to streamline the process. Involving more women in the craft is also a way to involve a healthy number of artisans, and it wouldn't be taboo either, since female empus have always been a part of the history of kris anyway. It is important for us Indonesians to preserve this dying art. There is a reason why UNESCO awarded the Indonesian Kris the status of a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. The art may have spread from Java to our neighboring countries, but only in Indonesia is there evidence of the weapon's origin, including depictions of Kris daggers on the bas-reliefs of ancient Javanese temples.

The oldest found kris is from Majapahit era (1300s AD) kept at Rijk Museum in Amsterdam. I hope the museum is willing to return it to Indonesia to be housed at the National Museum. Thank you to Indonesian kris masters for preserving our heritage. Hope young generation can inherit all the skills.

Fun fact, Solo is one of the castle town in Indonesia, they still have their own king with title "Susuhunan" even though he not rule politically anymore

When I lived in Indonesia my friends would not let me buy one because they said they had spirits in them and came alive at night and float around. They were pricey too. I regret not getting one while I was there, I bought an ipod touch instead lol

Keris, underrated multi layered weapon. Everybody knows Damascus Sword style, or Katana, but this, they don't even know that some of keris made from meteorite stone. As Javanese, my Father has some of keris at home, from Ancient Mataram Kingdom era, Sriwijaya Era also Majapahit era

0:01 that top down view goes hard tho.

0:02 that overhead shot was amazing, no wonder you guys made it the thumbnail!