Kris

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Kris
Kris bali (landscape version) .jpg
Information
Weapon type: knife
Designations: Kris, keris
Use: Weapon, traditional weapon, cultural asset
Working time: til today
Region of origin /
author: 		Philippines , Moro people
Distribution: India , Indonesia , Malaysia , Southern Philippines
Handle: Metal, wood, ivory
Particularities: The kris is available in different lengths. Some are called a kris sword.
Lists on the subject

The kris , Malay keris 'dagger', is an asymmetrical dagger from Southeast Asia, particularly common in Indonesia , Malaysia and the Philippines .

Because of its cultural and spiritual importance, UNESCO placed the Kris on the 2005 list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity . In 2008 it was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity .

description

In Malay culture, the kris has a spiritual meaning, which is why traditional blacksmiths that make kris are highly regarded. Some of these daggers are said to have a soul or a life of their own, for example the Kris Taming Sari , which is said to have been owned by the mythical Malaysian national hero Hang Tuah , made its owner invincible in battle. There are numerous legends about particularly bloodthirsty daggers that turned their owners into rampage . Pointing at a person with the tip of the blade should also bring disaster, even death, for that person.

The kris was used as a thrust weapon in rare combat situations. There are special variants that were used for execution by thrusting into the region between the collarbone and shoulder. This version ( executioner's kris ) has a straight blade up to 58 cm long and a rounded handle at the pommel.

blade

Snake crisp

The blade is usually wide at the base and tapers towards the tip. The blade length is very variable. In addition to various iron ores, nickel is also used in the manufacture of the blade. The different metals that are forged in layers create a structure that is comparable to the layered steels of Japanese katana and damascus blades . If one of the two metals from which the blade is to be made contains nickel , arsenic ( jav . Warangan ) is added during forging . The arsenic ensures that the nickel-free metal turns black while the nickel-containing metal remains silver. This creates a popular, colored separation of the types of metal during forging. This structure is called pamor . It is made even clearer by treating the surface with citric acid . There are numerous pamor patterns that are very individual and should match the character of the respective owner. Most of the time the blade is flamed, similar to the European two-handed swords of the Middle Ages. This shape is called Dapur Luk , the straight shape Dapur Bener . The individual concave arcs of the blade are called Luk and when added together they always result in an odd number. The variants Dapur Carubuk (7 Luk) and Sengkelat (13 Luk) are common. You can also find 29 Luk or more.

Some blades represent mythical beings at their base, such as a Singa (a lion), Garuda (a mythical bird), a Naga (a mythical snake) or praying figures. According to mythical legends, the dangerousness of the weapon increases with the number of hatches.

Handle and scabbard

The materials used vary. Wood is the most common, but horn and ivory - some with artistic inlays - were also used. The booklet shows depending on the region and prevailing there religion in Islamic areas abstractions, lifelike on the Hindu Bali depictions of people, gods and animals. Between the handle and the blade there are often stapling clamps (indon. Mendak ) and vessels (indon. Selut ) made of precious metal. The sheaths are T-shaped. The vaginal mouthpiece is called wrangka or sampir .

Here, too, there are different regional designs, for example in the form of a boat. Often the valuable components of the kris - the handle and scabbard - were sold and only the more important blade was kept in family ownership. This leads to a wide variety of combinations of handle, scabbard and often much older blades.

Name of the components

There are countless versions that differ in decoration, blade shape and length. Its components and areas have specific names that come from the country of origin. They are named as follows:

  1. Blade areas
  2. Blade base
  3. Staple clamp
  4. Crosspiece
  5. Scabbard
  6. notebook

Blade areas

Similar to European blades, the sections of the blade are named (see gallery picture " Blade areas " ). The blade is available in two versions:

  1. Dapur Bener ( Javanese ), straight blade
  2. Dapur Luk (Javanese), wavy or flamed blade

If the wavy blade is decorated with snake-shaped decorations, it is called the Kris Keris Naga . The names also include all kinds of decorations (indon. Prabot ) on the blade, such as bulges, patterns, protrusions and engravings.

Blade base

The blade base describes the lower part of the blade towards the handle (see gallery picture “ Blade base ” ). In many older versions, the blade base consists of three parts.

  1. Blade (indon. Wilah )
  2. Intermediate piece (indonian silang )
  3. Angel (indon. Putting )

Staple clamp

The handle clamp (Indon. Keris Mendak, Selut ) is used for better fastening of the blade and handle (see gallery picture "handle clamp" ). In most cases it is richly decorated.

Crosspiece

The cross piece (Indon. Keris Wranka, Sampir ) describes the wooden widening of the sheaths of the kris. Most versions are made of wood. When choosing the wood, care is taken to ensure that it has a beautiful grain . Most versions are smooth to emphasize the grain. However, there are also versions that are carved or made of sheet metal, ivory , horn or bone (see gallery picture “Crosspiece” ). Depending on the place of manufacture, they have a certain shape that indicates their place of origin.

Scabbard

There are three basic forms of Krisscheiden (indon. Keris Pendok ):

  1. Boenlon : Closed all around.
  2. Topegan : With a cut-out, elongated window on the front, but closed at the upper end at the vaginal mouth.
  3. Slorok : The upper end (vaginal mouth ) open and narrower running window as the 2nd, (see gallery picture “Scheiden” ).

The sheaths themselves consist of three segments:

  1. the upper, broad segment called Wranka , Wronka or Seluk ;
  2. an insert in the metal scabbard called a gandar , which is made of wood;
  3. the outer metal sheath called Pendak , which completely encloses the Gandar .

They are either smooth or have artful engravings . Some versions were made of silver, silver-plated or gold-plated or also shown openwork and provided with a core made of wood.

notebook

The booklet (indon. Hulu , javan. Ukiran ) of Kris there are countless versions. They can be carved from wood, ivory, silver, or types of stone. They are designed differently depending on the region and the prevailing religion there. They can be designed with natural or abstract representations of people, animals, legends and figures of gods.

Picture gallery

  • Blade areas

  • Blade base

  • Staple clamp

  • Crosspiece

  • Partial names of the crisis book

  • Wooden handle covered with metal

  • Stone handle

  • Bone handle

  • Ivory handle

  • Metal handle

  • Handle made from a fossil elephant tooth

  • Wooden handle

  • Crisis sheath with eyes made of diamond

storage

Special figures (Indon. Raksasi ) are made for storage , which are made in such a way that they hold the kris in the hand. They are mostly made of wood and are painted with natural colors. These holders exist in many different versions. They represent people or mythical creatures .

  • COLLECTIE TROPICAL MUSEUM Gepolychromeerd houten krishouder een Chinees voorstellend TMnr 739-1.jpg
  • COLLECTIE TROPICAL MUSEUM Houten krisstandaard voorstellende een trembling Chinees TMnr 1468-91.jpg

literature

  • Wilbraham Egerton: Indian and oriental arms and armor. Dover Publications, Mineola NY, et al. a. 2002, ISBN 0-486-42229-1 , p. 99.
  • Edward Frey: The Kris. Mystic Weapon of The Malay World. 3rd edition. Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 2010, ISBN 978-983-068-383-6 .
  • Willem Huibert Rassers: On the Javanese Kris. In: Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië, No. 99, 1940, pp. 501–582
  • Albert G. van Zonneveld: Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001, ISBN 90-5450-004-2 .

Web links

Commons : Kris  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Official homepage of UNESCO
  2. ^ Albert G. van Zonneveld: Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001, p. 63.
  3. ^ Albert G. van Zonneveld: Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001, pp. 62-69.
  4. ^ Albert G. van Zonneveld: Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. C. Zwartenkot Art Books, Leiden 2001, p. 112.