Keris
Also known as: kris
An asymmetrical Javanese dagger with a layered blade bearing the pamor pattern, often wavy with an odd number of luk waves; listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage since 2005.
Quick Facts
IndonesiaAbout the weapon
Keris (kris in English) is an asymmetrical Javanese dagger whose blade bears a pattern formed by alternating layers of metal. According to Stamford Raffles's study of the Candi Sukuh temple from 1817, the keris took its present form around 1361 in the Majapahit kingdom in eastern Java. The oldest known surviving piece, the Knaud keris in Amsterdam's Tropenmuseum, bears the date 1264 Saka, that is 1342 CE. The keris has three parts: the blade (wilah or bilah), the hilt (hulu) and the sheath (warangka). The blade measures 38 to 127 centimetres and is meant for thrusting, not cutting. Wavy blades have an odd number of waves called luk, usually three to thirteen, exceptionally up to 29. The pamor pattern is formed from iron containing nickel. The keris is among the weapons commonly used in Indonesian pencak silat. It was forged by empu masters. In the 20th century production declined sharply after colonisation and weapon bans; smiths today work in Madura, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Palembang. The keris was worn as part of ceremonial dress, an amulet, a badge of status and a family heirloom; at a Javanese wedding it belongs to the groom's attire, adorned with jasmine chains. According to the Pararaton chronicle, the smith Mpu Gandring cursed the keris commissioned by Ken Arok, and Ken Arok used it to murder Tunggul Ametung and found the Singhasari kingdom. In 2005 UNESCO inscribed the keris among humanity's intangible cultural heritage, and in March 2020 the Dutch king returned to Indonesia the keris of Prince Diponegoro, a symbol of the struggle for independence.
Parts of the weapon
- Blade — wilah
- Grip — hulu
- Scabbard — warangka