There are two kinds of weapon traditionally called kris in English. The first is an Indonesian dagger for thrusting, and the second is a much longer Moro sword used for cutting. Some collectors attempt to distinguish them by spelling the Indonesian dagger as keris.
The word "kris" comes from the Malay word hiris, meaning "to cut".
The Indonesian Kris
An Indonesian kris is a dagger noted for its wavy blade, which is to be feared for the excruciating pain of the undulations during a stabbing. Kris were used in the island arcs from the Malay Peninsula, through Indonesia, to Mindanao, in the Philippines.
One of the most famous folk stories from Java describes a legendary kris blacksmith, called Mpu Gandring, and his impatient customer, Ken Arok. Ken Arok wanted to order a powerful Kris to kill the chieftain of Tumapel, Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok eventually stabbed the old blacksmith to death because he kept delaying the scheduled completion of the kris, which Ken Arok had probably ordered several months before. Dying, the blacksmith prophesied that the kris would kill seven men, including Ken Arok. The prophecy finally came true, and the kris of Mpu Gandring disappeared.
The kris is a trademark accessory of Javanese and Balinese male aristocrats.
Some kris are considered sacred, and people believe they contain magical powers; thus specific rites need to be completed to avoid calling down evil fates. For example, pointing a kris at someone is thought to mean that they will die soon, so in ceremonies or demonstrations where ritualized battles are fought with real kris, the fighters will perform a ritual which includes touching the point of the blade to the ground to neutralize this effect. Similar customs surrounding knives and swords exist to some degree in many cultures, including North American anglo-saxon culture (it is considered bad luck to give a gift of a knife, so money is usually included for the recipient to "buy" the knife).
Moro kris
A Moro kris is a heavy sword with an asymmetrical blade approximately 50cm long. It may or may not be sinuous.
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Last updated: 08-23-2005 19:16:12
