As it is impossible to imagine a Caucasian mountaineer without a dagger, so it is impossible to imagine a real Indonesian in his national costume without a kris - a very specific type of double-edged dagger, characteristic exclusively for the Malay world, intertwined with its culture and peculiarities of life. Crises are common throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, as well as parts of Cambodia, southern Thailand and the Philippines. And its very name in ancient Javanese means "to stab", "to pierce". It is believed that the first kris appeared in the 9th-10th centuries, and they acquired their classical form in the 14th century. The origin of the kris, as is often the case with national weapons, is surrounded by myths and legends. It is believed that the characteristic shape of the blade was the result of a long evolution, which was established through studies of sculptural images and bas-reliefs in the temples of Southeast Asia, the most famous of which were Borobudur and Kandy Prambanan, built in the period corresponding to the kingdom of Majapahit (1292 BC). - the beginning of the XIV century). In Malay culture, the kris is considered more than a simple military weapon, since in its various forms it is literally saturated with mystical symbols that, since ancient times, give it magical powers and make it highly revered. Chris is passed down from parents to sons as the greatest relic, being one of the most valuable types of dowry. He can even replace the groom in the marriage ceremony. That is, a woman can marry … a "dagger", this weapon is so respected in Malaysia.
Malays with Kris. Even children, but … if the age has come you have the right to wear a kris!
You can wear three kris at the same time (especially in war), but at the same time know that this is done as follows: one is worn on the left, one that belonged to the deceased father is on the right, and, finally, the third is on the back (or rather, behind the back), and this kris may belong to a distant ancestor or be obtained as a dowry in order to protect against the evil eye and treacherous attacks.
Ceremonial kris from the Jorge Caravan collection.
By the rules of good manners, it is not allowed to enter a friend's house with a chris in his belt. There are special stands for kris at the door of the house, where he (or they, if the owner has several of them) must always be located in an upright position so as not to lose their magical "power" that they are endowed with. If it is in a horizontal position, it is believed that then the kris can fly and at the same time pierce the one who is plotting something bad against its owner. The latter, of course, is not bad at all - you sleep yourself, and your kris flies and smashes your enemies. But … Chris may not like a random passer-by, or he wants blood, so if you don't want to find a corpse near your house in the morning and be responsible for it, then it's better to put Chris in a special rack.
Typical Javanese kris with a snake on a blade. Jorge Caravan collection.
In the not too distant past, it was even allowed that a noble, leaving the workshop of an empu (that is, a blacksmith, forging kris), tested his kris, piercing the first plebeian he met on his way. At the same time, it was always made to order in accordance with the personality and social status of the empu and the customer who came to him. For this reason, there are no two identical kris, with the exception of those made today for sale in stores. However, these kris are also handmade.
A 19th century Chris with a straight blade, two snakes and a pistol grip. Jorge Caravan collection.
The kris blade consists of an upper zone (ganja) and a lower zone (pesi) and can have several types of forms: completely straight (dapur), in the form of a snake (dapur biner), a "crawling snake" (dapur lu) or mixed form. In a wavy blade, the number of bends was always made odd. Most often, there are blades with seven and thirteen bends.
The names of the parts of the kris blade.
The number of curves (hatch) is directly related to the psychological mood of its creator, in the same way as the pamor, that is, the pattern on the surface of the blade. The latter, by the way, has two large varieties: pre-planned (pamor rivers) and unplanned (pamor tiban), which was the result of the master's improvisation.
Chris of the 16th century with a "hybrid blade". Length 68 cm; blade length 38 cm. Jorge Caravan collection.
The manufacturing technology of kris is very similar to the manufacture of modern Damascus steel. As a result of the combination of various grades of iron and nickel on the blades, various patterns were obtained, of which more than 100 are known in total! All of them have their own creative names: "grain of rice", "watermelon", "palm leaf", "golden rain". That is, the Malay blacksmiths were so skillful that they could get this or that pattern at will and … a “special attitude” was required for the master to come up with something new and without a name! The inhomogeneous structure of the metal, which had inclusions of nickel, gives a special pattern that appeared after the master etched the blade in a solution of arsenic and lime juice. By the way, when caring for the blade with lime juice, they wipe it!
Chris made in the 20th century in Malaysia. Used ivory, silver, rubies, painted wood. Full length 65.5 cm. Blade length 47 cm. Jorge Caravan's collection.
It is because of these technological complexities that a blacksmith's work on kris can take several months while he waits for a better moon or astral connection. The handle could also have different shapes. Almost always, it was associated with the geography of the origin of the kris, since in different places its forms were different. The materials also differed, among which wood was in the first place, then ivory (and even mammoth bone!) Bone, silver and gold. True, it is known that even laws were issued limiting the latest materials to certain social groups. That is, anyone who wanted it could not have very luxurious handles. As for regional differences, they were as follows: in Java, “pistol grips” were in vogue, on the island of Maduri - straight, covered with intricate carvings, in Bali - curly, often depicting Rakshasa demons, in Sumatra, perhaps the most interesting in the form the figure of a man with his arms around his shoulders and as if shaking with chills.
Straight crisp 57 cm long; blade length 50 cm. The scabbard is finished with chased silver. Jorge Caravan collection.
The ring connecting the hilt to the blade (mendak) was usually made of metal (silver, gold, brass) and was almost always decorated with precious stones. The scabbard at the top was in the shape of a boat (rank), beans, and was made of precious woods and very rarely of silver or ivory. This upper part symbolized the feminine principle, into the actual container for the blade piercing it - the masculine one.
Filipino kris from Moro Island. Full length 60.5 cm; blade length 42.5 cm. Ranga has the characteristic shape of a Portuguese ship. Jorge Caravan collection.
The lower part of the scabbard consists of a wooden part (gandara) covered with an external decorated plate (pendok) made of brass, copper, silver or gold, as well as inlaid with precious stones, which determines the social status of its owner. The color of the scabbard also mattered. For example, the red sheath was intended for use by high-ranking officials in court.
Royal kris from Celebes island. National Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kris fights are based on stabbing them. Moreover, you could fight with either one or two kris in your hands. In this case, the second was used as a weapon that parried blows. In a number of regions, they were also used as a weapon for execution. These daggers had a long and thin straight blade.
Anthropomorphic kris stand. Jorge Caravan collection.
A characteristic feature of the kris blade is an asymmetric heel, expanding near its very handle, and a strip of metal - "ganja" is attached to it by a blacksmith's method. It is made of the same metal as the blade itself, and then pushed onto it and welded so tightly that it often seems to be one piece with the blade. The blade also makes two small indentations for the fingers - the thumb and forefinger.
Chris from Sumatra, after 1900. Sheath - ivory and silver. The handle is ivory. On the blade is an inlaid gold image of a snake.
Daggers of this type broke very often. But the technology for assembling the kris was such that it was not at all difficult to make a new kris from different parts. Therefore, sometimes in one dagger you can find details inherent in different regions and there is no need to be surprised at this.
Chris on display at the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
