Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Aura of The Keris

It is common knowledge that the Keris is the symbol of Malay heritage. But it also reflects the aura of the owner,which I discovered last night when Ustaz Shahrom had a look at my two keris one of which I inherited from my maternal grandfather and the other which my wife took from her late father.

It was out of curiosity that I took them along to make sure that they are free from any problem. There have been many legends surrounding the majesty of the Keris in Malay folklore,especially in Hikayat Hang Tuah, where the Keris Taming Sari is reputed to give special powers to whomever owns it. But looking at it from the religious viewpoint it is ' Syirik ' to believe in such things. Notwithstanding the tendency to indulge into the wrong side of the matter, the Malays had been known to practice many things which were inherited from their past cultural inheritance without batting of an eyelid.

What intrigues me most is that the Ustaz refused to keep my Keris for safekeeping because he had the experience of losing his client's Keris when his car was broken into. And he also asked me whether I had been taught by my Guru Silat as how to look after it. When I told him what I was asked to do like smoking the Keris with incense every Thursday night, he commented that there is no need for it to be done.According to him one must have the know how in order to keep the Keris in good order. He told me to clean it with lime that could easily bought from the market.

In the days of the feudal Sultans and nobles, the Keris is the equivalent of the side arms. It was unthinkable not to be without it as it was the symbol of one's personality and the person is ready to use it if challenged. To me I shall keep it as a reminder of my roots. My grandfather was a local Chief who formed what is known as 'Tiang Balai' and as Dato' Dagang Paroi, he was also tasked with the authority of overseeing the miners in his jurisdiction. Therefore this was once one of the symbols of authority and power to adjudicate should problems arise. It is the aura of the person who possessed it. So be it.

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