How 1,200-Year-Old Keris Daggers Tradition Is Fighting To Survive | Still Standing

Keris daggers, used as deadly weapons centuries ago, are now collector's items and heirlooms in Indonesia passed down from generation to generation. Believed to have magical powers, these daggers are forged by empus, masters of their craft, and some take months to complete because of the rituals and time-consuming steps involved. But the number of empus in the country is dwindling, and the government is trying to get more young people involved in the dying art form. A new keris culture study program was established at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Surakarta, and one of the country's most famous empus, Subandi Suponingrat, was recruited to help train new recruits - including his own son.
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How 1,200-Year-Old Keris Daggers Tradition Is Fighting To Survive | Still Standing

[@captcha50099]

This tradition is pretty awesome, can’t believe it has been alive for 1200 years! Would like to experience this tradition.

[@BusinessInsider]

Thanks for watching!

[@illya-]

If you have spirit power .. This thing just flying around if one of those like you.. They might just hang out on ur home for free .. NGL 😂 And in the Old tradition on java there many fighter (pendekar) Most of them have kriss to show who is the strongest they actually doing 1v1 fight till death (like samurai thing) .. but on modern days kriss just tradition.. and some witch just using it to scam ppl to make it believe it has majestic power .. LUL. And the actual kriss that have magic power it just kriss that created by demon or satan it self and it gifted to fighter (pendekar) by certain contract .. it sounds kindda bullshit but .. that actually story on my local ..

[@WorldCitizenW]

​@@BusinessInsider I always thought it's only from Malaysia. All the sultan, king wear it for former outfits. It was said that the curves were to cause fatal injuries when stab into the enemy. The curves pull up organ 🫀🫁!!!

[@letshin]

That's why a dremel is used right?

[@faisdarkmaster6352]

​​@@letshinnot a dremel but electric grinder, while it isn't traditional it help to speed up the proses of polishing the dagger, there is nothing wrong with making traditional weapon using modern tool, even some Japanese blacksmith use power tool. As long as the tradition of is kept it shouldn't really matter what tool to keep the tradition alive.

[@thrashsis5412]

The keris is misunderstood by modern humans, even the Javanese themselves. 'The keris is the main weapon', in fact it is NOT. If you lose your weapon during battle, the Keris is to be your last defense

[@zenaku4]

Dude, the Keris collectors are the ones who believe in mysticism, they are not treating keris as weapon but spritual talisman..this one for luck, this one for shield, that one for guarding home, another one to protect against bad spirit..😅

[@saltymonke3682]

It's a personal weapon

[@r-i-n-n-e-r]

​@@zenaku4 no most keris collectors are quite secular in their collecting. There are thausands of keris types out there.

[@kameradhazel9480]

There are some historical records where people use this as a main weapons by tying their keris to the end of a stick. Yes, a makeshift pike.

[@dimasanggayuda3966]

it depends on the battle actually, if it's an openfield battle or siege battle, they would use longer weapons like swords and spears. But if it's an ambush in dense forest where you can't see anything past 5m around you, shorter weapons like keris is preferable, it wont stuck when you run past branches and plants to jump on your enemies

[@cindygr8ce]

I absolutely love the fact that the master is willing to open the tradition to women. There are TOO many disappearing culturally significant crafts in danger of disappearing and the men who traditionally do it would never teach a woman or hadn't even thought that they are precluding half the population that could keep it alive. THIS is the best way to modernize and KEEP beautiful, meaningful traditions alive.

[@MizanQistina]

There were women empu traditionally and historically, the art is just become unpopular in modern era because it has no use other than in cultural occasion only which now dying, replaced by modern westernized culture.

[@Marta1Buck]

Female empu is a thing, just listen to what the daughter said. It has its own name.

[@cindygr8ce]

@@MizanQistina oh well thats actually wonderful but my point does stand there are a lot of things like that do preclude half the population

[@MagnuzMaximuz]

I'm sorry but the vast, if not all majority of the forgers are still men. The translation in this video is quite bad. Those "female masters" mentioned by the daughter are not actually the forgers who inherits the knowledge, but rather just university student (mahasiswa is not master, it means student). The daughter (who by the way won't inherit the knowledge) said that the students came to Subandiono with a request to make smaller Keris for women. Obviously they did not make it themselves. It's sad, but patriarchy in Javanese culture is very strong.

[@xmargonox]

There were alot of women empus in the past. Lots of them considered the most powerfull and venerated ones

[@YaoiMastah]

In The Netherlands, a country with colonial ties and a large Indonesian diaspora, the Dutch Ministry of Defense organizes a "Keris Day" (Krissendag) in one of their museums (Bronbeek in Arnhem, to be precise), every year. People from far and wide can bring their Kerises to be identified (and often appraised) by historians and experts. There's even an expert from the Ministry who specialises in exorcism and removing magical properties from such Kerises that might be haunted or otherwise holding magical properties.

[@thesmileyyolk8771]

Dutch shamelessly taking other's culture and parade it

[@karenneill9109]

That’s very interesting!

[@Cupapet93]

They're not completely forgotten. In Bali, especially in Ubud, keris makers are still thriving, they still make them for religious ceremonies, heirloom, or for collection. Most of them are from Pande Clan. Some even have magical element to it, like a perk in a video game.

[@SuperShiki666]

Javanese and Balinese keris are different though

[@Kaimax61]

thing is, they're not the same thing.

[@batrickpateman]

Many in java, keris is not part of their tradition. Some are golok, some are clurit. Its just part of the strong and wealthy status which many people doesn't have.

[@Cupapet93]

@@SuperShiki666 and in what sense they're different? Other than, bali still maintains their culture an in jave isn't

[@Cupapet93]

@@batrickpateman wrong, you never see javanese in jogja brought golok on their back, it's always keris. Because keris is an iconic and sacred in javanese culture. Even many javanese regency and jogja include keris in their logo.

[@ianmabrian4322]

You know where usually some weapons from a game have magical damage instead of only physical damage? This is how they might made it. Had one as a heirloom, absolutely gorgeous

[@45proteinconsumer]

i seriously doubt this dagger can be used practically, since it's made from iron its more likely a ceremonial piece

[@eduardusrk2806]

It's like some sort of Athame dagger then?

[@ReikiMaulana]

@@45proteinconsumer practically they would tip the dagger with poison, so the poison is doing all the hard work.. using the dagger alone would not be practical in a combat, besides it's illegal to use them as an assassination instrument nowadays so what else should they use them for?

[@45proteinconsumer]

@@ReikiMaulana i know but it really pains me when i see something like a dagger being created with such care and attention to detail but at the same time it CANNOT be used as a deadly weapon. there is something so sublime about an object like a functional dagger because its art that can be used.

[@awancah7309]

@@45proteinconsumer it like expensive fashion, you can used rolex same as used "keris". as identity of your status in social.

[@kodoklengket]

Pak Subandi, Mas Danar dan rekan2 lainya, mohon lanjutkan tradisi leluhur kita. Jangan lupa mengupdate teknik2 tersebut tanpa melupakan tradisi. Ilmu2 metalurgi banyak yg berkembang, gandeng rekan2 dari kampus. Jangan lupa update HSE (Health Safety Environment); penggunaan kacamata safety (goggle), pelindung tangan dll. Materi pandai besi tersebar di berbagai wilayah Indo, mohon kembangkan sumber material agar mendapatkan yang terbaik. Terus berjuanggg!!!

[@auraajah3072]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@revinaque1342]

It's good that Indonesians still have keris as part of there culture, even if it's just ceremonial. They were used here in the Philippines too, but that tradition was lost when we were colonized by Spain

[@r-i-n-n-e-r]

Its still a living tradition for the moros

[@nathan1507]

@@r-i-n-n-e-r then good for you guys. Don't stop making them.

[@iasked9392]

genocide of the natives was done by the americans. Even spaniards werent that cruel when you think of it. Yes, they discarded our oral traditions and demonized our religion, however the americans did most of the damage culturally. Since they invaded and stripped the natives of their culture and homeland and was forced to be 'civilized' by the americans via forceful 'education'. If you think about it, they might be the reason why we crave foreign validation and have colonial mentality. Traumaa✨

[@TorQue_WrenCh]

Because it widely used in most southeast region,all were the same nation back then all mingle together,not just indonesian,malaysian,brunei,philipines,some part of thailand,vietnam and cambodia came from the same bloodline

[@azzamziply3039]

That's what happened when you get forcefully converted from Islam kingdom into Euro-christianism

[@astikaarsitektur5916]

in Bali (part of Indonesia) we still use keris as part of traditional HIndu ceremony and lot of keris crafter still exist today. We are still held and proud of our tradition because its connected with our religious practice

[@hidayatullahyazid8797]

In Java as well

[@TheIndonesianPride]

The oldest found kris is from Majapahit era (1300s AD) kept at Rijk Museum in Amsterdam. I hope the museum is willing to return it to Indonesia to be housed at the National Museum. Thank you to Indonesian kris masters for preserving our heritage. Hope young generation can inherit all the skills.

[@ttrroollttooll6911]

Do indonesian can handle?

[@Ezwan-dg2oo]

@@ttrroollttooll6911 I’m neither Indonesian nor Dutch, but that’s a silly & disrespectful question buddy.

[@simpleman6327]

​@@ttrroollttooll6911 yes, we can. Indonesians are generally proud of our history.

[@harigunawan8889]

Nanti museumnya dirampok pusing sendiri hahaha

[@user-ei3fp6ig8u]

Biar disana saja,lagian belanda tidak mengklaim itu miliknya

[@RaiRoss]

Hearing "keris daggers" is weird. Daggers are just classifications of short swords so calling it keris is fine. It's sad that the craft is dying and the use of keris is mainly for ceremonial purposes or decoration nowadays but I'm proud that this tradition is still ongoing. My grandparents were from Kendal, Central Java. Much love from Singapura!

[@ignatiusryd2031]

If your grandparents keris finally inherited to your hands i would deeply suggest you to keep it as family's treasure for future generations.

[@auraajah3072]

Flame knife

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

you want to to be used to stab real people?

[@deathcart4446]

Chai tea

[@IchlasulAmmal]

Nope, Keris is a dagger in type, which is correct in referring it to. Dagger is short pointed weapon used mainly for stabbing, not just short sword, and keris is mainly used to stab, so it is in fact a dagger.

[@Nick-zp3ub]

Losing this tradition would be a tragedy. The Kris is a work of art on par with the katana

[@freddykay1645]

Nope

[@alfianmelodic]

​​@@freddykay1645ok dummy

[@thanosal-titan]

It even older than Katana

[@freddykay1645]

@@thanosal-titan xyah buat cerita la. Katana is older atleast by 200 years

[@hydraaprillio3471]

​@@freddykay1645it is, both keris and katana used for last resort weapon and showing the owner's status. back then only noble and their retainer that allowed to hold those weapon

[@joe-cg2hv]

Some facts about keris: - it's not dying per se, it's just dying in Java and Sumatra, due to the tantric stuff involved. In Bali it's still thriving - there's a lot of etiquettes to keris. For ex: you can not wear your keris up front unless in war or battle. You wear it on the back to symbolize Hindu-Buddhism's Ahimsa practice. Also if you want to show your keris, you must not pull the keris out of the scabbard, you pull the scabbard instead. - men used to bring up to 3 keris to war. One is his family's keris, one is his own personal keris and the last is keris gifted to him by his inlaws as a dowry. - keris in wedding is actually the one dying tradition. It used to be that the groom would be given a keris by his soon-to-be father in law, and give his own personal keris to his bride. Symbolizing that he was tasked to protect his wife, while his wife is tasked to control her husband so that he live a peaceful life. - straight keris design is older than keris luk (the curvy one). It's the one that saw Dyah Vijaya betraying the Mongols. - old keris can be a pair of two. If they are the same they are considered twins, or just sisters if they differ a bit. Some very-very rare pair are called lanang-wadhon (male-female, husband-wife), usually the male is keris luk while the female is keris lurus. According to the story, these pair could be forged from same ore or the souls imbued to the blade to be siblings or young husband and wife who met an unfortunate end. - if you didnt notice, women were also used to wield keris. Why? Cause in Indonesia, Shikhandi (Srikandi) an androgynous character from the epic Mahabharata is super popular. - still on the topic of emulating heroes/heroine. In Bali or some places in Eastern Java, it's the youngest son that inherit the keris (also the land and the blades) of his father, not the oldest. This is to emulate Airlangga (he-who-crossed-the-strait), a hero king that revived the Ishana dynasty in East Java, instead of inheriting the Warmadewa throne from his father Udayana of Bali.

[@SiKedek]

It's interesting to hear that the 3-day fasting period when the mpu only consumes white rice and water is called "mutih", which is pretty much the active verb form of "putih", meaning 'white'. The 'white' in this case purifies mind, soul, and body before the mpu can start making the keris in earnest.

[@bimakristataaditama5644]

Brown rice only-eating protein bros could never

[@vincem2759]

When I lived in Indonesia my friends would not let me buy one because they said they had spirits in them and came alive at night and float around. They were pricey too. I regret not getting one while I was there, I bought an ipod touch instead lol

[@thegrandlord2914]

I suggest you to ask the vendor this question about keris before buying any "Is it empty? I only want to buy empty keris. My belief forbid me to use anything that contain magics"

[@vincem2759]

@@thegrandlord2914 Interesting, I will consider that.

[@andipejalan3382]

believe it or not, . one night i slept in my friend bedroom and heard paper sound like someone opening the book piece by piece.. in the morning i tell him what i had experienced in the night, and he shows me the keris and told me there is small kitab (book) inside the keris..he also explain in certain ceremony this Keris can be flying

[@vkmanunubos2577]

What they said is true. Especially pre owned keris, are very imprinted by previous owners that thoughts memories and energies still remain. Most perform daily rituals that are secretive in nature, and keris are often heirlooms passed throughout the generations, so it is said that multiple souls inhabit an old keris.

[@RerePentana]

There's no magic, if you wants to buy just buy it But yeah i agree it's expensive even for tourist

[@NazrinTheYoungGunner]

I'm from Malaysia, and we also have Kris as part of our traditions. But I have huge respect for this master and his apprentices in trying to help preserve the Kris heritage in Indonesia.

[@ATrino-wv6lw]

Keris di malaysia itu berasal dari indonesia.. Filosofi keris ada di indonesia wlaupun persebaran keris hingga ke negara luar tp histori keris ada di indonesia, tempat asal keris itu pertama di ciptakan.

[@equineclinic3709]

Salam, semoga Kris di Malaysia dapat terjaga

[@mcbchannel7173]

keris di malaysia ya asalnya dari diaspora orang indonesia bersuku jawa. i mean, dude, suku melayu di malaysia aja asalnya dari minang. it’s pathetic that this guy’s country didn’t have any original culture.

[@kilanspeaks]

I agree that there are ways to modernize the craft without losing its traditional values. Masters should wear protective gear such as goggles and gloves and use modern tools to streamline the process. Involving more women in the craft is also a way to involve a healthy number of artisans, and it wouldn't be taboo either, since female _empus_ have always been a part of the history of kris anyway. It is important for us Indonesians to preserve this dying art. There is a reason why UNESCO awarded the *Indonesian* Kris the status of a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. The art may have spread from Java to our neighboring countries, but only in Indonesia is there evidence of the weapon's origin, including depictions of Kris daggers on the bas-reliefs of ancient Javanese temples.

[@Wolvenworks]

Agree, but idealism can’t feed or fund you, so there needs to be not just a way to teach people how to forge iron, but also a way to fund and support them.

[@kilanspeaks]

@@Wolvenworks they definitely need the help they can get to give them the right direction. The demand is there, but the smiths need to adjust their methods so they can preserve this ancient craft. They need to be helped to instill a sense of pride, like the katana masters in Japan.

[@Wolvenworks]

@@kilanspeaks i’m not aware there’s demand for forged blades outside central java. Without more demand, there’s no money or justification to level up. We also don’t have the tools and know-how to modernize the smithies. I WAS considering learning the art of blacksmithing in Australia or US but that costs money for unguaranteed possibilities, so it’s just a dream for now. And you can’t feed yourself with hopes and dreams. We’d need to establish a blacksmithing guild first in indonesia if we’re gonna go anywhere with the skill. Get foreign experts to modernize. Offer courses to learn blacksmithing. Promote the art of blacksmithing. Especially in jkt if you want money to flow in more. Not all aspiring blacksmith are necessary into the whole ritual thing to make krises, and you’d need the basic blacksmithing skills anyway before you learn advanced stuff like pattern-welding (necessary for a kris to get that pamor). I just want to learn how to forge steel, make cool swords and armors and shit. But i can’t because we’re in indonesia where shit takes money to move, not passion. Passion can’t feed you without someone buying the fruits of your passion.

[@kilanspeaks]

@@Wolvenworks The largest producer of kris is actually Madura Island in East Java province, and they also export the weapon abroad on top of domestic market. There is support from the government, but it is not enough. More stakeholders need to be involved so that the very name of kris itself is synonymous with quality. This can be achieved by taking a cue from Japan, where only government-licensed blacksmiths are allowed to make katanas to keep the quality high. Or by getting the geographical indication like what the French did with champagne, where you can ONLY call a product “champagne” if the grapes are grown and bottled in the Champagne region of France.

[@Wolvenworks]

@@kilanspeaksso only govvy-licensed empus can make keris? Interesting idea…except that you need to learn the basics of blacksmithing first before getting to the ritual part. We’re not done with step one yet.

[@lutherlaosi5294]

Fun fact, Solo is one of the castle town in Indonesia, they still have their own king with title "Susuhunan" even though he not rule politically anymore

[@weifan9533]

As someone of South China descent I really love SE Asia, I feel that we were once connected. I can find numerous similarities between SE Asians and the various Tai-Kradai, Hmong-Mien, and Austroasiatic minorities of South China. I really hope that traditions in both South China and SE Asia can be preserved.

[@user-yi7ls1xb8h]

yeah yunnan..i saw the parade last year...truly a melting pot..

[@weifan9533]

@@user-yi7ls1xb8h Not just Yunnan, neighboring Guangxi and Guizhou have many ethnic minorities as well

[@pogogod6036]

Indonesia in general is very good at preserving their traditions and cultures.

[@BayuAH]

Partial part because the Dutch not messing around our culture, unlike another colonizers, they just just pure business, which probably good thing and bad thing at the same time. Just take a look at Philippines with Spain.

[@cerdaspediaindonesia8926]

​​@@BayuAH you're right. *Dutch:* - keeping the local culture and religion as a political strategy needs. - they torturing local people as they see them nothing but slave. *Spanish:* - killing local culture as the spanish injected their culture and religion into their colonies. - the locals treated better, they even got protection from church, and education from the goverment. There's good and bad of everything.

[@Kangayam_]

Unlike the malays across the strait 😂

[@user-gu2qq3rh3w]

In Malaysia we lost our culture due to Islamic party and USA media. We are ugly people that want to be Arab and white.

[@imnotaracistokay]

​@@Kangayam_ nice bait indonesial

[@aimannorzahariwod]

As a Malay and after watching this video... I actually uderstand now why many Indonesians are annoyed by Malaysians lmao. Orang Melayu in Malaysia like to claim their cultural heritage is 'original', but it's kind of obvious what they currently have in semenanjung is bastardized. The preserving of pre-Islamic traditions is key in Javenese culture, whereas Malays just throw away their traditional identities in favour of things being 'Shariah Compliant'. A shame really... we were Malays before we were Muslim.

[@rakyatsosmed6345]

yes that's fact your nation, many wahabi (an Islamic sect that will eliminate local culture) poisoned your people and And why do your people always consider Indonesian culture to be part of your culture, we are so different, dude

[@ETS186]

You GOT it! Well, somewhat haha. I lived in Malaysia for 6 years from 2005-2011. It really annoyed me when Malays would claim "Indonesian" heritage. First, if it's from Java, don't call it Malay culture. It's Javanese. Malay isn't a race, it's one of the ethnicities in Indonesia. Second, say Batik. Who's your number one Batik maker? Does he/she make the patterns by hand? One thing though, at least back then, Malaysians were better marketers than us.

[@wanamirwanzin1197]

Malaysia and Indonesia did not exist back then. And Malays and other ethnicities are all groups for people all living the Malay archipelago. So it is a Malaysian heritage as much as it is Indonesians. There’s no need to argue about it. And Malaysian batik are some of the most beautiful pieces of craft there is. Distinct and different from Indonesian. Unique. And they still draw it by hand in Kelantan and Terengganu.

[@rakyatsosmed6345]

We never claim Chinese culture even though those who use Chinese are Indonesian citizens, as well as Arabic art culture... we don't feel it's ours.

[@mohamadsami7131]

0:02 that overhead shot was amazing, no wonder you guys made it the thumbnail!

[@BusinessInsider]

Thanks for watching!

[@verifeli]

That was so lit 🔥🔥🔥

[@emmanuelsetiawan]

Keris, underrated multi layered weapon. Everybody knows Damascus Sword style, or Katana, but this, they don't even know that some of keris made from meteorite stone. As Javanese, my Father has some of keris at home, from Ancient Mataram Kingdom era, Sriwijaya Era also Majapahit era

[@wisono7857]

Wah, berarti bapak mas'e punya bethok, kadgo juga nda mas? soalnya koleksi kerisnya dri jaman mataram kuno, sriwijaya sampe majapahit

[@emmanuelsetiawan]

@@wisono7857 iya Mas, punya.

[@jooeboske6192]

My great grandfather uncover the same sword here in Philippines, that was buried by Japanese Imperial Army during world war II as part of the so called YAMASHITA TREASURE. That sword shape like that of the video and it has diamonds or precious stones with different colors in its handle bot sides. It was a double edge swords and black in color. We don't know it's metal. That sword was accompanied by almost 2 tons of gold bars weighing up to 75 kg each. Sadly, my great grandfather became greedy and didn't share the blessing to our family. Now only few grandchildren of my great grandfather enjoys that blessing and still that won't make them blessed nor joyful. Treasures can make man evil in this world. This story is true. This happened in 1980's in one of the mountains in central Philippines.

[@saltymonke3682]

Really? So, who bought those gold?

[@auraajah3072]

Wow

[@auraajah3072]

Made meteor stone

[@bunnystrasse]

Whattttt?

[@darwinqpenaflorida3797]

In the Philippines, Keris or Kris is the official symbol of of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao(BARMM), Moro National Liberation Front(MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation(MILF) which is the seen on it’s flag

[@Nusantara455]

Budaya jawa mempengaruhi nusantara karena pengaruh kerajaan majapahit, keris adalah simbol jika suatu wilayah pernah menjalin hubungan dengan jawa.

[@darwinqpenaflorida3797]

@@Nusantara455 Ya aku tahu sejarah tentang Majapahit dan Filipina 😊😊 Terima kasih temanku

[@whosthat3388]

​@Nusantara455 yes, the Tondo Kingdom also had ties with the Indonesian kingdoms before the Majapahit as well.

[@darwinqpenaflorida3797]

@@whosthat3388 Wow nice one that's the earliest alliance before the Philippines and Indonesia as allied nations They also allied with Sultanate of Maguindanao and Ternate

[@michaellovinon3467]

0:01 that top down view goes hard tho.

[@ohio7876]

This is some kung fu panda movie intro-type shit

[@fansizhe9997]

I miss Indonesia!!!😢 Such beautiful country with thousands of islands to explore!!!👍🤩😍😍😍💖❤️❤️

[@Error-tr9ke]

That damascus pattern at 5:26 looks so cool.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

it's not "damascus" (pattern-welded). the gold is just on the surface. they carved the shapes into the blade iron/steel, and then either hammered on gold foil, or electroplated in gold and then sanded it off the raised areas where it's not aupposed to be. lastly, they etched the iron/steel black and grey, the gold strongly resists such chemicals and stays shiny. that's a very cheap sort of gold work using super thin layers of gold and relatively little working time. very good gold decoration in steel and such (also called damascene, unrelated to damascus steel) are recognizable by consisting of fine lines that are made of wire hammered into engraved channels. forgotten weapons has a good youtube video about it.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

@@Error-tr9ke well, they're probably hardly ever carried. and I think worn gilding can look pretty good too. particularly when it's on an object that's more rough by nature, for which a dagger certainly qualifies.

[@jjww30]

They’re quenching in water and not oil. 😢

[@jjww30]

@@Ass_of_Amalekthe design is from the acid treatment, and based on the folding with nickel, yeah, that’s Damascus.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

@@jjww30 not what I'm talking about, dummy. quenching in water is fine, but that super slow dunking of only half of the blade is nonsense.

[@adlius1736]

I wonder if any comment here ever mentioned that 'kris-dagger' was also a thing in the famous movie "Dune" .

[@petirgarda1005]

I watched the David Lynch's Dune back in the late 90s-nearing 2000s era from a DVD, mind you i only knew the PC game made by Westwood at the time. When i heard the term "Kris" i was like "Whoa, they use the term 'Keris' as 'Kris' for their dagger, awesone." Cause in Indonesia, we called it "Keris" (KEH-Reese), but for foreign tongue they called it "Kris," so it's amazing to see the difference at the time for me personally.

[@epicmetod]

Its 1200 years because it depicted first in temple that is 1200 years old (Prambanan) It probably longer than 1200 years

[@ReinKayomi]

How Anya Melfissa was made lol

[@fian92]

i was looking for this comment lol

[@cerdaspediaindonesia8926]

5:22 look at how beautiful anya at her making process. Lol.

[@DayatNasgor25]

😂😂

[@dankpepe2110]

Thank god Im not the only Holo fan here.LMAO

[@angryzombie8088]

She should make a collab with Keris maker & sell Keris keychain as merchandise that are based on a real Keris.

[@frankchiedo4109]

the voice..the voice ❤...you were born to orate! never missed your documentary. sweet soothing and educative

[@q_ayyah]

🤗

[@jafaralmahbub]

Keris was meant to be an open-carry personal defense weapon, so if the govt or culture ministry want common people to preserve keris as something worthy to have, then people should be allowed to open-carry keris in public like how it was meant to be without being under the risk of questioned by authority, otherwise it would only interest weapon collectors that is satisfied enough with keris hanging on their wall. The most carriable traditional self defense weapon for common people is karambit because you can actually carry and conceal it every day inside your pocket, which makes it a better traditional weapon to have for commoners' self-defense in modern time. Or arit/celurit/sickle because it's classified as farming tools.

[@alfif4478]

Ini Jafar yang sering share di Facebook kah?

[@blablup1214]

Yeah . I Would guess a weapon you aren't allowed to use for anything is quiete the luxury item ...

[@rahmadrenaldi2624]

well the problem with open carry a knife in indonesia is no one actually need to have one on their person since mostly people just mind their own business and crimes are usually committed using a long bladed weapon like machete and sickle so a small dagger like kris are kinda useless, for self defense against multiple unarmed people maybe but we rarely have daytime robbery and most of those are committed using a handmade gun or illegal ones, but even that is rare. most of the crimes that occurred are burglary and those are only happened at night.

[@kingofnone8565]

No step on snek intensifies... 👏

[@izramamna6850]

Keris aren't just for war, it's for status and ceremonial purpose also, as keris is a civilization symbol

[@nafis6668]

I custom ordered one , made from high carbon steel , heat treated and sharp. The shape and the handle facilitate stabbing motion. The way it is held , facilitate twisting motion and extraction during stabbing. The blade distal tapered from around 1 inch wide, but when you stab and pull it out , the damage can be 5 inches wide. Held in proper way , it can go in between rib rage bone , breaking it, go under the sternum and puncture multiple organs. Some daggers edge are rough , inflicting lots of pain and tearing wound. Keris with waves , widen the surface area while saving on weight. Most properly made keris daggers are very nimble in hand.

[@dechenmo8966]

This is the first time I heard of keris as a cultural object in Indonesia, great.

[@radjayay]

thank u for sharing our cultural tradition, we as indonesian especially javanese from younger generation that live in city almost not knowing we had a unique dagger and the history it self. my grandpa have this dagger with a "spiritual soul" in it and he hid it in shelf that i prohibited to open it, my grandpa sheate it with "sarung" ( a cloth that we used for clothing or praying in muslim nowadays). after his death, the keris still in my grandpa house but the "spiritual soul" was removed by my father. i love keris and i want to learn how to make it but i dont know how to start. after i watch this documentary i felt so wrong because i almost forgot keris were exist and thank u for show the world that indonesia had a amazing and various traditional culture, and i want to thank u for the blacksmith of keris. for those whom take a part of kerris smithing, you guys are great. terima kasih sudah melestarikan keris untuk indonesia, maaf jika saya belum bisa melestarikannya dan bahkan hampir melupakannya.

[@thegrandlord2914]

The funny thing is, malaysia ever claiming that keris are belong and originated from their country. They are very very serious about this back then. What makes it even funnier is, keris already exist since 8th century, while the first malay settlers in modern malaysia began in 14th century

[@rodmet5]

As Malay Malaysian, my understanding that the keris is part of Malay culture and originated from the Alam Melayu (aka Malay World which encompass modern Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, South Thailand, maybe Phillipine). Also to correct you on the Malay people existence in modern Malaysia, the Malay have existed in the peninsular Malaysia since 1st century AD based on record history (Kingdom of Old Kedah). Unrecorded history could be even earlier than that.

[@ZagiNoa]

Malay is a race. Just like Arabs having many tribes, Malay has it too. Minang, Javan, Sunda are all part of Malay race.

[@ohaia23]

​​​​@@ZagiNoamalay race is outdated lol,i prefer Called as Austronesian rather than Malay

[@ohaia23]

​​​​​​​​​​​@@rodmet5The Malay World is the name given by the Western scholars who tried to explain about society in south east Asia Especially in Malaysia, Indonesia,or Philippines. as a Javanese I prefer to be called Austronesian Rather than Malay, because I think the terms like Malay race and the Malay world are outdated, not to mention there are many legends/folklore which in my opinion are not scientifically proven regarding the origins of the Filipinos, and Indonesians.

[@ohaia23]

​​​​​@@rodmet5In my opinion, the keris was brought to the Malay peninsula because of the influence of Majapahit at that time,Because the keris comes from Java,and Majapahit was a Javanese kingdom, and yeah the Javanese are genetically have more Austroasian dna rather than Malay, Which is where Malays are have more Austronesian dna

[@saifuldarussalam3322]

Salam damai dari orang Indonesia....

[@GeneticFreak]

Keris is not a dagger. It's a pokeball. That's how most people use it. They capture stuff into it and then the stuff fights for you.

[@thanosal-titan]

Basically it is a pokeball, for ghost-type Pokemon 😁

[@saltymonke3682]

They're skilful craftsmen and artists, and they won't go away with mass production. From design, raw materials to methods, every dagger is customised and personalised.

[@OG_BiggusDickus]

As long as there are people who appreciate the craftsmanship of handmade items, they will continue to exist.

[@adrianmaulana105]

I don't believe on ritual aspect of traditional weapons but i do like all traditional weapons from all Indonesia...i hope one day i can collect every one of it..

[@FebiMaster]

Keris are tied very tightly to spiritualism and mysticism even more so than it is as a weapon of war, its a status symbol for the nobility like the dual swords for the samurai, my late grandfather used to own a Keris and there were talks amongst my family that his passing was delayed due to incomplete business with his Keris, so basically the Keris was handed down to his second son and right after that he passed away peacefully.

[@mdfm28]

Great Camerawork! Great focus and color grading. In the middle of video thought I was looking at 4k stream.

[@togatampubolon5948]

Along time ago the best keris made by meteorite stone. One of meteorite Keris owned by King of Singasari.

[@handel1111]

They are somewhat similar Japanese and Moro swordsmiths because they would undergo several rituals

[@asmarajatipranamangesthi1584]

Mugi Keris tansah lestantun lan ngrembaka ❤

[@colasevenseas5652]

What language is this i want to learn

[@m.y.nasution9494]

​@@colasevenseas5652 javanese

[@thanosal-titan]

​@@colasevenseas5652 That's the highest form of the Javanese language (Kromo Inggil)

[@hidayatullahyazid8797]

​@@colasevenseas5652this is Javanese language

[@colasevenseas5652]

@@hidayatullahyazid8797 im indonesian this sounds like high level javanese

[@IgorMacIgor]

It's more of a shortsword than a dagger, you carry keris as a sidearm to your pike or bow. Regardless, great video.

[@ZanderJaverson]

Actually the damascus pattern is originated in Indonesia? It should called as Majapahit steel

[@aldeswarama5193]

It's a part of our cultures... Our identity It will always standing through time❤ I have alot Keris as collections and treat it as well... Warmset Greeting from Indonesia Thank you Insider for research it🎉

[@fedmartinez4077]

Pre-Spanish Philippines from north to south also used the Keris as a weapon and a status symbol across the different ethnic groups including the hispanized ones today. I don't know if Mindanao still makes these, but I kinda wished that it was still done nationwide and widespread.

[@meowy7252]

The tausug in jolo sulu still making these kind of dagger until now

[@silveritea]

Ooooooo. I have loved keris blades since I first saw one!

[@slotho122]

Kris knives are beautiful as they are deadly.

[@Aspi-vision]

finally they understand the importance of tradition ! And Solo is a very important place in many ways ! That it has started there is no coincidence !

[@jammstheman6711]

First thing i thought of was the Sand Worm knifes. That's awesome to think so much inspiration came from many different cultures throughout history and was put into the Dune books. Frank Herbert was far ahead of his time. Awesome video!

[@bintang9661]

Keris is basically a glorified Damascus steel blade with curves. What makes it significant in Indonesia - especially Java - is their mystical properties. There are still many in Java who believes Keris as a sacred talisman that contains spirits because there were legends of ancient Mpus that were also shamans who 'filled' these Keris with spirits. A particularly famous legend is Mpu Gandring's Keris that were commissioned by a king's guard to kill the king. Mpu Gandring is then killed by the same Keris by the kings's guard who ordered it and cursed him and his descendant for 7 generations.

[@fathursofyan1185]

Thank you to the Business Insider team for introducing our traditions and cultural heritage to the world, as an Indonesian I am proud

[@Rathurue]

I can't help but be amazed by how many...similarities? Parallels? the forging process have with modern knifemaking and katanas. Folding in nickel and steel plates are actually new thing, given the original Keris in the past has been forged with iron sand and meteorite pieces, but to discover that you can use something that contains arsenic to do acid etching to show the nickel layering in the past was something else.

[@faisdarkmaster6352]

I mean it's not really that hard to belive that some ancient blacksmith have finished blade or metal lying around and just happen to get splashed with acid and create beautiful pattern

[@BambangSetiawanDikromo]

My Dad has one and his father (my grandfather) has one too, So I get my self one keris that fit with my character. Maturnuwun Pak Subandi sudah bertekad meneruskan produk budaya lokal di Solo ini.

[@weifan9533]

As someone of South China descent I really love SE Asia, I feel that we were once connected. Hope that we could reunite one day.

[@theodore23sanchez]

What do you mean by "reunite"?

[@weifan9533]

@@theodore23sanchez By that I mean South China could be independent and join the ASEAN family.

[@athmaid]

My father bought one in the 70s or so, it's of the style with the wavy blade. I've always wondered about the shape of the handle and guard. I know the guard is so it doesn't fall out of the sash, but the fluting looks so interesting

[@ZanderJaverson]

How is his son not interested in making weapon? Nothing cooler than making weapon

[@Brevicauda]

Keris is something I was scared of growing up 😂 The elderly in my family always remind me not to recklessly touch any Keris without permission

[@sharkydoko3593]

So this is the glorious hometown of Anya Melfissa 👀

[@HaJassar]

Stunning blades! I want one!!!

[@darkmatter3112]

The Keris is a psychological weapon. Suitable for assassinations or secluded combat rather than open warfare First, the tip is sharp but not sharp enough to penetrate very very easily. You will need more force to stab. Prolonged agony. Secondly, the irregular shapes cause irregular wounds, which can be harder to heal or sutured. Overall I'd rather be stabbed by a regular dagger over a Keris anyday.

[@Blueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

I remember my uncle's old house had a collection of keris, parang, cerulit and other traditional weapons all beautiful decorated. Sadly he lost most when he had to pay off his debts

[@stradivarioushardhiantz5179]

Piece of Art

[@agusfirmansyah35]

Japanese may proud of they well preserve katana tradition, but keris is has equal quality of technique but more complicated at some point, unfortunately keris tradition is not well preserve like katana

[@user-yi7ls1xb8h]

maka dari itu...budaya dipersaingkan jan cuma dilestarikan..klo gitu tinggal tunggu waktu....mlh sringkali orang luar yang ikut perjuangkan...

[@suenzhong7891]

Keris forging is a dying art in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Glad to see an episode dedicated to it.

[@bonnieculla6210]

All mlesian KERIS are from INDONESIA 😂🫵

[@user-yi7ls1xb8h]

go to madura....u ll know...

[@JustinSabrinsky]

this brought me in tears

[@MrKZee]

9:12 the expression on the dude's face when the narrator says "pass the skills to him," and the face like hell nah..

[@ceeril]

Dang, Indo has a lot of slick dagger and knife.

[@Wolvenworks]

Granted, you’d find knockoffs more often than not, and you’ll only find krises in central java nowadays; it’s easier to find a honest politician in jakarta than a forge.

[@lacsarlacsar3566]

yes indeed, there are also some Kujang, Kudi, Karambit, Rencong, Badik, Clurit, Mandau, you name one :)

[@TorQue_WrenCh]

Keris belongs to the southeast region and hopefully it get maintained well by all the country in the region

[@notmyname3556]

We don't have that many keris craftsmen in Malaysia left. I only know one workshop where I live. Really hope this craft industry will last another thousand of years.

[@akhirpekan123]

Mas danar lebih mantep lagi belajar metalurgi.. Jadi budaya nya dapet, ilmu teknis nya dapet..

[@SamSeth]

The perfect weapon for penetrating the hard exoskeleton of Kalphite

[@nquentino]

Kudos to the video editor! They must have an amazing time editing this video Haha!

[@elazam8496]

Keris is not only secondary weapon, it's representative of the owner's hope, dream, or point of view. There's a belief that Keris has spiritual power, even anyone could forge it.. but only the choosen could make perfect Keris

[@nadiradutt8470]

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL IN MY LIFE

[@zenaku4]

The problem is not whether it's too late or not,.but would they have demand for Keris or not,.this is marketing problem in my opinion. I mean, without any demand, what's the point to create new keris? People need to earn money,.that's hard truth.

[@andrewsuryali8540]

A single proper Keris from a truly recognized empu would feed a family of four for a year. The demand is high, especially in Indonesia of today where many Javanese politicians are always looking for ways to bolster their luck and popularity (both things they believe a keris can help with). The problem is that gaining that reputation as a true empu is super-complicated and involves a lot of mysticism and skill. Damar may try to follow his father's fooststeps but it won't be easy for him to accumulate the kind of "street cred" his father has. That has always been the biggest problem in continuing the trade.

[@thanosal-titan]

40% of Indonesian population is Javanese. That number alone is enough to describe how much the demand for Keris, and marketing is never a problem

[@zenaku4]

@@thanosal-titan no, just because 40% of people is Javanese doesn't translate into costumers in the first place,.if that number could directly translate into customers, then we wouldn't have this problem in the first place. 40% of Indonesian population is roughly around 110 millions people.. if 10% of that population buying proper keris,.which roughly around 11 millions, then jobs as Empu would be more sought after..remember ISI have this major, but not many people who actually came there to learn and became an empu,.this is still a niche market, believe it otherwise just denials,.how many keris do you have anyway?

[@zenaku4]

@@andrewsuryali8540 look, this keris market still a niche market, only certain of people which minority beyond minority that want to buy and own one. Those people are also picky, they only want to bring a keris from a well known empu..

[@thanosal-titan]

@@zenaku4 Do you know how much Indonesian eats rice every single day? And do you know how many young people want to be a farmer, let alone a rice farmer? Demand has nothing to do with the dying tradition of Keris making. Just like I said before, the marketing is never a problem in this case. Young people in general is not quite interested in old tradition. That's the problem. It's not about the money, it's just not "cool" for them

[@vanelruxys8358]

Thank you Business Insider

[@JerryDSM]

100% badass to see young people stepping up. If you’re going to use a grinder on 1200 year old traditional knifes maybe use the modern safety gear too?

[@wahyu4853]

The rituals are very important, it's how you get magical damage attributes lol

[@GameFuMaster]

7:54 maybe they should wear safety glasses...

[@sleddi98]

And a few other things 😅

[@Kecapsoya]

Well that’s when the tradition come in… i always ask that and they simply reply “You think people who did this from a thousand years ago wear that sort of things?”

[@GameFuMaster]

@@Kecapsoya meanwhile power tools

[@Kecapsoya]

@@GameFuMaster haha exactly

[@ignatiusryd2031]

​​@@Kecapsoya Power tools + safety googles = safe. The cheapest ones is probably just cost him less than 10 USD or 160k IDR

[@baebaeschoccymilk]

Keris is still very much around here, its relatively easy to find someone selling keris (although might not be an authentic one) especially if you're at central java like yogyakarta

[@F.M.Dostoyevsky]

Its crazy how most of the mythical arts and styles links itsself with Hinduism from the very first Damascus to this beauty of a blade!🙌🔱

[@lucasthehonkaimanectric1690]

Sebagai indo, love this art

[@aminlisianto4401]

At 10:32 he talks about the religious lunatics trying to erase our local traditions here in Indonesia. In some areas they have succeeded, not in Java though. In Javanese culture it's more important being a good " Javanese " ,than being a good religious person I am pureblood Javanese, and i am kinda proud for being the guardians of Indonesia's local traditions.

[@siapaya170]

Right.. why they try to erase local tradition.. even keris can be use for safety purpose when encountering danger like robbing etc...

[@AxeDatcm]

Haha, they are type of muslim who crazy and simp to everything Arabs, they think that if you're muslim you have to be like Arab and abandon anything else

[@xiraoit9342]

But Why Arab Country like Malasya want to claim this weapon?

[@borablerta9090]

​@@xiraoit9342 arab country - malaysa(Malaysia) pick one mate, Malaysia is in asia

[@pututunik8748]

​@@siapaya170 based from my experience, their mindset is just "our culture good, other's heresy"

[@luki7614]

thank you business insider

[@jantruitt9241]

That’s so sad! But time rolls on!

[@kzm-cb5mr]

Japan, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia.. these countries still have living traditional blacksmithing traditions, unlike in the West where blacksmiths are more of hobbyists and heavily reliant on power tools. There's just something pretty on a truly handmade knife that is lost on those that are manufactured entirely with modern tools.

[@myboysd5772]

Traditions are cool, but they dont always get you better results.

[@ItsASuckyName]

Even in history, people tended to step over to "power tools" when they where invented and if they had the chance, like water powered drop hammers. If you would hand an angle grinder to a blacksmith from 1000 years ago, that person would probably love it, whether it's western Europe or East Asia. I like artisans that make stuff in a traditional way too, but it is purely cultural preservation. In times of war, weapons will have to be mass produced.

[@mohdazam4192]

You forget to add Malaysia

[@PineappleOnPizza69]

@@mohdazam4192 Malaysia is a breakaway province of Indonesia. Some of it's areas such as Sabah is even owned by the Philipinos

[@mohdazam4192]

@@PineappleOnPizza69 western or eastern history never stated that Malaysia is part of Indonesia or Philippines. I don't know which history did you feed on😂 Malaysia was independent by vote of the people in Sabah Sarawak province itself. Never been owned by Philippinos

[@lupisjawa]

it is amazing that no indonesian TV channels bring forth how interesting our cultural heritage really is. at this point i think they're doing that on purpose.

[@laukpauk6053]

Our local channels are seriously lacking any quality content. Adanya sinetron indosiar dan show artis2 gak jelas🙄

[@thanosal-titan]

Have you ever watching TVRI?

[@cylearnpvp9566]

Udah ada dari dulu juga, banyak. Makanya kalo nonton TV jangan buka yg alay² hadeh

[@lupisjawa]

@@cylearnpvp9566 betul, mungkin memang saat saya nonton tv kebetulan adanya yg alay, lebih lagi sy sudah jarang nonton tv. tapi saya sangat tertarik pada budaya nusantara dan setiap kali melihat tv lokal menurut saya kurang menunjukan bahwa budaya kita itu luar biasa bahkan dibanding banyak negara lain. Mungkin memang saya lebih tertarik dalam bentuk dokumenter yg dimana sekarang saya lihat sudah lumayan jarang. Terima kasih sudah menginfokan kalau ada program tv yang masih menjaga budaya kita🙏 walaupun menurut saya masih banyak potensi utk budaya kita dpt dikembangkan kedepannya.

[@tan.tan10]

Blacksmiths are so frickin cool man

[@boyan619]

The Keris is an asymmetrical double-edged dagger unique to island Southeast Asia and a very important part of the material culture of many communities from Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula to Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Mindanao and as far east as Sumbawa. It is believed that the keris originated in Java sometime around the 9th century and was derived from earlier Indian and indigenous blade types. By around the 14th century the keris had evolved into more or less its modern form as a thrusting dagger with an asymmetrical blade and integral guard. It was during the height of the influence of the Majapahit Empire that the keris appears to have spread out of Java. Fine keris were frequently sent by the Majapahit kings as prestige gifts to prominent local rulers and kerises were also produced in Java as piece goods for regional trade. Later keris smiths also began migrating out of Java, introducing their art to regional centres which evolved their own keris styles.This keris has a hilt of 'Jawa Demam' form with a 'pendokok' (hiltcup) that is a cross between Bugis and Malacca cup. The blade has five ‘luk’ (wave) and is in a ‘dapur’ (form) known as 'Pandhawa Lare'. The 'pamor' (damascene pattern) is known as 'Raja Abala Raja' and seem to also incorporate one known as 'Bendo Sedago'. The 'sampir' (topsheath) is rectangular with slightly upturned tips and it is without the 'buntut' (chape).

[@jjww30]

Wonder how he’d do on Forged in Fire.

[@benjaminblakemore9704]

AWSOME 😂❤

[@Kineticfallout]

I got to know about this after playing SF2 , l really like this one.

[@Host_123]

i think keris is a great weapon to be use depending of the situation, dont forget at that time indonesia is most likely a vast forest using bigger weapon is really hard to do in that area, it slow your movement and limit your movement while keris is lightweight and didnt take a lot of space. the weapon design is to stab easily and with layers like that make the weapons not to easily spilt appart after stab and can do it again because of the design even if the keris not sharp enough the design make effort to make dagger good enough to stab.

[@wahidwan1283]

love Indonesia,love the culture

[@doldolll]

nu'uh

[@xiraoit9342]

​@@doldolllshut up Banglasia