You have seen the keris even if you have never held one: on state crests, at weddings tucked into the bridegroom's samping, in silat performances, in museum cases and on the cover of every school history book that mentions Hang Tuah. It is the most recognisable object in Malay culture.
It is also widely misunderstood, usually as "a wavy knife". A keris is a weapon, an heirloom, a status symbol and, in older belief, something close to a living thing. Here is how to read one.
What makes a keris a keris
The keris is a dagger found across the Malay world, from the Peninsula and Borneo to Sumatra, Java and southern Thailand and the Philippines. Its defining feature is not the wave, since many keris are straight. It is the asymmetry.
A keris blade widens sharply at the base into an asymmetrical shoulder, and the whole piece is designed to be worn and displayed as much as used. No two are meant to be identical.
The parts and their names
| Part | Malay name | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Blade | Bilah | The forged blade, straight or wavy |
| Hilt | Hulu | The handle, often carved wood, ivory or bone |
| Sheath top | Sampir | The wide, often boat-shaped upper part of the sheath |
| Sheath body | Sarung or batang | The long lower part of the sheath |
| Ring | Pendokok | The metal cup or ring between hilt and blade |
In Malay keris, a classic hilt shape is the hulu pekaka, a stylised bird or figure bent forward. Hilts are where regional styles are easiest to tell apart, and collectors often read a keris's origin from the hulu and sampir before looking at the blade.
The waves (luk) and the patterned steel (pamor)
Luk are the waves in the blade. A wavy keris almost always has an odd number of luk, such as 5, 7, 9 or 13. Straight blades are just as traditional; the wave is a choice, not a requirement.
Pamor is the pattern in the steel itself. Traditional smiths forge layers of different metals together, then etch the finished blade so the layers show as lines, swirls or speckles on the surface. The pattern is a sign of skill, and different pamor patterns carry names and, in older belief, their own meanings.
So when someone admires a keris, they are often looking at three things: the shape and number of luk, the pamor, and the craftsmanship of the hilt and sheath.
The legends: Taming Sari and Hang Tuah
No discussion of the keris in Malaysia gets far without Taming Sari, the legendary keris of the Melaka warrior Hang Tuah. In the tales, the weapon made its bearer nearly invincible, and it passed to Hang Tuah after he defeated its original owner.
How much of the Hang Tuah story is history and how much is literature is still argued over. What is not in doubt is the place the keris holds in Malay identity: it appears in royal regalia, in the coats of arms of several states, and in the dress of the bridegroom at a traditional Malay wedding, where it signals status and readiness. Our guide to what happens at a Malay wedding covers where it fits in the ceremony.
Older belief also treated a keris as having a spirit, or semangat. That is why heirloom keris were handled with care, cleaned on particular days and sometimes kept wrapped and away from casual hands.
Who still makes them
The keris is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, inscribed in the name of Indonesia, which first proclaimed the Indonesian kris as heritage in 2005. Malaysia's own UNESCO-listed elements include silat, pantun, songket and, most recently, the kebaya, as a joint nomination.
In Malaysia, the craft is small and fragile. One estimate puts the number of keris makers in the Peninsula at fewer than a dozen. Making a traditional blade takes forging skill, metallurgy, carving and finishing, often from a single craftsman, and demand comes mostly from collectors, ceremonies and gifts rather than everyday use.
If you want to see good examples, national and state museums hold keris collections, and cultural events and silat performances are the best places to see them worn and used.
A few points of etiquette
- Do not draw someone else's keris without asking. For many owners, it is an heirloom with meaning beyond the object.
- Ask before photographing a keris worn at a wedding or ceremony.
- Check the law before carrying one. A keris is a bladed weapon. Displaying it at home or wearing it at a ceremony is one thing; carrying it in public is another.
FAQ
What are the parts of a keris?
The main parts are the bilah (blade), hulu (hilt), pendokok (ring between hilt and blade), and the sheath, which has a wide upper part called the sampir and a long lower part called the sarung or batang.
Why does a keris have an odd number of waves?
Wavy keris blades traditionally have an odd number of waves, or luk, such as 5, 7 or 9. Straight blades are also traditional.
What is pamor on a keris?
Pamor is the pattern on the blade created by forging layers of different metals together and etching the surface so the layers show.
Is the keris a UNESCO heritage?
Yes. The keris was proclaimed as UNESCO intangible heritage in the name of Indonesia in 2005. Malaysia's own listed elements include silat, pantun, songket and the kebaya.
