Best ways of cleaning a keris?

Question

I've heared from using lime to stabbing a bamboo...Anybody got any idea?

I don't care about the spiritual part of the keris, I'm interesting in cleaning the blade only.

Thanks, Mike but I don't intend to use keris to hurt people.

By the way, does anybody know: will lubricating the blade while kept in scabbard help like some do with machette (parang) to prevent it from rusting?

Answer 1

DO NOT USE LIME to clean a keris.

It is as bad as using our own sweat to clean it since lime is acidic and it will worsen the blade's condition (corrosion, etc.). In the methaphysics, lime is also used to 'purify' a medium (eg. amulets, etc.) therefore, the usage of a lime on a keris is like killing its own khodam (for those who are familiar with this, then you know what I am talking about).

Of course, the khodam part is up to you to know for yourself if the keris possesses it since not all kerises possess them.

There are various ways and no one can say which is 'right' or wrong, but by simple common sense, you should be able to understand which method is most effective. We should also understand that these different methods are not due to 'magic' whatsoever but different cultural aspects of where the keris owner originates (eg. Javanese, Sumatran, Madura, Southern Thailand, etc.) since different traditions/methods can be traced to the old South East Asian cultures/natural resources.

The cleaning with lime method is considered 'okay' for new kerises but not (especially NOT) for older ones since newer kerises have better durability and its metal contents are not as badly corroded as the older kerises. Generally for those with high knowledge do not use lime as a rule because of its acidic contents (eg. it corrodes the blade over time). Some use pineapple as a substitute.

You have to know that the cleaning of the keris also depends on how often a keris had been used. Most keris owners don't clean their kerises unless it is very necessary (a genuine keris blade is expensive and very fragile).

As I have mentioned, frequency of cleaning depending on the owner. There is nothing 'Muslim' about kerises, but some owners of kerises ritualise it with accordance to the Muslim calender and clean them once a year/when necessary on the second month of the Muslim calender (month of Safar) or at the end of Ramadhan. This is according to their beliefs and personal understanding with their own reasons. Historically, this is used by the Malays to cover up their ancient Hindu traditions and rites, using Islamic incantations and so forth. You may find such rituals similar to the wedding and funeral rites too, where some of the practices are in fact, nothing to do with Islam at all but of Indian origins.

Non-Islamic practices in cleaning a weapon includes other times such as waxing moons and full moons and a particular day of the year such as '9th day of the 9th month', etc. This practice is still seen in Southern Thai and Javanese traditions.

I must be precise with the usage of 'Islamic' here. As mentioned, there is nothing Islamic about kerises and these 'rituals' are just superficial practices in order to appease the owners for their money's worth and 'status' for owning their kerises. Traditionally, this was a Hindu practice since kerises originate from the Brahmanic society of India. Till today you may still find kerises used by certain groups of Hindu shamans/priests. In the scriptures, the keris is a weapon of lord Narayana (god of Knowledge and War).

I've not heard of stabbing a bamboo with kerises (goodness sake, AQ, where did you hear all these things from? its so amateur! the proud owner of that keris is destroying his own weapon!). I can see that a keris is stabbed into young bamboo shoots, in order to get rid of its rusts (one way of cleaning it instead of using lime) but definitely NOT mature bamboo stems. Its just simple common sense. Some people try to exaggerate their keris ownership with such machoism which only a warrior can cry for his beloved weapon.

Another method which I am familiar (and practice myself) is to clean a keris by stabbing it into a banana trunk. The reason is simple. A banana trunk has hardness similar to the body of a human. Therefore, a keris blade is tested on its strength too, in this cleaning process while the sap of the banana trunk neutralizes acidic contents in the blade and you will find that this sap also 'blackens' rust naturally.

Then the keris is being wiped clean with flowers (usually/traditionally 7 different kinds/colours (reason? in methaphysics, flowers gives the blade their auric presence or should I say, it acts as a 'life giver' to it because of the seven colours. We see the world with 7 colours don't we?), but just roses would do the trick. NO WATER IS INVOLVED. Water is already naturally contained in the bamboo trunk and in the flower petals.

Smoking and perfuming it is the last part. Some people use benzoine for smoking the blade in order to dry the blade before greasing it (usually PURE flower/sandalwood/agarwood essences are used). The traditional belief is 'empowering' it, but logically, it is actually to protect the keris from rust/corrosion (some people don't use smoke their kerises because smoking itself causes the blade to rust).

The metaphysical aspect of it, again, is to give life to the keris with the four elements (earth, air, fire and water). During the creation of a keris, all these four elements are also present in the rituals involved. Here is an example:
Keris being cleansed with banana trunk/lime: Water
Keris being cleansed with smoke: Air/Fire
Keris being greased: Earth

I don't know what you think, but personally, a lot of keris owners are fascinated by the hocus pocus involved in legends but what dumbfounds me is most keris owners today hardly know how to use them and are being too serious about the spiritual aspects of owning a keris.

On the surface, a keris is just as ordinary as any other weapons and cannot perform any magical feats unless the owner himself knows how to use it. It is NOT some magical talisman and so forth as some claim.

--------
Edit: Lubricating the blade while kept in scabbard helps to prevent it from rusting only as long as the lubricant/grease stays and the blade is not exposed to moisture (by the way, even so, there is no way to guarantee that the blade won't rust because oil and grease may contain amounts of corrosive materials).

Even if the blade is not lubricated/greased, it will not rust easily unless someone touches its blade (I know a lot of Malays are fond of doing that to see if the blades are 'sharp' and they are only doing more damage to the blade. They have to remember that there is NO WAY of sharpening kerises like other kinds of blade). Our fingers contain a small amount of sweat and this itself is already bad enough to cause damage to the blade.

Answer 2

In Singapore where I am, we used to have a simple cleaning ceremony conducted
by the The Malay Art Gallery. This page illustrates the ceremony conducted here
in 1996. The Malay Art Gallery now conducts its ritualised cleaning at its
main shop in Johor Baru but you still can get your blades clean (without
fuss) at their shop in Geylang Serai.

The ritualised process you will see below is based on the Javanese ritual
but heavily moderated and simplified. I have not seen the Javanese Kraton
ritual so I have no basis of comparison but I have been told that it is a
very elaborate process ending with a ceremony of blessing the masses with the water used in the washing.
for pic go to this website : http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~dspf/muharram.html
The ritual starts with a procession of the cleaners led by the owner of the shop
Mr Hussien Aljunied, and flanked by a kompang (hand-drums) troupe. On entering the cleaning area,
Mr Hussien blesses the cleaners and the proceedings with a recitation of some
pertinent verses from the Koran.

Mr Hussien then proceeds to bless the cleaners and their respective stations with
rose water. Here he is blessing the drying and oiling station.
The variety of keris sent for cleaning and carefully tagged and waiting their turn.

The process starts with the removal of the hilt and a gentle washing with a light detegent
to remove oil and surface dirt and rust. Then its given the "acid treatment".
The blade is cleaned with a variety of acidic fruits. Here the blade is stabbed
into a local fruit called "monkey fruit". The fruit acid is mild and works at
attacking the rust with little effect on the blade. Sometimes coconut water is
used because of its acidity. Lime, however, is the prefered fruit in this stage
of the cleaning process.
For really persistent rust, the blade is soaked for
about an hour or two in lime juice and the progress constantly checked. Its
important to remove the rust off a blade before patinating it and reviving
its pamor.
The blade is given a good scrub with a lime fruit. After the "acid treatment" the blade is washed
and passed to the next stage.
The blade is then soaked in an arsenic and lime juice solution. Arsenic is used to patinate the blade
and bring the pamor out as it blackens the iron and leaves the nickel in the
pamor unaffected. Some blades react immediately and the pamor rises. Others need
a longer soak and a bit of coaxing with light brushing or scrubbing.
The pamor of a Toraja parang rising after a short soak and brush in the arsenic solution.
After the soak in the arsenic, the blade is cleaned again in a mildy acidic solution. This process
removes the arsenic from the blade. Some blades turn a solid black in the
arsenic solution and the patination has to be reduced for the pamor to rise. This
is done at this stage.

After this process is done, the blade is washed in water that is scented with
essense of rose and jasmine, and filled with the petals of these flowers.
The blade is then sent for drying and oiling. The blade is dried over a small stove of hot charcoals.
Incense or kemenyan has been put into the charcoal to add its fragrace to the blade.
After the blade is thoroughly dried, it is oiled with a fragrant oil like sandalwood or a mixture of
fragrant oils. This is one reason why some keris smell so good. The hilt is
then reattached and the keris is returned to the owner who gives a small token
of appreciation for the service rendered.

Answer 3

Wow thebear you really have knowledge about kerises. Anyway just wondering does your keris have spiritual powers?
My dad say he has some keris but he had to give them away as he cannot keep them as they do have spirits in them and its a trouble to go and do the rituals.
One of the keris could fly, one could stand on its tip, and another can drink blood. Sadly i have never seen it but he has and i do believe him.
I do have a question lets say a keris has spirits, do one do the cleaning ritual once a year or once a month? (when i say cleaning it doesn't mean to kill the spirit but to satisfy it)

Answer 4

Locked Up - Akon featuring Azad and kinds P Lonely - Akon Ghetto - Akon abdomen Dancer (Bananza) - Akon Pot of Gold - Akon Smack That - Akon featuring Eminem I Wanna Love You - Akon featuring Snoop Dogg do not rely - Akon Mama Africa - Akon Sorry, Blame It on Me - Akon by no skill Took the Time - Akon i would be unable to Wait - Akon featuring - T-discomfort Rush - Akon featuring Kardinal Offishall desirable now (Na Na Na) - Akon i'm So Paid - Akon featuring Lil Wayne & youthful Jeezy alluring - Akon featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall Holla Holla - Akon featuring T-discomfort Troublemaker - Akon featuring candy Rush Day Dreaming - DJ Drama featuring Akon, Snoop Dogg and T.I. Arab funds (Remix) - Busta Rhymes featuring Ron Browz, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, Akon and Lil Wayne.

Answer 5

not by using lime and smoking it . These method is used so that when it cuts their opponent, it will more painful and lethal.

Answer 6

use lime, its the traditional way to clean it.

Answer 7

Use lime juice...the easiest!

Answer 8

swallow it down the throat and then pull it out. i see performers did that.