Javanese keris mystification discourse on the surakarta keris market

Javanese keris mystification discourse on the surakarta keris market

Keris is a cultural heritage of Indonesia, especially Jawa, which has been recognize worldwide. In traditional Javanese mystical culture, keris has a special position as tosan ajior an object that is considered to have magical powers. In modern times, the mystification of the keris occurs in a way that is different from the patterns of discourse in traditional societies. In modern times, the mystification discourse is created entirely through a process that involves the keris community and the keris market. Through discourse that strengthen in new spaces in the modern era, mystification is created and forms a clear hyperreality of the keris as cultural object, both among the keris community and the wider public. This research aim to see how the mystification discourse develops and hyperreality is created. The results of this study found that mystification occurs through the market with indications that keris traders/exchangers use mystical narrative to increase the price of the keris they sell. The higher the mystical element in a keris, the higher the price. On the other hand, consumers are exposed to this mystical discourse, and perceive keris ownership as a part of identity that cannot be separated from everyday life. In this way, mystification produces hyperreality among the keris community.Keyword:Keris, market, mystification, hyperreality.

Panji Sukma

Andrik Purwasito

Warto

Titis Srimuda Pitana

https://www.russianlawjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/2977/1790

RUSSIAN LAW JOURNAL

2023

nfdbf

Kerisis an original weapon of Indonesian culture, especially Java. Even so, the distribution of the keris actually covers the entire archipelago. The scope of its spread is to the East to Nusa Tenggara and Ternate, while to the West to the Malay Peninsula and parts of mainland Southeast Asia. This weapon is one of the cultural-traditional treasures of Indonesia (Harsrinuksmo, 2004, p. 10).On November 25, 2005, keris was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The existence of a keris as an authentic Indonesian cultural object is undeniably an honor as well as a big obligation, because this recognition leaves the obligation to preserve the keris. The phenomenon of the keris as a cultural heritage has caused the preservation of the keris to undergo changes in modern society. The changing society has also changed the meaning of the keris and the symbols attached to it. Everyone in modern times has the freedom to appreciate and interpret keris according to their own desires and interests. Because of this, an ambiguous and even paradoxical understanding occurs, which is due to the freedom of interpretation which creates a situation of multiple interpretations and can change at any time.

For traditional Javanese society and its mystical world, the keris occupies a special position, especially for men. In its tradition and philosophy, Javanese men have five properties that must be met in order to make them real men, namely wisma(house), garwa(woman or wife), turangga(mount or horse), kukila(birds as entertainment), and curiga(weapon in the form of a keris). Now this tradition is no longer considered important by most Javanese people, even the wider public often narrates the keris as an object attached to the world of mysticism and shamanism on the basis of modernism and religious morality. When keris used to be entrenched because keris ownership was a form of preserving Javanese identity and cultural heritage, now it seems to have turned into an object that must be 'sacred' which then creates a negative connotation for its owner. In addition to the problem of religious morality, modernity is currently developing rapidly and seems to force people to struggle with technology, adding to the long list of reasons why keris no longer exist in everyday life.