Taking Care Of Your Keris

 

 

Red colour cloth at the external sheath means that this keris is ready for war. 

 

 

A keris is the single most important item in the life of a Bomoh or Silat exponent. It is both a weapon and a spiritual object. According to some occult practitioner, a keris need to be bathed every Muharam month (first month of Islamic calendar).

 

The method:

 

1.      Prepare the below materials, but first ask the khodam of your keris what does it like:

a.       Old coconut water

b.      Mengkudu fruit

c.       Kaffir lime

d.      Seven types of flowers

e.       Water from well

f.       Dew water collected from banana trunk

2.      Dip the keris into above material for 24 hours.

3.      After that put the keris point down and dry it in a room for 7 days and 7 nights. Burn 3 pieces of joss stick every night but do not disturb the keris. This is to let the keris ‘meditate’.

4.      After the 7 days and 7 nights, rub the keris with kaffir lime then smudge it with white benzoic incense.

5.      Now ask the keris (khodam) what type of cloth it want to wear?

a.       Red cloth – for war only.

b.      Yellow cloth – for healing purpose.

c.       Black cloth – for both healing and war.

6.      A keris must be inside its sheath when not working. There was a case happen to a collector. He left his keris blade exposed in a bedroom and when the couple was having sex, the khodam of keris also joined in. After that his wife didn’t want to have sex with the person because no kick!!

7.      As a general rule:

a.       Take out the keris for working.

b.      After work, put the keris back to its sheath. But give some time for the khodam of keris to return.

 

It is believed that a keris with khodam must be bathed at least once in 3 years or the khodam may leave. The above is just one of many methods out there for taking care of a keris. As some keris may fetch up to thousands of US dollars, practice the above at your own accord.