Keris

Mon May 19 13:43:57 UTC 1997

Just a brief note (probably well-known amongst specialist, but...)

The famous sequence of women dancing with keris in the film TRANCE AND
DANCE IN BALI by M. Mead is a bit of a fabrication, as well as history.

As Bateson wrote in 1942: "We had seen women dance with krisses at temple
festivals at night and had observed that their dancing, though nominally
the same as that of the men, was fundamentally different ... we ...
suggested ... that they should include in their performance some women
with krisses.  This they did without any hesitation, but by 1939 the women
were an established part of the performance."  (Bateson and Mead, 1942,
p.167: BALINESE CHARACTER: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS)

Peter Claus

On Mon, 19 May 1997, Enrica Garzilli wrote:

> Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 04:38:08 BST
> From: Enrica Garzilli <garzilli at shore.net>
> Reply-To: indology at liverpool.ac.uk
> To: Members of the list <indology at liverpool.ac.uk>
> Subject: Re: Keris
> 
> Royce Wiles wrote:
> > 
> > >Could anybody help me in finding a bibliography
> > >on Indonesian women Keris (its history, technical
> > >description, use, and social meaning).
> > 
> > Before I ask my Southeast Asian specialist colleagues about this can I just
> > confirm that you're asking about the traditional dagger (keris) in this
> > case one used by women?
> > 
> > Royce Wiles
> > Asian History Centre, Faculty of Asian Studies
> > Australian National University
> > GPO Box 4, Canberra  ACT 0200   AUSTRALIA
> > 
> > Telephone: +61 6 279 8853 (message)     Home: +61 6 258 5134
> > Facsimile: +61 6 279 8326               Mobile: +61 (0)41 928 7569
> 
> Yes I am asking about that.
> 
> Thank you,
> -- 
> Dr. Enrica Garzilli
> Univ. of Perugia (ITALY)
> Editor-in-Chief, IJTS and JSAWS (http://www.shore.net/~india)
> *************************************************************
> 
> 
> 
> 