A Dagger for Seven Generation

Keris is a blade use for weapon and ceremonies in many part of Indonesia. Its history has
lasted since the early ages of the copper era and evolve into a sacred entity in many of
Indonesian culture. It is not a sword as the european knows it and its sacredness differ
from what the legend of King Arthurs Sword are famous for. Keris is a mans dagger,
asymetric yet balance, it can be straight or curvy. Always made with the character of the
owner and the craftmans in mind and with a story to tell.

One famous dagger that colors the legends and folklore of Indonesia is the Keris of Mpu
Gandring. Mpu is a title for a someone who has high skills and intellectual flairs within
the kings court. During the reign of the Singasari Kingdom around the 12th Century, a
lesser king named Tunggul Ametung acquire a bride that was so fair and beautiful that
causes envy from many men, including a man of unknown ancestry named Ken Arok.
Legend says that this bride also has special powers that whomever marries her will rise
into such authority and strength beyond measure.

Ken Arok was so intrigue with the idea of having power, order a mighty Keris to be crafted
by Mpu Gandring. For years Ken Arok waited for the Keris to be deliver but nothing avail,
as he starts loosing patience Ken Arok march to the Mpu workshop and demand the Keris.
Mpu Gandring insist that the blade is not ready but Ken Arok becomes upset and took the
blade and kill the Mpu. Upon his dying minutes, the Mpu curse the Blade and command it
to draw blood from the seven generation of Ken Arok.

Ken Arok uses this blade by tricking someone to kill the lesser King, Tunggul Ametung,
and claim claim the Bride. As true to the brides legend, Ken Arok raise to power and
started the Singosari Kingdom where the bride becomes the queen. But as cursed by the
Mpu, this kingdom was always in conflict and always in struggle of power.

A son of Tunggul Ametung from a concubine found out that Ken Arok killed his father
manage to steal Mpu Gandring blade and use it to kill Ken Arok and claim the throne as
his. This in turn cause the sons of Ken Arok form his queen to retaliate and strike back to
kill the successor of Ken Arok using the same blade that killed his father. As this conflicts
continues, where the curse of Mpu Gandring came to reality and Singosari Kingdom found
its downfall along with the lost of this legendary Keris.

The story above shows that the Keris has such sacred power and a very important entity
for the people of Indonesia. A Keris is a national hierloom. It is a national identity. How
curious are you to feel the mystical power of a Keris? Then visit the Indonesias Pavilion to
seen the arrays of Keris collection on display and feel it tell a silent story of its history.