Kris a cut above on heritage list<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Stephen Hill, director of the Jakarta office of the United
\nNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
\n(UNESCO), is one of a few expatriates who attended in 2002 the
\ncelebration of 1 Syuro or the Javanese New Year at the Surakarta
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
As special guests, Hill and other expatriates were given royal
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
\"But it was the evening that was really special,\" wrote Hill
\nin the Glimpses of a Field Office (www.unesco.co.id). At
\nmidnight, Hill wrote, the Sunan and about 3,000 palace officials
\nand supporters celebrated the procession of sacred weapons, i.e.
\nspears and krises.<\/p>\n
The weapons were carried by the chosen through the streets of
\nSolo. Lit by burning fire brands, the procession followed a
\nsacred white bullock -- which, we were reliably assured, Hill
\nwrote, knew the way and would wander around the city until he
\nchose to return to the palace.<\/p>\n
\"As it turned out, the bullock found his way back around 4
\na.m. along with those officials and followers who had managed to
\nlast the distance,\" Hill said.<\/p>\n
The kris, as illustrated above, is at the heart of the
\nJavanese culture. In the old days, the mystical Javanese would
\nonly feel content if, aside from owning a house and a rice field,
\nthey owned a kris. As former British governor general Raffles
\nonce put it, \"Javanese males without krises are like nude men\".<\/p>\n
Even in this modern age, many hold the kris as dear. For these
\npeople, the kris has magical powers, it brings them luck and
\nwards off disaster.<\/p>\n
It is said that a kris with magical power is produced by a
\nmaster blacksmith through a special process that requires the
\nkrismaker to carry out rituals, including fasting and meditation.<\/p>\n
The special features of the kris have led to its inclusion on
\nthe UN cultural body's list of intangible heritage treasures,
\nalong with Brazil's Samba de Roda -- blending dance, music and
\npoetry -- and a \"cultural space\" in a walled Colombian village
\nfounded in the 17th century as a haven for escaped slaves.<\/p>\n
The traditions, also including Japan's Kabuki theater and
\nwhirling dervish ceremonies from Turkey, were among 43 arts,
\nrituals, festivals and other ceremonies added on Friday to the
\nworld list by UNESCO.<\/p>\n
UNESCO head Koichiro Matsuura, who announced the list, said he
\nwas glad to see traditions from developing countries on the list,
\nincluding many from Africa.<\/p>\n
\"Despite the vitality and the strength of these cultural
\nexpressions,\" Matsuura was quoted by the Associated Press as
\nsaying at UNESCO's Paris headquarters, \"there are many that need
\nurgent and immediate safeguarding.\"<\/p>\n
Cultural traditions are chosen based upon their risk of
\ndisappearing, as well as their cultural value and importance to
\ntheir communities.<\/p>\n
The list was the third issued by the UN organization, and
\n\"will probably be the last,\" a UNESCO statement said. Countries
\nsubmitted 64 applications this year, which were whittled down to
\n43.<\/p>\n
In addition to the kris, Indonesia's wayang or shadow puppet
\nshow is also on the UNESCO list of multinational masterpieces.
\nThe wayang was added to the list in 2003.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kris-a-cut-above-on-heritage-list-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}