KERIS, THE MOST SACRED WEAPONS IN THE WORLD (A UNIQUENESS OF THE INDONESIAN ANCESTORS)

Keris, dagger-like weapon that has a curved shape is one of the most lethal weapon in the past, especially when Indonesia was still a small kingdoms. If Bambu Runcing as one of Indonesian weapon of pride which was so meaningful in the fighting against the Dutch colonial has now become a symbol only, so has Keris. Keris in this era is no longer used as a weapon but instead serve as "heirloom" that is believed to have supernatural powers.

Nowadays, Keris for some owners simply store in a cupboard or a special place in the house. At certain times, in line with the Javanese calendar system, Keris is taken out of its place to be purified or specially washed. For those who believe, Keris has supernatural powers that can assist owners in achieving their goals, whether related to wealth, mate, and safety so that need to be treated in such a way. Although not all people believe, that supernatural power has made Keris to be believed as the most sacred weapon.

The popularity of Keris as one of the cultural heritage of Indonesian ancestors has placed this kind of weapons as one of the World Culture of Pride. It is indicated by the award of UNESCO states that Keris is a Masterpieces of Indonesian Cultural Heritage. Keris is very legendary, but the functions and utility before and now is very much different. If long time ago Keris can be found in almost every family, in addition to the museum, currently Keris is only found in certain families, especially royal families.