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The kris or is a Javanese culture asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron ( pamor). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well, and is one of the weapons commonly used in the pencak silat martial art native to Indonesia. Kris have been produced in many regions of Indonesia for centuries, but nowhere—although the island of Bali comes close—is the kris so embedded in a mutually-connected whole of ritual prescriptions and acts, ceremonies, storied backgrounds, and epic poetry as in Central Java. Within Indonesia the kris is commonly associated with Javanese culture, although other ethnicities in it and surrounding regions are familiar with the weapon as part of their cultures, such as the Balinese people, Sundanese people, Malay, Madurese people, Banjar people, Buginese people, and Makassar people. (2025). 9780415788014, Routledge. ISBN 9780415788014 The kris itself is considered as a cultural symbol of Indonesia (2025). 9789791274661, Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. ISBN 9789791274661 and also neighbouring countries like Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
A kris can be divided into three parts: blade ( or ), hilt (), and sheath (). Each part of the kris is considered a piece of art, often carved in meticulous detail and made from various materials: metal, precious or rare types of wood, or gold or ivory. A kris's aesthetic value covers the (the form and design of the blade, with around 60 variants), the (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with around 250 variants), and referring to the age and origin of a kris. Depending on the quality and historical value of the kris, it can fetch thousands of dollars or more.
Both a weapon and spiritual object, kris are often considered to have an essence or presence, considered to possess magical powers, with some blades possessing good luck and others possessing bad. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, a sanctified heirloom ( pusaka), auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, an accessory for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc. Legendary kris that possess supernatural power and extraordinary ability were mentioned in traditional folktales, such as those of Empu Gandring, Taming Sari, and Setan Kober.
In 2005, UNESCO included the Indonesian kris in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Two notable exceptions are the Philippines and Thailand. In the Philippines, the kris and similar stabbing daggers are known as gunong or gulok, while the much larger slashing sword versions are known as kalis or sundang. The larger kalis sword was introduced from the Sulu Sultanate of the Philippines back to Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia, where it became known as keris Sulu.Albert G Van Zonneveld (2025). 9789054500049, Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land. ISBN 9789054500049
In Thailand it is always spelled kris and pronounced either as kris or krit (กริช) in Thai language, while in the Yala dialect, it is spelled kareh. In Cambodia it is spelled as kris (គ្រីស) in Khmer language. Other alternative spellings used by Europeans include "cryse", "crise", "criss", "kriss" and "creese". In English, the plural form is often simply "kris" as well.
The description of a small dagger from Java reminiscent of kris can be found in Chinese source from the 10th century Song dynasty. In 992 the envoy from She-po (Java) arrived in Chinese court bearing a lot of gifts, consists of a dagger with exquisite hilt made of rhino horn and gold, songket, ivories, pearls, silk of various colours, fragrant sandalwood, cotton clothes of various colours, turtle shells, betel nut preparation kit, rattan mat with the image of white cockatoo, and a small model of house made of sandalwood adorned with valuable ornaments.
However, Raffles' (1817) study of the Candi Sukuh states that the kris recognized today came into existence around 1361 CE in the kingdom of Majapahit, East Java. The scene in bas relief of Sukuh Temple in Central Java, dated from the 15th century Majapahit era, shows the workshop of a Javanese keris blacksmith. The scene depicted Bhima as the blacksmith on the left forging the metal, Ganesha in the center, and Arjuna on the right operating the piston bellows to blow air into the furnace. The wall behind the blacksmith displays various items manufactured in the forge, including kris. These representations of the kris in the Candi Sukuh established the fact that by the year 1437, the kris had already gained an important place within Javanese culture.
In Yingya Shenglan—a record about Zheng He's expedition (1405–1433)—Ma Huan describes that
This Chinese account also reported that public execution by stabbing using this type of dagger is common. Majapahit knows no caning for major or minor punishment. They tied the guilty men's hands in the back with rattan rope and paraded them for a few paces, and then stabbed the offender one or two times in the back on the gap between the floating ribs, which resulted in severe bleeding and instant death.
Currently, the Kris of Knaud is the oldest known surviving kris in the world. Given to Charles Knaud, a Dutch physician, by Pakualaman in the 19th century Yogyakarta in Java, the kris is on display at the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam. The kris bears the date of 1264 Saka (which corresponds to 1342 CE) in its iron blade. Scientists suspect that due to its special features, the kris might be even older, but was decorated during Majapahit period to celebrate an important event.Van Asdonck, Marjolein "Het sprookje van de kris." ( Moesson Magazine, Volume 50, no.5, November 2005) p.27 The kris bears scenes from the Ramayana on an unusually thin copper layer which partially covers it.
===Development and distribution===
Although the people of Southeast Asia were already familiar with this type of stabbing weapon, the development of the kris most probably took place in Java, Indonesia. From its origin in Java, the use of kris spread throughout the Indonesian archipelago, Singapore, Malaysia, Southern Thailand and the Philippines through diplomacy and trade. The spread of the kris to other nations such as Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, some historians say, was credited to the growing influence of the Majapahit Empire in Java around the year 1492.
The Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian canto XVII, a Sundanese people manuscript dated from Saka 1440 or 1518 CE, describes the kris as the weapon of kings, while the kujang is the weapon of farmers. There exist claims of earlier forms predating the Majapahit kris, but none are verifiable. In the past, the majority of kris had straight blades, but this became less frequent over time. Tomé Pires, in the early 16th century, describes the importance of the kris to the Javanese.
Kris were often broken in battle and required repairs. Yearly cleanings, known in Javanese culture as , is required as part of the spirituality and mythology surrounding the weapon, often leaving ancient blades worn and thin. The repair materials depended on location, and it is quite usual to find a weapon with fittings from several areas. For example, a kris may have a blade from Java, a hilt from Bali and a sheath from Madura. In many parts of Indonesia and the Malacca Sultanate, the kris used to be the choice weapon for an execution known as the hukuman salang. The executioner's kris had a long, straight, slender blade. The condemned knelt before the executioner, who placed a wad of cotton or similar material on the subject's shoulder or clavicle area. The blade was thrust through the padding, piercing the subclavian artery and the heart. Upon withdrawal, the cotton wiped the blade clean. In the Malay world and Java, an honourable form of execution was death by kris to the heart.
Kris were used commonly in battle during the early modern period, instead of having professional armies, most kings within the region relied on their courtiers to mobilize for war whenever required and since most Javanese, Malay and Makassarese would own a kris, the weapon would have seen regular combat. During amok, the kris was used in a furious charge to scatter or kill a number of enemies even at the cost of one's own life. In the 16th century, European colonial powers introduced into the archipelago that contributed to the decline of using the kris as the weapon of choice in battle. The forging of edged weapons went into decline from the moment that the sultans or rajas were subjugated and their realms annexed by the British or Dutch East Indies colonial state. In some regions, a ban was placed on carrying of cutting and stabbing weapons.
In Java, the turning point was the end of the five-year-long Java War when the rebellious Prince Diponegoro was defeated and detained and had to hand his kris over to the Dutch in 1830. This event marked the disarmament of the kris as a combat weapon among the Javanese populace. Its ceremonial function, however, as part of traditional costumes, as sacred heirloom and as a protective personal amulet, remains.
However, the kris saw continuous use and forging in the Philippines, which comprised most of the Spanish East Indies. Kris-forgers and swordsmen were referred to as juramentados by the Spanish. Juramentados practice a ritual of sacrifice, a form of Jihad against not only Spanish soldiers but also against Christian Filipinos alike.
The early 20th century saw the decline of kris forging as carrying edged weapons was banned in the Dutch East Indies. However its spiritual and ceremonial function still continues and is celebrated mainly in kraton and istana (courts) throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and the Muslim-inhabited parts of the southern Philippines.
Over the past three decades, kris have lost their prominent social and spiritual meaning in society. Although active and honoured smiths who traditionally produce high-quality kris can still be found in some places such as Madura, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Palembang, their number is dramatically decreasing, and it is more difficult for them to find successors to whom they may transmit their skills. The traditional kris-making industry still survives in some villages, such as Banyu Sumurup village in Imogiri subdistrict, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, either specially made as a sacred amulet ordered by a kris enthusiast who seeks its spiritual power, or merely as souvenirs for tourists.
According to traditional Javanese kejawen, kris contain all the intrinsic elements of nature: (water), (wind), (fire), (earth, but also interpreted as metal or wood which both come from the earth), and aku (lit: "I" or "me", meaning that the kris has a spirit or soul). All these elements are present during the forging of kris. Earth is metal forged by fire being blown by pumped wind, and water to cool down the metal. In Bali, the kris is associated with the nāga or dragon, which also symbolizes irrigation canals, rivers, springs, wells, spouts, waterfalls and rainbows; thus, the wavy blade symbolizes the movement of the serpent. Some kris have the head of a naga (dragon) carved near the base with the body and tail following the curves of the blade to the tip. A wavy kris is thus a naga in motion, aggressive and alive; a straight blade is one at rest, its power dormant but ready to come into action.
In former times, kris blades were said to be infused with poison during their forging, ensuring that any injury was fatal. The poison used to polish kris blade is called . The process of chemical coating was done by or (washing) the blade with acid and minerals that contains arsenic compounds. The process of doing so was kept secret among smiths. Different types of whetstones, the acidic juice of citrus fruits and poisonous arsenic bring out the contrast between the dark black iron and the light colored silvery nickel layers, which together form , damascene patterns on the blade.
The best material for creating , however, is acquired in a quite unusual way, as it is made from rare meteorite iron. Traditionally, the material for the kris smiths connected with the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta originates from an iron meteorite that fell to earth at the end of the 18th century in the neighborhood of the Prambanan temple complex. The meteorite was excavated and transported to the keraton of Surakarta; from that time on the smiths of Vorstenlanden (the Royal territories) used small pieces of meteoric iron to produce patterns in their kris, pikes, and other status weapons. After etching the blade with acidic substances, it is the small percentage of nickel present in meteoric iron that creates the distinctive silvery patterns that faintly light up against the dark background of iron or steel that become darkened by the effect of the acids.
The kris dance is a potentially dangerous dance and can lead to fatal accidents. In February 2021, a 16-year-old kris dancer was stabbed to death in his heart by his own kris, during a Rangda dance performance in Denpasar, Bali.
In Javanese culture the kris is revered as tosan aji (Javanese for "sacred heirloom weapon") and considered a pusaka. The kris is believed to have the ability to infuse bravery upon its holder: this property is known as piyandel in Javanese, which means "to add self-confidence". The pusaka kris or kris-tipped spear given by a Javanese king to nobles or his subjects was meant to symbolize the king's confidence bestowed upon the receiver and is considered a great honor. During the Javanese wedding ceremony, a kris is required to be adorned with chains of jasmine flower arrangement as an important part of the Javanese groom's wedding costume. The addition of the jasmine arrangement around the kris was meant as a symbol that a man should not easily be angry, cruel, fierce, too aggressive, tyrannical and abusive. Kris-makers did more than forge the weapon, they carried out the old rituals which could infuse the blade with mystical powers. For this reason, kris are considered almost alive because they may be vessels of spirits, either good or evil. Legends tell of kris that could move of their own volition and killed individuals at will. Some kris are rumored to stand upright when their real names are called by their masters. It was said that some kris helped prevent fires, death, agricultural failure, and many other problems. Likewise, they could also bring fortune, such as bountiful harvests. Many of these beliefs were derived from the possession of different kris by different people. For example, there is a type of kris in Java that was called Beras Wutah, which was believed to grant its possessor an easy life without famine. This kris was mainly assigned to government officers who were paid, in whole or in part, with foodstuffs such as rice.
There are several ways of testing whether a kris is lucky or not. A series of cuts on a leaf, based on blade width and other factors, could determine if a blade was good or bad. Also, if the owner slept with the blade under their pillow, the spirit of the kris would communicate with the owner via dream. If the owner had a bad dream, the blade was unlucky and had to be discarded, whereas if the owner had a good dream, the dagger would bring good fortune. However, just because a blade was bad for one person didn't mean it would be bad for another. Harmony between the weapon and its owner was critical.
Because some kris are considered sacred and believed to possess magical powers, specific rites needed to be completed to avoid calling down evil fates, which is the reason warriors often made offerings to their kris at a shrine. There is also the belief that pointing a kris at someone means they will die soon, so silat practitioners precede their demonstrations by touching the points of the blades to the ground so as to neutralise this effect.
Another version of the tale describes that the kris passed to Ken Arok's stepson Anusapati who in turn killed his stepfather after recognising that his biological father was killed by Ken Arok with the same kris. The bloody feud continued on and on until the reign of Kertanegara, the last king of Singosari Empire
After being framed by a jealous official, Hang Tuah was ordered to be executed, but he managed to escape and go into hiding with the help of a minister who knew the truth. Hang Tuah's kris and title of Laksamana (admiral) were passed on to his comrade Hang Jebat. Furious that his best friend was unfairly put to death, Hang Jebat rebelled against the royalty and took over the palace. The desperate ruler of Melaka pardoned the minister so long as Hang Tuah could win him back the throne. Having trained under the same master since childhood, the two friends were nearly equals but of the two, Tuah was the superior fighter. However, even after a long battle in the palace, neither could best the other because the Kris Taming Sari evened the odds. Only after taking his weapon back did Hang Tuah manage to stab Jebat, who died soon after.
The story took place in the 16th century, during the fall of Demak Sultanate that had replaced Majapahit as the ruler of Java. Setan Kober was safely kept by Sunan Kudus, one of the nine Islamic saints of Java. However, Sunan Prawoto, son of Prince Trenggana and grandson of Raden Patah, stole it and used it to assassinate his uncle Raden Kikin by the river. Since then, Raden Kikin is also referred to as Sekar Seda Lepen (flower that fell by the river). Raden Trenggana rose as a sultan and later, after his death, was replaced by Sunan Prawoto. Kikin's son, Penangsang of Jipang with the help of his teacher, Sunan Kudus, took revenge by sending an assassin to kill Prawoto using the Setan Kober kris. Prawoto younger sister Ratu Kalinyamat seeks revenge on Penangsang, since Penangsang also murdered her husband. She urged her brother in-law, Hadiwijaya (Joko Tingkir) the ruler of Pajang, to kill Arya Penangsang. Hadiwijaya sent his adopted son and also his son in-law Sutawijaya, who would later become the first ruler of the Mataram dynasty.
During a battle, Sutawijaya stabbed Penangsang with the Kyai Plered spear in the gut. However, Penangsang was believed to possess aji or kesaktian (spiritual power), he kept fighting with an open wound in the stomach. He encircled his hanging intestines on his kris hilt and continued to fight. When trying to attack his opponent, the reckless, fierce and impatient Panangsang pulled his Setan Kober off its sheath but accidentally cut his own intestines and died.
The Javanese tradition of putting Jasminum sambac garlands around the kris hilt, especially on the groom's kris during the wedding ceremony, is said to originate from this tale. It is to symbolize that the groom should not be reckless, easily get angry, impatient and abusive like Arya Panangsang. To replace the intestine, the kris is coiled with a floral garland of jasmine chain that resembles intestine. The jasmine is to symbolize sacredness, patience, grace, humility, kindness and benevolence, the qualities lack in Panangsang. However another source mentioned that actually Sutawijaya admired Penangsang's fighting spirits, still fighting although his intestine encircled around his kris. Impressed by Penangsang's deed, later he command his male descendants to follow his step, adorned the kris with "intestine" made from the chain of jasmine, as a symbol of bravery. The story of Arya Penangsang has inspired and performed as Javanese ketoprak drama. Ketoprak Guyonan Campursari: Ariyo Penangsang Mbalelo
The kris is depicted on different flags, emblems, coats and logos such as those of the Aceh Sultanate Mataram Sultanate, Riau Islands Province, Terengganu and Selangor. The former emblem of Siam uses the kris to represent the southern territories. It can also be seen on an obverse copper-zinc-tin RM1 coin with a songket pattern in the background. The Malaya and British Borneo dollar 1 cent coin of 1962 also depicted a pair of crossed kris.
In the British colonies of future Federation of Malaya, the kris has become a symbol of early Malay nationalism (see Malaya's proposed flag designs); especially of the ethno-Majoritarianism right-wing ketuanan Melayu strain decades on post-independence; it is incorporated into the Sang Saka Bangsa, party flag of United Malays National Organisation once dominant in Malaysian politics.Pogadaev, V. "Magia Krisa" ("The Magic of Kris"). Azia i Afrika Segodnya ( Asia and Africa Today). Moscow, No. 4, 2010, 67–69
In the Philippines, the kalis, a larger sword variant of the kris, is a symbol of Moro and southern Filipino culture, and a resistance to Spanish rule and influence. It is incorporated into the flags of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It has also been incorporated into the flag of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, historical flags of the Sultanate of Sulu, as well as the emblem of the Cotabato Province.
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