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Intellectual Cultural Heritage
75
Kris
Kris
(dagger) is a loanword from Malayu language
“
keris
” meaning a “short knife”. It comprises the “head”
(hilt), the blade, and the sheath.
Kris
blades come in
two shapes: straight and curved or wavy. In Thailand,
the principal location of
kris
-making is in Taloh Halo
Sub-district, Raman District, Yala Province.
In forging a kris, the forgers prefer to use more
than two kinds of metals, which are melted and forged
into the shape of a kris. The number of curves or waves
on the blade indicates the social status of the owner. A
kris with three to five curves is for the commoners, one
with seven waves is for the military or royal court’s
officials, one with nine waves is for the ruler of a small
province or a very rich tycoon. Kris hilt and sheath are
usually carved from a block of an auspicious kind of
wood, such as
Kaeo
tree (orange jasmine tree; “Kaeo”
means “jewel”). Some kris-makers use rare materials,
such as a tusk of an elephant, to make a kris hilt.
Kris is not considered only as a weapon, but also
as a talisman and a decoration that displays the social
status and privilege of the owner. It reflects the artistic
beauty and cultural values that are unique to the Muslim
Thai people in Thailand’s southern provinces.