Featured Kris found in Welsh river-howditgethere?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ers-18th-century-Asian-sword-Welsh-RIVER.html

 

It is a Moro keris, from the Philippines.
I don't know about Philippino tradition, but in Indonesian tradition you throw a keris in the water if it is a bad keris, that has black magic attached to it.
There are other ways to solve the problem, ask someone on your forum who is used to working with keris for instance. But no one from Carmarthen has contacted me as yet.

 

Grandpa the collector dies, grand-daughter says "I'm not having that horrible thing in the house, go and chuck it in the river before someone gets hurt with it".

Mystery solved.

 

Although the suggestions in the article probably contain the reason for throwing the keri into the water, there is a long European history associated with water deposits of votive offerings, often weapons.

Probably not relevant here, but you never know

 

I just sent the curator a mail telling him it is a Philippino Moro keris, and the possible explanation.
I don't know how they can tell it had an ornate blade. That would be unusual for a Moro keris. Or that it is 18th century, possibly the amount of rust?

 

I'll lay odds it was "liberated" by a squaddie in WW2 or belonged to one of our soldiers from that neck of the woods. Far East, that is.

Wales does have something of a history of having "exotic" inhabitants: cf, Tiger Bay.

 

Could very well have belonged to one of the many Philippino sailors that are to be found on any international vessel. Had a sweetheart in Carmarthen, relationship went wrong, blamed keris, and into the river it went.
Wonder where the sheath is.

 

Small world, my brother (member of the Coracle Society) knows the man who found the keris.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a coracle? I google the word and found it was a round boat that looks like a basket that might have held Moses. If a boat, why was the man "casting a net?" Was he fishing from/in a coracle/round boat? Between you, me and fence post, if I was trying to paddle one of those, I'd find myself going around in circles.

--- Susan

 

They're traditional small one person river fishing boats that look like a basket. A right bugger to steer.

 

Coracles are light and cheap. You paddle using a single paddle in a fish-tail like movement, something of a figure of eight movement of the blade. Easier to demonstrate than explain. The reason rowing boats usually have a half round notch in the transom is so you can row with a similar action over the stern where there is no roon to row with conventional oars. Or just to show off.

 

Just been on the tv, mentioned an email, yours?

 

I did send one to the curator, but didn't get an answer. What did they say?

 

They interviewed the guy with the coracle on his back.

Said he had received an email saying it was from the Philippines.

Main report was focused on Carmarthen being an important port some 200+ years ago and that was how this had got to the river, though not why deposited.

 

Thanks. Don't know if it was my email, maybe there were more. I'll let you know if I hear from either him or the curator.
Carmarthen being an important port 200+ years ago is no proof that the keris ended up in the river 200+ years ago. Keris are occasionally found in Dutch rivers, even if the nearby towns were not important ports.
This gorgeous Madurese Daunan keris was found in Deventer in the river IJssel in 2009. Deventer was an important port in the days of the Hanseatic league, 12th-16th century, but this keris is probably no earlier than 19th century:


Maybe this Madurese keris started acting up because the hilt was facing the wrong way. If someone twisted my neck I'd be pretty upset too.