Ken Arok
One of the most famous folk stories from Java describes a legendary kris empu (bladesmith), called Mpu Gandring , and his impatient customer, Ken Arok. Ken Arok wanted to order a powerful kris to kill the chieftain of Tumapel, Tunggul Ametung. Ken Arok eventually stabbed the old bladesmith to death because he kept delaying the scheduled completion of the kris, which Ken Arok had probably ordered several months before. Dying, the bladesmith prophesied that the unfinished or incomplete kris would kill seven men, including Ken Arok . The prophecy finally came true, with four men enlisted as the kris' first death roll, including Mpu Gandring himself, the Adipati of Tumapel Tunggul Ametung, Kebo Ijo (to whom Ken Arok lent the blade and accused to be the murderer of Tunggul Ametung ), and Ken Arok himself, later. The unfinished kris ofMpu Gandring then disappeared.
Another version of the tale describes that the kris passed to Ken Arok's stepson Anusapati which in turn killed his stepfather after recognized that his genuine father was killed by Ken Arok with the same kris. The bloody revenge continued on and on until the reign of Kertanegara , the last king of Singhasari kingdom.
Adipati
Another Javanese folk tale tells the story of an Adipati of Jipang-Panola named Arya Penangsang , who was killed by his own kris, Setan Kober (English Satan of Grave). The scene happened at the end of the battle to re-unite the collapsed Sultanate of Demak-Bintara, fought between Jaka Tingkir, Adipati of Pajang , and Penangsang, of Majapahit royal blood. The story tells that he fought the battle with Hadiwijaya's adopted son, who would become the first ruler of the Mataram dynasty, Danang Sutawijaya (aka. Panembahan Senapati ). Penangsang inadvertently stabbed himself when he sheathed his kris, gutting his own belly. He soon fell down, bathing in his own blood, which was flowing from the wound. While he was dying, he encircled his scattered intestines on his kris. The tradition of Ronce , putting a jasmine-chain around the kris' hilt, possibly came from this tale.
The Taming Sari
The Taming Sari is one of the most well known keris in Malay Literature. It was the keris of Hang Tuah , the great Laksamana (Admiral/General) o Malacca . According to the legend from the book Sejarah Melayu / Salalatus Salatin by Tin Sri Lanang Tun Seri Lanang Tun Muhammad Ibni Tun Ahmad, Hang Tuah obtained the magical keris by killing the king of Majapahit's Pendekar (Warrior) . Majapahit was an empire located on the island of Java. He tricked the warrior into letting go of his weapon and then killed the warrior in a duel. In return, Taming Sari was said to have been presented by the King of Majapahit to Hang Tuah.
The Taming Sari was said to grant its user physical invulnerability. In the legend, the keris was passed to Hang Tuah's best friend Hang Jebat after the supposed execution of Hang Tuah. The sultan Sultan Mansur Shah ordered Hang Tuah's execution for treason after being framed, but with the help of the Bendahara (Prime Minister), he escaped and hid. His keris was passed to Hang Jebat who became the new Laksamana.
Later on, Hang Jebat rebelled against the Sultan for killing his best friend without a fair trial, but then Hang Tuah, who was loyal to the Sultan, came out of hiding to stop his friend. They fought in the palace, which Hang Jebat had taken over due to the magical keris. Hang Tuah knew that Hang Jebat could not be defeated when he held the Taming Sari, so he tricked Jebat saying that the Taming Sari was going to break, and gave Jebat his spare keris. Now, Jebat was no longer with the legendary weapon, and was stabbed by Tuah. He died soon after by the poison of Hang Tuah's keris.
Spirits
Blades are considered to almost be alive, or at the very least, vessels of special powers. Krisses could be tested two ways. 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 owner would have good fortune. However, just because a blade was bad for one person didn't mean it would be bad for another. Harmony between the owner and the kris was critical.
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. Krisses could also have tremendous killing power. Some are rumored to stand on their tips when their real names are called by their masters. Legends tell of krisses moving on their own volition and killing individuals at will. When making a blade, the empu could infuse into the blade any special spiritual qualities and powers the owner desires.
Many of these beliefs, however, were erroneously derived from the possession of different keris by different people. For example, there is a kind of keris in Java that was called "Beras Wutah", which was believed to grant its possessor an easy life without famine. In reality, this keris was mainly assigned to government officers that were paid, in whole or in part with foodstuff (rice).
Because some krisses are considered scared and believed to possess magical powers, specific rites needed to be completed to avoid calling down evil fates. For example, warriors often made offerings on a shrine to their kris. Another example is that pointing a kris at someone is thought to mean that they will die soon, so in ceremonies or demonstrations where ritualized battles are fought with real krisses, the fighters perform a ritual to neutralize this effect in which they touch the points of the blades to the ground. Also it's used in the Baris , a traditional dance of Bali.
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