There is a incomparable weapon that originates in Western Java, in the Pasundan (Sundanese) region. This weapon is phoned ?kujang,? (pron. ?koo-jaang.?) Lacking the suitable English equal for this we have used the term, ?sickle,? eventhough its anatomy somewhat deviates from the true anatomy of a sickle. Neither does it resemble the ?scimitar? which humps convexly. In Indonesian a sickle is in reality phoned ?chelurit.?
The Javanese living in the easterly half of the Java isle refers to the kujang as ?kudi.? To those who are uninformed, the indigenous folks of the isle of Java are not all ?Javanese.? The western section of the isle is populated by a major cultural grouping phoned ?Sundanese.? The kujang is the sole memorial of the metropolis of Bogor here in Indonesia.
The kujang is packed with mysteries. It is stated that it carries within its anatomy a magickal force with a mystical purpose. Embodied within its original figure lied the philosophy of the old Sundanese with its Hindu heritage. It is obvious from the foregoing that this mystic blade was producted to be more of a talisman, a symbolical objet d?art, preferably than a weapon. This is peculiarly so regarded in contemporary times.
The original founding of the kujang was in reality inspired by a utensil used in farming. This utensil was widely used in the 4th to 7th centuries AD. The recently producted kujang differed slightly from the tilling implements fashioned by the famous blacksmiths, Mpu Windusarpo, Mpu Ramayadi, & Mpu Mercukundo, as may be seen in the localized museums. It was only in the ninth to 12th century that the anatomy of the kujang took the anatomy that we are so acquainted with today. In the year 1170 there was a alter in the kujang. Its value as an amulet or talisman was gradually being acknowledged by the rulers & nobilities of the Pajajaran Makukuhan kingdom, peculiarly during the reign of Prabu Kudo Lalean. During one of his spiritual retreats, Kudo Lalean was taught through a psychic vision to re-design the anatomy of the kujang to conform to the anatomy of the isle of ?Djawa Dwipa,? as Java was phoned in those days. Immediately the monarch king commissioned the royal blacksmith, Mpu Windu Supo, to mode the blade seen in his vision. It was to become a weapon embodying mystical qualities & a spiritual philosophy; a magickal object, incomparable in its design, one that future coevalses would all of the time associate with the Pajajaran Makukuhan kingdom.
After a period of meditation, Mpu Windu Supo affirmed the vision of Kudo Lalean & commenced with the fashioning of a prototype of the Kujang. It was to have 2 eminent characteristics: the anatomy of the isle of Java & three holes or round notches somewhere in the blade.
Constructing the kujang blade into the anatomy of Java was translated to mean the ideal of unification of all the petty kingdoms of Java into a single empire, headed by the Makukuhan king. The three holes or round notches was to symbolize the Trimurti, or the three views of the godhead of the Hindu religion, of which Kudo Lalean was a devoted votary. The three views or gods referred to are Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva. The Hindu trinity was as well represented by the three major kingdoms of that era, respectively, the realm of Pengging Wiraradya, situated in the east of Java; the realm of Kambang Putih, situated north-east of the island; & the realm of Pajajaran Makukuhan, situated in the west.
The anatomy of the kunjang developed additional in later generations. Different models appeared. When the influence of Islam grew upon the masses, the kujang was re-shaped to resemble the Arabic letter ?Syin.? This was largely the stratagem of the monarch of the Pasundan region, Prabu Kian Santang, who was eager to convert the populace to Islam.
Knowing that the kujang substantiated the Hindu philosophy & faith of the existent culture, the muslim rulers, imams & teachers, eager to distribute Islam & dessiminate its doctrines, re-modeled the kujang to symbolize the basis of their religion. Syin is the premier letter of the syahadat poetry of which one testifies to the witnessing of the sole God & the Prophet Muhammad (blessed in his name) as the messenger. By reciting the syahadat verse, one is automatically converted to Islam. The modification of the kujang extended the area of the blade which geographically corresponds to the Pasundan or western area of Java to conform to the anatomy of the letter Syin. The newly-designed kujang was supposed to remind the owner of the target of his loyalty to Islam & to the obedience of its teachings. Five holes or round notches in the kujang replaced the three of the Trimurti. They represented the five pillars of Islam.
With the influence of the Islamic religion, many kujang models portray the inter-blending of the 2 fundamental fashions as designed by Prabu Kudo Lalean & Prabu Kian Santang.
Nowadays, the kujang is often decorated in houses as it is thought to bring about luck, protection, honor, etc. They are displayed in pairs on walls with the inner boundary facing each other. There is a taboo, however?no one is to be photographed standing in-between them as this would somehow cause the decease of that person within a year. I have been guaranteed by a senior practitioner of Kejawen the fact of this, as he had witnessed this himself. Why this occurs is not recognized for certain, we could shrug it off as superstition, coincidence or synchronicity but behind each phenomenon cosmic laws & intelligences are at work; we just want to detect what those laws are & the mind-set of those metaphysical intelligences directing those laws to recognize the cause for the anomaly.
From the occult side, like the keris, different weapon used by the indo-malayan natives, the kujang was often consecrated with magickal ability & acquainted spirits attached for unique purposes, such as the protection against psychic attack. Because of the inherent ability of the kujang in junction with the presence of its spirit guardians, the well-informed natives revere them as sacred objects.
Copyright 2006 Luxamore
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- Enriching the viewers? knowledge and appreciation of Islam
- Islam ? Basic Beliefs and Concepts
Source: http://www.society-guide.com/kujang-the-talismanic-sickle/
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