Salina Christmas

A dagger with a distinctive wavy blade. Originated from Java but is prevalent throughout the Malay Archipelago and parts of Indochina – particularly in former Champa kingdoms – as a symbol of strength and indomitable spirit. It’s also believed to possess supernatural powers. R J Wilkinson, the Deputy Governor of the Straits Settlement from 1911 to 1916, in his description for a display at the V&A Museum in London, UK, states that the keris can fly (‘flying dagger’). “This kris is the distinctive weapon of Malaysia and Indonesia. Some were credited with supernatural powers – the ability to kill merely being pointed at the victim, for example, or to fly through the air to attack an enemy.” Owners of ‘supernatural’ daggers smoke theirs with incense and bathe the blade in lime juice as a form of offering. See ‘flying blades’.