64 BULLETIN 137, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



developed into the kris and kindred double ed^^ed swords, knives, 

 and daf^gers, and is primarily the weapon of the seafaring, war- 

 like INIoro and kindred peoples. Knives and daggers have in time 

 become as completely altered as individual preference and the artis- 

 tic tendencies of the maker could devise. For the kris and the dag- 

 ger have become weapons for display and the insignia of rank. The 

 blade becomes itself a mark of caste through the elaborateness of 

 design and the wealth of precious metals that may be lavished in 

 its ornamentation. It may be of simple design and it may have 

 embodied in its blade, ornamental grip, pommel, and scabbard a 

 value of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in skilled labor and 

 in precious metals and stones. The Malay kris has thus assumed a 

 position that makes of it more an insignium of rank than a useful 

 weapon, although throughout Malaysia forms of this weapon, 

 usually daggers of ancient origin, occur as typical, useful folk 

 weapons. Variety of form is manifested in the carrying position 

 of the blade. This may vary from a position on the back between 

 the shoulder blades; across the back; at the side; insertion in the 

 belt at the front, either up to the hilt or with the insertion of point 

 only,' or resting in the scabbord in the belt either horizontally or 

 vertically. One form of dagger, the " balarao," is carried in the 

 belt with the point of blade upward. 



According to Knight (Savage Weapons at the Centennial Exposi- 

 tion ) one form of kris is used as a thrusting weapon in executions. 



The culprit or victim, as the case may be, sits in a chair, and his extended 

 arms are lield by two persons. Tlie executioner stands behind and places the 

 point of the kris just by the left collar bone, and strikes it downward, piercing 

 the heart. If he be fastidious he places a pledget of cotton wool around the 

 point of the kris before thrusting it into the thorax, holds it there tightly, so 

 as to wipe the weapon on its recovery, thrusts the wool into the gap, and thus 

 avoids shedding a drop of blood. 



The kris (Anglicized creese) occurs in two lengths, either the 

 sword or dagger, and may vary from a few inches to 30 or more. In 

 the sword type the edges of the blade are essentially parallel, though 

 this is rarely the case in the shorter dagger lengths, which are 

 tapered to a point. One cutting edge always has one more wave 

 than the other. This is due to the fact that the wave crests are never 

 directly opposite one another. This gives the blade the peculiar 

 serpentine outline. Even the straight-edged krisses rarely appear 

 straight in their axis, as there is always a certain curvature which 

 peimits the striking of a drawing blow. 



The base of the blade is widened into a guard and contre guard, 

 of which the section forming the guard is in part an enlargement of 

 the blade proper and in part a separate piece. The tang passes 

 through an aperture in its center. The more recently produced 



