The kujang is a
bladed weapon native to the
Sundanese people
The Sundanese (; ) are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to Java in Indonesia, primarily West Java. They number approximately 42 million and form Ethnic groups in Indonesia, Indonesia's second most populous ethnic group. T ...
of
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. The earliest kujang made is from around the 8th or 9th century. It is forged out of iron, steel, and
pattern welding
Pattern welding is a practice in sword and knife making by forming a blade of several metal pieces of differing composition that are forge-welded together and twisted and manipulated to form a pattern. Often called Damascus steel, blades forged ...
steel with a length of approximately 20–25 cm and weighs about 300 grams. According to
Sanghyang siksakanda ng karesian ''Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian'' is a didactic text, providing the reader with religious and moralistic rules, prescriptions and lessons. The title means something like “the book of rules with guidance to be a '' resi'' (wise or holy man)”. ...
canto XVII, the kujang was the weapon of farmers and has its roots in agricultural use. It is thought to have originated from its predecessor, a ''
kudi''. The kujang is one of the traditional weapons in the Sundanese school of
pencak silat
Pencak silat (; in Western writings sometimes spelled "pentjak silat" or phonetically as "penchak silat") is a class of related Indonesian martial arts. In neighbouring countries, the term usually refers to professional competitive silat. It ...
. The kujang, like the
keris
The kris or is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight ...
, is a blade of sentimental and spiritual value to the people of Indonesia.
Description
Characteristics of a kujang include a cutting edge and other parts such as ''papatuk / congo'' the tip of the blade, ''eluk / silih'' the bulging curve at the base of the blade, ''tadah'' the inward curve at the belly of the blade, and ''mata'' small holes on the blade that are covered with gold or silver. Apart from its unique characteristics that tend to be thin, the material is dry, porous and contains many natural metal elements.
In Bogor poem as it is spoken by Anis Djatisunda (1996–2000), the kujang has many functions and shapes. Based on functions there are four of them namely, ''kujang pusaka'' (symbol of grandeur and safety protection), ''kujang pakarang'' (warfare), ''kujang pangarak'' (ceremonial), and ''kujang pamangkas'' (agricultural tool).
As for the shapes, there is the ''kujang jago'' (shape of a rooster), ''kujang ciung'' (shape of a
Javan cochoa bird), ''kujang kuntul'' (shape of an
egret
Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...
bird), ''kujang badak'' (shape of a
rhinoceros
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
), ''kujang naga'' (shape of a mythical dragon), and ''kujang bangkong'' (shape of a frog). Apart from that, there are shapes of the kujang blade that resemble female characters of
wayang kulit
( ) is a traditional form of shadow puppetry originally found in the cultures of Java and Bali in Indonesia. In a performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut oil (or electric) light. The (shadow ...
as a symbol of fertility.
See also
*
Kujang Monument
The Kujang Monument () is a obelisk located in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. It features a Kujang on top and the Bogor city coat of arms on the centre. The Kujang is a traditional weapon of the Sundanese people. The obelisk is located at the inte ...
*
Keris
The kris or is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight ...
*
Kudi
References
Edged and bladed weapons
Weapons of Indonesia
Sundanese culture
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