Kris Kris The kris (ngoko Javanese: ; krama inggil Javanese: ; ngoko: keris; krama; "dhuwung"; krama inggil: "wangkingan", lit. "to slice"; Jawi: کريس, Thai: กริช "krit", Minangkabau: "karih", Tagalog: "kalis"; Bugis and Makassarese: "sele") is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron ("pamor"). Kris is most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well. Kris have been produced in many regions of Indonesia for centuries, but nowhere—although the island of Bali comes close—is the kris so embedded in
Kris decorated with intricate carving in gold and precious stones. Heirloom blades were handed down through successive generations and worn during special events such as weddings and other ceremonies. Men usually wore only one kris but the famous admiral Hang Tuah is said in the Hikayat Hang Tuah to have armed himself with one short and one long kris. Women also wore kris, though usually of a smaller size than a man's. In battle, a fighter might have carried more than one kris; some carried three kris: his own, one from his father-in-law, and one as a family heirloom. The extra