Book Review: The Kris Mystic Weapon of the Malay World

[Smoke]

by Edward Frey, Oxford University Press, color and B&W Illustrations 56 pgs
Out of print but shouldn't be too hard to find, this small hardbound book
is one of the later works on the Indonesian Kris, the wavy dagger/spear head that the Muslim Kris sword came from.

Six Chapter BD
Kris & it's origins
The Magic and Power of the Kris
The Kris as Cultural Talisman
The Deadly Kris
The Kris and Its Blade
The Sheath, Hilt, and Fittings
Select Bibliography and Index

It's a short book with some good pics, perfect for beginners but not much on usage.
Real quick read. BTW if you find any factual flaws or anything bring it up so we can all learn okay?

Good companion to the Silat series from Draeger and any other silat book/video.

 

[ruel]

Hi Smoke,

There's a 2nd edn. out now, with an extra chapter on the care of the kris (storage, polishing, etc). While it's a nice little book, it's not much use to those wanting info specifically on Filipino krisses, as there is very little on Moro krisses and nothing at all about the 'krisses' from the non-Moro islands. Then again, these norther krisses (such as Kris Cutlery's Kris Bolo) are really a different kind of weapon anyway.

 

[Smoke]

Thanks for the info Ruel.
Yes, it's not a book on Muslim swords, that book would be "Moro Swords" by Cato.