Within
Javanese Kejawen culture and other
Austronesian cultures affected by it, known as the
Malays, but most specifically the inhabitants of modern-day
Indonesiaand
Malaysia; (
Minangs),
Balinese Bataks,
Bugis,
Manado,
Minang,
Moro,
Pampangan,
Tagalog and many others,
pusaka specifically refers to family heirlooms inherited from
ancestors, which must be treasured and protected. These
pusaka may have individual names, honorific titles and may have
supernatural attributes and qualities. The possessor of the
pusaka may be positively or negatively affected by the
pusaka, depending on the will or
spirit of the item.
The Javanese warrior-king
Pangeran Samburnyowo's
keris was a
pusaka so powerful that merely pointing at the distant
Chinese,
Dutch or other enemies, it would snatch their souls and leave them dead on the battlefield. Allegedly, former
Indonesian President
Suharto held possession of this powerful pusaka and had
Indonesia scoured for the many
pusaka lost to time, including, according to rumours, the mask of
Gadjah Mada, several
tombak (pikes and lances) and many keris, to affirm his legitimacy as a modern pseudo-king.
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