Bajang
Bajang is a bloodthirsty demon known in the Malay island world that grows in the body of a stillborn child. If he is freed from it by witches or wizards , he can be used by them as a thief ( bajang colong , with colong , "steal") or for other evil purposes.
To keep the Bajang, it is placed in a closed bamboo container ( tabong ) with amulets and certain leaves and nourished with milk and eggs. The latter is very important so that the Bajang does not turn against its master. A motif that is often found in demonic, subservient spirits. The master of Bajang can send this in the form of a marten to his enemies, who then succumb to a mysterious disease . As protection against the Bajang, amulets were used, which were especially worn on children.
If there was suspicion within a village community that the owner of a Bajang was under him, an expert ( pawang ) practiced a counter- spell by scraping out a metal vessel with a sharp knife, which should cause the villain 's hair to fall out. For the villagers accused of sorcery , this could have serious consequences such as displacement, and possibly even death.
literature
- Norbert Borrmann: Lexicon of monsters, ghosts and demons . Berlin 2000
Individual evidence
- ^ J. Hooykaas: The changeling in Balinese folklore and religion. In: KITVL. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- and Folklore . 116, no. 4, Leiden 1960, pp. 424-436, here p. 426