Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Toyol / Tuyul

Toyol

Toyol
A Toyol or Tuyul is a mythical spirit in Indonesia/Malay mythology of South-East Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
It is sometimes called the "Kwee Kia" in Hokkien. In Thailand, they are called Koman-tong and Koman-lay (Female). In Philippines they have a similar child spirit called the "tiyanak". In Cambodia they are called "Cohen Kroh". In South Korea called "Do Yeol". It is a small child spirit invoked by a dukun (Indonesian shaman) or pawang (Malay witch doctor) from a dead human fetus using black magic.
ToyolA person who owns a toyol uses it mainly to steal things from other people, or to do mischief. According to a well-known superstition, if money or jewellery keeps disappearing mysteriously from your house, a toyol might be responsible. One way to ward off a toyol is to place some needles under your money, for toyols are afraid of being hurt by needles.
According to Javanese mythology, the creature is believed to be kept by a person practicing pesugihan tuyul black magic. Pesugihan is derived from Javanese word sugih means "rich". It is a kind of magic to help people to become rich instantly, but in exchange he or she must perform some rituals or offering tumbal to keep the tuyul happy. According to Javanese myth, tuyul can be kept for financial gain, but in exchange a female member of the family must allow it to breastfeed from her, sucking blood instead of milk.
People normally associate the appearance of a toyol with that of a small baby, frequently that of a newborn baby walking naked with a big head, small hands, clouded eyes and usually greenish skin. More accurately, it resembles a goblin or grey alien. It can be seen without the use of magic, though they are unlikely to be spotted casually.
Those who did claim to encounter it described its actual appearance to be childlike with green/gray skin, bald, big red (alien-like) eyes, pointy ears and rows of sharp teeth, and sometimes reported with hairs, like a monkey. Its behaviour is more animal-like. It tends to climb on rooftops either to play or prior to entering houses.
In old village tales, people keep toyols for selfish but petty gains. They use such spirits for theft, sabotage and other minor crimes. With special rituals the toyol can be made powerful and perform murder. A person who suddenly becomes wealthy without explanation might be suspected of keeping a toyol. The toyol is kept in a jar or an urn, and hidden away in a dark place until needed.
What happens at the end of the "contract" isn't very clear. It could be that the tablet, along with the urn, is buried in a graveyard, and the spirit is then laid to rest. An alternative method is to dispose them in the sea. Or else, a toyol gets passed down in a family through the generations. This seems to suggest that once you obtain a toyol, not only are you stuck with it for the rest of your life, but all your descendants will also be condemned to own it.
However, it can still get released by either the owner or "bomoh" to roam free. Without a master, it would stray into the jungle or visit homes as an observer without disturbing residents. Based on an anecdote, a toyol confessed that it likes to peek into people's lives apart from the occasional distraction of playing with any toys found within houses. Simply put, toyol is quite harmless without a master but like a gun, it can turn to crime or mischief under the command of an unscrupulous individual.
When it comes to stealing money or jewellery, people wonder how the toyol can find such valuables in hidden places where even humans fail to find them. There is speculation that it can somehow see through walls or barriers with its big red eyes to spot hidden valuables but this is unconfirmed. After stealing, the only traces of its presence are its childlike footprints and fingerprints found at the crime scene if it happens to have dust on its hands and feet. Otherwise, people would not suspect that a toyol had raided their premises.
It has been said that if any family member of a bride or groom own a toyol, the toyol will visit the newly wed couple before dawn. And it will suck the blood from the bride's toe until the bride wakes up. This is to enhance the toyol's power. Meaning after sucking bride's toe, the toyol shall become faster and stronger. It is crucial if the owner wants the toyol to be more capable in stealing money.
Although seemingly cunning, toyols are supposedly not very intelligent. It is said that they are easily deceived by marbles, beans and sand and strands of garlic hanging on the door post or placed on certain parts of the house. The toyol will start playing with these items until it forgets its task at the intended victim's house. Money placed under mirrors has the potency to ward off toyols due to a fear of their reflection.
In Thailand, they are known as Koman-tong, for male sprits, and Koman-lay for females. Literally translated as "Golden Child". They are used for protection, they can whisper in your ear of impending danger. Koman-tongs are usually wandering souls of dead children that the monks would adopt and give them a "replacement body". The "replacement body" is usually a small statue carved out of tree bark, coral or baby bone. It is then placed in a container, soaked in perfume or chicken blood.
Khun Paen was a soldier, 400 years previous, a time when supernatural forces played an important part of traditional warfare. Khun Paen had wanted a protective spirit to watch over him in battle. To this end he cut the unborn foetus of his son from his dead wife’s womb and took it to a temple to perform an occult rite. He wrapped the child’s torso in sacred cloth and roasted it on a fire whilst chanting ritual mantras and dark incantations to create the supernatural being with whom he could communicate.
The more powerful Kuman-tong are made by sorcerers living in the mountains. They would soak the "replacement body" in 尸油. This ingredient seems to be crucial as it gives the toyol additional powers. Corpse oil is collected by removing the dead corpse’s chin (using a knife to cut through the bones) and cooking on a hot pan until the oil oozes out. These Thai ones are more subdued and even tempered, as the monks would chant to them daily.
Kwee Kia is the Chinese version of the toyol. These are made from either a fetus that miscarried or been aborted. A medium will take these small corpses and chop off their heads. Once the heads are collected, they will be dried out and cooked to obtain their corpse oil while the bones from the bodies are carved to become replacement bodies. These have to be specially ordered before you can get one.
If the fetus is five months old, they would crave the replacement body out of its own bone, in which case they are supposedly more powerful. Different Kwee Kia have different uses and different names. Usually the ones made in the deep mountains are stronger.
Toyol have been made
Malaysia with title Alamak,
into comedy movies in
Toyol!.
The word toyol is also
cheat sheet.
the Malay slang for the
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Related Sites for Toyol

  • Alamak Toyol Full Movie | Cerita Master read Toyol
  • SERIUS - RUPA PELAKON ALAMAK TOYOL SEKARANG - Pen Patah Blog read Toyol

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