Magic in Southeast Asia

Spirit houses and the animist layer beneath Buddhism and Islam: protective tattoos, bomoh and pawang, nat and phi. 86 entries on EveryJaadu so far.

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇮🇩 IndonesiaNyi Roro KidulRatu Laut Selatan The spirit queen of Java's southern coast and guardian of the Indian OceanBeing · Protection · Cursing and harm Living

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreDukun A traditional healer and spirit medium in Indonesian folk practiceTradition · Healing · Seeing and foretelling Living 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreOrang Minyak A slippery ghost from Malay folklore that abducts women and is covered in black grease.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇵🇭 PhilippinesAswang A shape-shifting monster from Philippine folklore that preys on humans.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇵🇭 PhilippinesAnito Indigenous Philippine spirits and the carved figures that represent themBeing · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇵🇭 PhilippinesTikbalang A horse-headed spirit of Philippine forests that leads travelers astrayBeing · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Living 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreToyoltuyul An undead infant spirit in Southeast Asian folklore, invoked for theft and fortune.Being · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Living

🇲🇾 Malaysia and 5 morePenanggalan A floating head with trailing organs from Malay folklore, said to hunt pregnant women and newborns.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇲🇾 MalaysiaPelesit A familiar spirit in Malay folklore, usually appearing as a cricket or grasshopperBeing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary 🇵🇭 PhilippinesEkek A winged creature from Philippine myth that hunts pregnant women at nightBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreOrang bunian Invisible supernatural beings in Malay and Indonesian folklore who live alongside humans.Being · Speaking with spirits and the dead Legendary 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKuntilanak A vengeful female spirit of Indonesian and Malaysian folklore, known for luring victims with beauty before revealing a mBeing · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary

🇵🇭 PhilippinesManananggal A Philippine creature that splits its body to hunt at nightBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇩 IndonesiaBarongᬩᬭᭀᬂ A lion-like spirit king of Balinese mythology who battles the witch-queen Rangda in ritual dance.Being · Protection · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 morePawang A shaman from Indonesia and Malaysia who commands spirits, weather, and wild animals.Being · Protection · Cursing and harm Living

🇵🇭 PhilippinesKapre A tree giant of Philippine folklore that smokes cigars and plays pranks on travelersBeing · Wonder and entertainment Legendary

🇻🇳 Vietnam and 2 moreThiên Y A Na A Vietnamese goddess worshipped in folk religion and Đạo Mẫu through spirit mediumshipBeing · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇲🇲 MyanmarNatနတ် Spirits venerated in Myanmar alongside Buddhism, including deified humans and nature guardians.Tradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreKallikantzarosκαλικάντζαρος A malevolent goblin that dwells underground and surfaces during the twelve days of Christmas.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKrasueกระสือ A floating head with trailing organs from Southeast Asian folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Living

🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreNang Taniนางตานี A female spirit said to inhabit wild banana trees in Southeast Asian folklore.Being · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇲🇲 Myanmar and 5 moreChintheခြင်္သေ့ A stylized lion statue that guards Buddhist temples in Myanmar and across Asia.Being · Protection Living

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 1 moreVengeful ghost A restless spirit said to return from death to punish those who caused harmBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇩 IndonesiaAntabogaꦄꦤ꧀ꦠꦨꦺꦴꦒ A serpent deity of Javanism and Sundanism who created the world turtle and rice goddessBeing · Power and authority Historical

🇹🇭 ThailandMae Nak Phra Khanongแม่นากพระโขนง A Thai ghost of a woman who died in childbirth and her shrine for protection and fertilityBeing · Protection · Healing Living 🇮🇩 IndonesiaSundel bolong A vengeful ghost of Java, a woman whose long black hair hides the hole in her back.Being · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSiyokoy A hostile aquatic humanoid from Philippine mythology that drags victims underwaterBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

🇮🇩 IndonesiaBarongᬩᬭᭀᬂ A lion-like spirit king of Bali who battles the witch queen Rangda in dance and mythBeing · Protection Living

🇲🇲 MyanmarMythical creatures in Burmese folklore A collection of spirits, beasts and hybrids from Myanmar's stories and playsBeing · Wonder and entertainment Living 🇵🇭 PhilippinesTiyanak A vampiric creature in Philippine mythology that mimics a baby to lure travelers.Being · Cursing and harm · Luck and prosperity Living

🇵🇭 PhilippinesTigmamanukan A pre-colonial Tagalog omen bird believed to guide journeys and aid creationBeing · Seeing and foretelling · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇻🇳 VietnamMẫu Thượng Ngàn林宮聖母 A forest goddess in Vietnamese indigenous religion, ruler of the Forest PalaceBeing · Power and authority Living

🇹🇭 ThailandSihuhataแมงสี่หูห้าตา A legendary creature from northern Thai folklore associated with wealth and divine testingBeing · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Living

🇮🇩 IndonesiaBabi ngepet A Javanese myth about a person who turns into a boar to steal wealthBeing · Luck and prosperity · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇵🇭 PhilippinesBatibat A tree-dwelling demon that causes sleep paralysis and nightmares in Philippine folkloreBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary 🇵🇭 PhilippinesMandurugo A shapeshifting spirit from Philippine folklore that feeds on human bloodBeing · Cursing and harm Legendary

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Kallikantzaros: Katolophyromai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dukun: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Antaboga: fir0002 flagstaffotos [at] gmail.com Canon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, GFDL 1.2, source
Penanggalan: Hi I really try my best here, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Philippine mythology: The original uploader was Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia . ( Original t, CC BY 2.5, source
Manananggal: Gian Bernal, CC0, source
Barong: Michael Gunther, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pawang: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Thiên Y A Na: Lưu Ly ( thảo luận ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nat: Emily Khine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Krasue: Xavier Romero-Frias, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nang Tani: Xufanc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Vengeful ghost: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Tsukioka Yoshitoshi died 1892; Negishi Chokuzan;, Public domain, source
Mae Nak Phra Khanong: Xufanc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mythical creatures in Burmese folklore: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
Barong: Skha, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Nyi Roro Kidul: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sihuhata: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mẫu Thượng Ngàn: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Babi ngepet: Tropenmuseum, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tikbalang: The original uploader was Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia . ( Original t, CC BY 2.5, source
Chinthe: Wagaung, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tigmamanukan: Illustrator and uploader Dragonbite ., CC BY-SA 1.0, source
Anito: Frederic H. Sawyer, Public domain, source

Magic in Southeast Asia

Places of magic

Rites of the region

Countries

Photo credits on this page

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