Tog Tan
04-10-2009, 01:05 AM
I will run stories on the beliefs and folklores in this thread. They will come mostly from M'sia with many of them from 1st hand perspective. Though much of these things are obscure in the modern times but I was born in a time when these things did happen and is still happening on a lesser note.
Much of our life here is based on the status of our luck. Thus if you have a new plant which is considered to bring luck to its owner, then you have a sure seller. Now what happens if one's luck is down. There are those who can help - the Bomohs.
Story #1
The Bomohs
We believe that people are very susceptible to spiritual disturbances and attacks when their aura of luck is down. In such a situation, that person will experience a domino effect as it will run for a great length of time. The only way is to get to a bomoh (shaman) to break it. These bomohs are termed into 2 groups, the good ones and the dark ones. They still exist today and people pay good money for their works.
Many bomohs seem to know everything about the person seeking their help. This is because of a practice among them - the rearing of infant ghosts as their informants. With its help, they are accurate to the dot on their fortune telling and what not. This is a practice scoffed by many in their practice because of the method of acquisition of the spirit.
The Infant Ghost
There are always people on the look out for any infant who dies. They will exhume the body and remove one of the fingers for the bone of which a whole series of rites will be performed to bring it alive. The owner of this spirit will keep a small altar for it and it is offered a cup of milk every day. Occasionally it is offered candy and biscuits, the food which children likes.
The infant ghost has strong spiritual powers and can be a great help to its owner. In the '50s my uncle went to see a bomoh in the dead of the night and he said he saw the bomoh produced a torch light out of the thin air with the help of an infant ghost.
The power of the bomoh can be disrupted in a session by throwing biscuits or candies under the table without his knowledge. This will cause the infant ghost who is still very much a child to gorge on the treats and forget his function. This has been proven many times to the irate of the bomohs.
The spirit of the infant ghost cannot rest until the finger bone is reunited with the rest of the body.
To be the master of such a spirit, the person must be strong in his aura of luck. If he is down on this, the infant ghost can give him hell and like an unrestrained kid will do all sorts of physical mischief like turning the whole house upside down and cause physical harm to its owner.
This is very much an on going thing at least in modern M'sia. There are people who still seek the possession of such a spirit. However, the ultimate spiritual helper is one called the Toyol.
Want to know? Next episode then!
Btw, please show some kind of response if ya'll want this thread going. Do ask questions as to the status of the beliefs currently and whatever intrigues you.
Much of our life here is based on the status of our luck. Thus if you have a new plant which is considered to bring luck to its owner, then you have a sure seller. Now what happens if one's luck is down. There are those who can help - the Bomohs.
Story #1
The Bomohs
We believe that people are very susceptible to spiritual disturbances and attacks when their aura of luck is down. In such a situation, that person will experience a domino effect as it will run for a great length of time. The only way is to get to a bomoh (shaman) to break it. These bomohs are termed into 2 groups, the good ones and the dark ones. They still exist today and people pay good money for their works.
Many bomohs seem to know everything about the person seeking their help. This is because of a practice among them - the rearing of infant ghosts as their informants. With its help, they are accurate to the dot on their fortune telling and what not. This is a practice scoffed by many in their practice because of the method of acquisition of the spirit.
The Infant Ghost
There are always people on the look out for any infant who dies. They will exhume the body and remove one of the fingers for the bone of which a whole series of rites will be performed to bring it alive. The owner of this spirit will keep a small altar for it and it is offered a cup of milk every day. Occasionally it is offered candy and biscuits, the food which children likes.
The infant ghost has strong spiritual powers and can be a great help to its owner. In the '50s my uncle went to see a bomoh in the dead of the night and he said he saw the bomoh produced a torch light out of the thin air with the help of an infant ghost.
The power of the bomoh can be disrupted in a session by throwing biscuits or candies under the table without his knowledge. This will cause the infant ghost who is still very much a child to gorge on the treats and forget his function. This has been proven many times to the irate of the bomohs.
The spirit of the infant ghost cannot rest until the finger bone is reunited with the rest of the body.
To be the master of such a spirit, the person must be strong in his aura of luck. If he is down on this, the infant ghost can give him hell and like an unrestrained kid will do all sorts of physical mischief like turning the whole house upside down and cause physical harm to its owner.
This is very much an on going thing at least in modern M'sia. There are people who still seek the possession of such a spirit. However, the ultimate spiritual helper is one called the Toyol.
Want to know? Next episode then!
Btw, please show some kind of response if ya'll want this thread going. Do ask questions as to the status of the beliefs currently and whatever intrigues you.