Black Magic

Perhaps it seems strange to some but the art of Black Magic itself exists in several incarnations though we'll be focusing much on Malay Black Magic. This however, do not mean that Malays are more prone to have beliefs of such aspects of the supernatural. Invoking of spirits, wax-dolls & charms are practices that occur in many societies world wide. And this includes the supposedly far advanced western world. Documented literature that suggests such practice goes way back during Shakespearen times (Macbeth 4:1).

Mat Kilau's Invulnerability charm.

Employing wax dolls upon a victim is somewhat the most common of all malicious black magic technique. It is interesting to note that this same technique is being used by practitioners of this art world wide, which beckons the questioning as to how this came about. Did some witch travel across the globe to spread her evil teachings like some mercenary? Or did the devil himself spread this phenomena? Within this context, it would seem logical as this particular technique had been in existence eversince babylonian times. It would be interesting to discuss the origins but it would be very taxing and deviating from the subject matter at hand.

The most common wax doll charms used by the bomohs requires him to employ representative parts of the victim's body such as hair, nails, etc. These items are then mixed with melted candle wax which are then fashioned into a male or female doll. This is then slowly scorched in a flame for a period of seven nights while reciting some mantra which is a formula for this technique. On the 7th night, the remaining wax doll is thrown into the fire. It is thought to be as the wax melts away, so does the life force of the victim.

Another variation of this technique intending to produce similar results but more effectively, is by introducing the use of a charm. The charm seen here is known as the Barisan Laksmana. It was originally a Hindu talisman thought to be drawn by Rama's half brother, Laksmana, to protect Rama's wife Sita from Rawana, a demon king. For this charm to be effective, it must be drawn in a single operation without lifting the writing apparatus from the surface of where the charm is drawn, while holding a single breath and the tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth. When it is done, this charm is placed within the wax doll and smokes it in fumes of benzoin incense or kemenyan while reciting the following incantations:

Bismillahi rahmaanir rahiim (In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate)

Assalaaamu alaikum (Peace be upon you)

Hei Jinn putih, Nur Muhammad (Hei white Genie, Radiance of Muhammad)

Raja sekelian jin dalam diri aku (King of all spirits within me)

Hei jinn hitam, bayang²an aku (Hei black genie, shadow of myself)

Pergilah engkau binasakan seteru (Away with tou and destroy my enemy)

Jika engkau tidak pergi binasakan seteruku (If you don't go and destroy my enemy)

Durhakalah engkau kepada Allah (You will be a traitor toward Allah)

Dengan berkat doa (By the virtue of the prayer-charm)

La ilaaha illallah (There is no other God except Allah)

Muhammadur rasullullah (And Muhammad is the messenger of God)

Invulnerability

Man has, ever as long as it can be remembered, yearned for the secrets and key to immortality. There are many reasons for this. Reasons which does not need further illustration if one is closely acquainted to the nature of man himself. There are countless stories depicting discoveries over Fountains of youth and also other key factors that might make man an immortal such as attaining invulnerability.

In the olden days, mysticism attributed to attaining invulnerability was not so uncommon though it was an almost general practice, but unnecessarily exclusively confined to, for warriors. It is not difficult to understand the logic behind a warrior’s need for this attainment: a facet to make one invulnerable to the weapons of the enemy. Therefore, this aspect of mystic art became an essential part of the training for neophytes aspiring to become great warriors.
However, this desire was not so easily achieved. Subjects undergo lengthy and arduous period to prepare themselves for this journey of attainment. They are required to fast and meditate as well as performing esoteric rituals and incantations.

There are many Malay warriors that boasts this uncanny ability through myths and legends but none are as popular and famed as the legendary Laksmana Hang Tuah, an admiral of the Malaccan Sultanate in the 16th century, whose daring and colourful exploits were mentioned even in China.
There is a record of his account (Hikayat Hang Tuah by R.O. Winstedt, p. 118) while returning to the port of Malacca after a visit to Southern India, his ship was surrounded and attacked by four heavily armed Portuguese caravals. It was written that enemy’s guns couldn’t fire after he read out some incantations.
A few years later, again his ship was attacked, this time just off the coast of the Malay state of Patani. Javanese raiders attempted to board his ship and with a display of occult power, he caused the guns of these pirates to just emit smoke and their swords to fall harmlessly at their sides (Ibid pg 119).

Malay magicks that ciphers invulnerability exists in numbers that allows classification. The native Malay term for invulnerability is kebal.(The list can be found in Malaysian Magic. W. Shaw. Pg 14)

1. Kebal Minyak
   In which oil rubbed onto the body during initiation is thought to impart some magical quality to the skin which causes weapons to slide off of it, leaving the invulnerable man unharmed.
   
2. Kebal Pakan
   Invulnerability attained by means of charms, drugs or the ritual repetition of magic formulae, which cause an enemy’s weapon either to break on striking the protected body, or to be deflected so that it misses altogether.
   
3. Kebal Kulit Nangka aka Kebal Katak Puru
   Invulnerable because the skin is impenetrable to weapons.
   
4. Kebal Daging
   Here, it is the flesh that is impenetrable, though the skin may be cut or injured with consequent superficial bleeding.
   
5. Kebal Penimbul
   From timbul (rising to the surface), with the sense that something magical rises to the under surface of the skin to intercept a weapon or missile and prevent its further penetration. Usually used in the form of Kebal Penimbul Raksa (raksa- mercury or quicksilver) when the quicksilver that has been rubbed into the body during initiation (aka susuk) appears wherever iron, steel or lead has penetrated and thereon bars its further progress.
   
6. Kebal Sampul
   From sampul, a caul, a membrane that sometimes envelopes a baby’s head at birth. A child born with a complete caul is considered by many to be invulnerable.

Aspects of Supernaturals & Malay Magic

I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day when she brought up a fairly interesting topic. It quickly became the subject of our discussion for the rest of the night. While I am fairly knowledgeable in the area of this particular subject, I’ve never thought to ever blog about it. Partly because I perceive it as taboo to the general public, and also partly because a degree of fear of being ridiculed due to the extensive research I’ve made in the past in regards to this topic and thus, it has become important to me to just let other people desecrate the culture of what I had learned. However, after much thought, I decided to blog about it anyway. My friend’s right about this one. If anything at all, this ought to be an interesting read.

I suppose, I am somewhat lucky to be born in an era to be able to witness the transition where the lasts of the kampungs gave way to modern HDB flats and or the Malays minority eventually embraced the system of secular education. With such transition taking place, there could be only change. The liberation of a generation that challenged customs; breaking culture limits and even birthing of a new one.

Back in the 70s to the early 80s, where these changes are taking place, the native words Dukun and Bomoh, together with the foundation of its belief, were rapidly losing ground just like the thick vegetation of Singapore’s tropical rainforests. Along with it, an elite profession of sorts faded, and was almost reduced to a mere urban legend while it is interesting to find that these esoteric art practitioners once played an important part in the social and economic life of the native Malays. Yet in a way, it is good that these changes took place as beliefs in magicks and superstition would only conjure up an enemy against progress.

Future installments of blog entries will cover inter related topics to the Bomohs & Dukuns in the following order:

1. Invulnerability
2. Black Magic
3. Spirits, Sprites & Spooks

Pontianak... well not really. Just retarded clips from the movie!

I'm starting to freakout over something. It began last week when a friend emailed me about something which I'd thought was over and done with a long² time ago. And suddenly, I began to receive messages, signs and what-not, all leading to the same problem. Have you ever experienced that before? Something that hardly tread your conciousness kept on reappearing, haunting you wherever you go.

My past is haunting me...again!!! And I'm not far off from gettting all neurotic about this! Persistent Cockroach!!! ahh fuck it!

Berita² Hari Semalaman

I read an article written by an editor of a local newspaper. When I'm done reading it, I have a hard time trying to convince myself that I do not opine due to a chauvinist streak nor because that I can often be a politically incorrect self-destructing bastard....but, Come On!!!

I don't believe she, an editor, wrote such a naive and shallow article! It's so conniving, out of the textbook and almost had propaganda streaked across it.
There's even a para or two on self appraisal, illustrating her academic prowess. A history lesson, even. Taking cue from that, I am so sure that an editor of her calibre couldn't have wrote such a lame-ass article.

When I travel, one of the must-do things is reading the local paper. It revives my mind of the cancer-stricken newspaper that my people have to endure. With too few pages, I am starting to wonder if we are only able to process that much information.

"...I've been trying to find the truth and be pious to God. How come I could not attain this happiness for my heart that I've been praying for all these years? "

I received this text message from someone I know late last night. It pains me to know that a friend is trapped in a storm and the only thing he can do is try to survive and wait it out. Frankly, I'm not a very religious person but I do have my faith. I don't go around preaching my beliefs nor imposed them on others like some religious organizations does. But, yes, I have interests about the Truth.

My friend had earlier on poured out to me his inner thoughts over a predicament that he's in. And I couldn't do much except lend him my ears. I mean, who knows these things? Too many have died in violence in the name of Truth. But, what exactly is the Truth are we talking about?

I believe that everybody has their own version of what Truth is. Spatially, some of us may be on the same page but it doesn't necessarily mean we're on the same line. In the end, most of us will admit only what is acceptable to us. Does that make it...Truth? Or do we seek the ultimate?

How do we attain this happiness in our hearts? Before that, what is happiness?

You ask me questions and I answer with more questions. Why do I do that, you ask. And I answer, "I am no mirror." Why sought out when it is within you that you seek? Ultimately, it's within us to decide what is happiness and what is the Truth. Everything around us is just substance but whether we deem it to be tangible or not is up to us.

We're imperfections but yet trying to seek Perfection, and within this cosmic law of nature, that cannot be. As long as we confine ourselves in this avatar of Perfection we may not comprehend the key to bliss.

Perhaps you seek enlightenment. I have nothing to give but this imperfect advice:

Look & see. Hear & listen. Do not talk but to speak. Magnify your senses to Life around you and slowly, but surely, it'll come to you.

To my friend, a wise man used to say; when you're joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy, and when you're sorrowful, look again and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

VESPA!

I'm celebrating the joy of riding and owning a Vespa. And also because I know Rinaz is gonna absolutely love this one!!! Oh yeah! Scootering is no longer confined to Ah Peks, Uncles and Pakciks. It's kewl to ride one. So why dontcha??

Prologue to Independence Day

Come on now, what's wrong with these pictures?

Nothing.

The answers are only important as to how it comes to you.