A toyol or tuyul is an undead infant in
Indonesian and
Malay folklore
Malay folklore refers to a series of knowledge, traditions and taboos that have been passed down through many generations in oral, written and symbolic forms among the indigenous populations of Maritime Southeast Asia ( Nusantara). They include ...
.
It appears in the mythology of
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
and is invoked as a helper by shamans (
dukun or
bomoh) by the means of black magic.
The creature is used to rob people of their riches,
which is similar in nature to
Babi ngepet.
Names
The toyol is known by different names across Southeast Asia.
The
Malay word toyol is in
Indonesian,
in
Javanese, and in
Sundanese. It is known as ''cohen kroh''
in
Khmer, and ''kwee kia''
in
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
. In
Thai, the male is called ''
kumarn-thong''.
A similar creature exists in
Philippine mythology
Philippine mythology is the body of stories and epics originating from, and part of, the indigenous Philippine folk religions, which include various ethnic faiths distinct from one another. Philippine mythology is incorporated from various ...
known as ''
tiyanak
The Tiyanak (also Tianak or Tianac) is a vampiric creature in Philippine mythology that takes on the form of a toddler or baby. Although there are various types, it typically takes the form of a newborn baby and cries in the jungle to attract unw ...
''.
Appearance
The toyol is traditionally described as looking no different from a near-naked toddler.
Modern depictions often give it a goblin-like appearance with green or grey skin, pointed ears, and clouded eyes.
In popular culture
Film
* Malik Selamat directed a 1980 Malay horror film ''
Toyol'', starring Sidek Hussain and Mahmud June.
* In Billy Chan's 1987 Hong Kong film ''Yang Gui Zi'' (roughly translated as "feeding a child spirit", also known by its English title ''Crazy Spirit''), a jewelry store owner, wishing to have an heir, travels from Hong Kong to Thailand to obtain a spirit baby from a Taoist master, who seals it in an amulet. The amulet, on its way to Hong Hong, gets lost in transit and is found by a woman trying to conceive a child. She accidentally cuts her finger, causing her blood to drip on the amulet and releasing the child spirit.
* The 2011 Malaysian comedy film ''
Alamak... Toyol!'' features a toyol as its plot device.
* In the 2013 Singapore horror film ''
Ghost Child
''Ghost Child'' (; formerly called ''Inside the Urn'') is a 2013 Singaporean horror film directed by Gilbert Chan starring Chen Hanwei, Jayley Woo and Carmen Soo. The film revolves around a family fighting against the titular "Ghost Child" (a to ...
'', a family is troubled by a toyol which arrives from Indonesia in an urn.
* In the 2016 Indonesian horror film ''
Tuyul: Part 1'', a new family moves into an old house of the wife's mother after she died. The husband finds a bottle hidden mysteriously underneath the broken wooden floor, which is home to a creature that could endanger them.
Television
* In season 1 of the HBO Asia Original horror anthology series ''Folklore'', episode 5 is titled "Toyol (Malaysia)" and features a toyol.
Other
* Drivers for
gig economy
Gig workers are independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers, and temporary workers. Gig workers enter into formal agreements with on-demand companies to provide services to the company's clients.
In m ...
services in Southeast Asia, such as
Grab and
Gojek, use third-party grey market apps called "tuyul" to optimize their work experience.
[https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kvpng/delivery-drivers-are-using-grey-market-apps-to-make-their-jobs-suck-less] The apps are so named because like the tuyul in folklore, they help earn money through potentially illegal means.
See also
*
Babi ngepet
*
Familiar spirit
In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (sometimes referred to as familiar spirits) were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic. According to ...
*
Goblin
A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on ...
*
Hantu Raya The Hantu Raya is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore that acts as a double for black magic practitioners. Roughly meaning "great ghost", it is supposed to bestow great power onto its master. Its true form according to folktale is humanoid f ...
*
Imp
*
Kuman thong
''Kuman Thong'' ( th, กุมารทอง) is a household divinity of Thai folk religion. It is believed to bring luck and fortune to the owner if properly revered. ''Kuman'', or ''Kumara'' (Pali) means " Sanctified young boy" (female ''kum ...
*
Jenglot
A jenglot (Indonesian ) is a small creature of Indonesian culture and mythology. It has the appearance of a deformed humanoid doll and whose size is up to in length. They have long hair which grows sparse and stiff through the legs, and long nails ...
*
Pelesit
*
Polong The polong is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore. It has the appearance of a miniature woman, the size of the first joint of the finger.
The polong is one of the ghosts mentioned in ''Hikayat Abdullah'', written by Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir ...
*
The Bottle Imp
"The Bottle Imp" is an 1891 short story by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson usually found in the short story collection '' Island Nights' Entertainments''. It was first published in the '' New York Herald'' (February–March 1891) an ...
References
{{Mythology of Malaysia
Indonesian legendary creatures
Malay ghost myth
Ghosts
Malaysian mythology
Jinn