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. The doll itself does nothing, but when imbued with black magic, is said to provide protection to its master, takes revenge on an enemy or works as a good luck charm. It can fetch thousands of ringgit when sold.
Folklore states that they were formerly
human beings
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
. Jenglot 'keepers' feed their creature with blood, either animal blood (goat) or human blood. The blood is placed near the jenglot, which is said not to drink the blood directly. According to traditional belief, the jenglot will get the nutrients of the blood in their own way.
Exhibition
In Indonesia there has been several "exhibitions" of jenglot specimens found and showcased. Most being found on the islands of Java and
Sumatra, and are held as private collections of supernatural researchers and fans. People who have caught the jenglot usually bring their creature all over Indonesia to exhibit them in order to gain some money. They have also been shown at "Pameran Misteri, Jin, Hantu dan Keranda" at
Sultan Alam Shah Museum
Sultan Alam Shah Museum ( ms, Muzium Sultan Alam Shah) is a museum in Shah Alam, Petaling, Selangor, Malaysia. It is the state museum of Selangor. This museum was opened in 1989 by Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.
History
The establishmen ...
,
Shah Alam
Shah Alam () is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor ...
. Others still maintain that they are no more than "man-made toys
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
no supernatural power."
Hoax
Many were found to be
hoaxes
A hoax is a widely publicized falsehood so fashioned as to invite reflexive, unthinking acceptance by the greatest number of people of the most varied social identities and of the highest possible social pretensions to gull its victims into pu ...
, being masterful
taxidermist
Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proc ...
fixings of
monkeys and
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...
, however, not all specimens were examined, and the jenglot is an actively believed myth that many natives believe to be real. In 2008, scientists in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
examined hairs and DNA from four jengelots brought from
Irian Jaya
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...
, Indonesia to
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
, Malaysia by a 'businessman' to be exhibited in a local museum. Each of the samples appeared to be from humans and DNA analysis showed it was likely from the same person. They even noted that "A few hairs from samples
..also had an intact dried root at the other end of the cut tip, which indicated that the hairs were implanted upside down on the Jenglots’ heads".
See also
*
Jenny Haniver
*
Pontianak
Pontianak or Khuntien is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.31 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas River at a point where it is joined ...
*
Toyol A toyol or tuyul is an undead infant in Indonesian and Malay folklore. It appears in the mythology of Southeast Asia 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 r ...
References
External links
* Jenglot, "Monster Kecil" yang Misterius (in Indonesian Language
* Jenglot Jive – Tiny Entities Discovered In Southeast Asi
{{Mythology of Indonesia
Indonesian legendary creatures
Mythological hematophages