In Malaysian, Bruneian and

Indonesian folklore Folklore of Indonesia is known in Indonesian as ''dongeng'' (), ''cerita rakyat'' () or ''folklor'' (), refer to any folklore found in Indonesia. Its origins are probably an oral culture, with a range of stories of heroes associated with wayan ...

, Bunian people or Orang bunian () are supernatural beings said to be invisible to most humans, except those with "spiritual sight". While the term is often translated as "

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes " ...

", it literally translates to "hidden people" or "whistling people". Orang bunian are described as beautiful, dressed in ancient

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 mainlan ...

n style, and nearly identical to humans in appearance. Some mythological accounts describe the lack of a

philtrum The philtrum ( la, philtrum from Ancient Greek ''phíltron,'' lit. "love charm"), or medial cleft, is a vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip, common to therian mammals, extending in humans from the nasal septum to the tubercl ...

. Modern depictions of Orang bunian deviate from the traditional folklore by including elf-like features, pointed ears,

high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, ...

-influenced attire, or modern Minangkabau long coat clothing. Orang bunian are said to inhabit the deep

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s or high mountains in Malay Peninsula, Sumatra &

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

, far from human contact, as well as near human communities, and are even said to share the same houses as human families. According to legend, their social structure is similar to that of humans in the ancient Malay Peninsula, with families, clans, and royalty. As with other mythical beings in Indonesian folklore, Orang bunian often have supernatural powers, and must be appeased with certain rituals and customs before humans are allowed to trespass areas which they inhabit. Orang bunian are generally regarded as benevolent, befriending and assisting humans, particularly magicians (''

dukun A dukun is an Indonesian term for shaman. Their societal role is that of a traditional healer, spirit medium, custom and tradition experts and on occasion sorcerers and masters of black magic. In common usage the dukun is often confused wi ...

'' or ''

bomoh A ''bomoh'' ( sou, โต๊ะบอมอ; ) is a Malay shaman and traditional medicine practitioner. The term is used mainly in Malaysia and parts of Sumatra, whereas most Indonesians use the word '' dukun''. It is often mistranslated into Eng ...

'') and shamans (''pawang''). They are said to be able to intermarry with humans and bear invisible children. According to some tales, men had married Orang bunian women but later decided to leave the bunian community and return to the families they had left behind. However, after returning to human society, they found that many years had passed and everyone they once knew had died. These narratives have been compared to Urashima Taro and

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...

References

External links

* John Desmond Gimlette, ''Malay Poisons and Charm Cures'']. Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2011. * Reimar Schefold, Vincent Dekker, ''Indonesia in focus: ancient traditions, modern times''. * Carlosox, ''The Invisible People''. * A. Samad Ahmad, ''Kesenian adat, kepercayaan dan petua''. {{Mythology of Malaysia Malaysian mythology Indonesian legendary creatures Malaysian legendary creatures Malay culture Singaporean culture