Dukun

Many self-styled dukun in Indonesia are simply scammers and criminals, preying on people who were raised to believe in the supernatural.

While medical doctors and revivalist Islam and Christianity have caused a decrease in the prominence of dukun, they remain highly respected and somewhat feared figures in Indonesian-Malay society, even in the most orthodox Muslim-dominant areas.

In the pre-colonial past, dukun were exempt from paying taxes, as with Hindu priests and Buddhist monks.

Proto-Malay dukun often serve the dual role of both shaman and village chief, known as a tok batin.

They may use herbalism, incantations (jampi), chants (mantra), animal parts, inanimate objects, spiritual communication or guidance, prayers, offerings, the keris or any combination to effect their curatives.

Dukun will occasionally bless an individual or a business, to keep away termites or spirits or demons, or over a piece of land to ensure a good harvest.

Some known incantations include: Jengges: Offerings such as incense and opium are arranged in a half-circle, as are nails, glass and needles.

Tenung: This ritual involves creating a half circle of food offerings, including opium and incense, while chanting for the destruction of the victim.

Mostly used by women, it could also be used for making a person less physically vulnerable Many dukun have been jailed for fraud and sexual assault in Indonesia.

[3] The 1998 East Java ninja scare was an outbreak of mass hysteria in East Java, Indonesia, in which the local population believed they were being targeted by sorcerers known as ninja, who were blamed for mysterious killings of religious leaders by assassins dressed in black.