Malayan Black Magic

Credit: Malayan black magic (Ilmu Sihir) charm intended to curse its recipient with a fatal illness. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

I was browsing the library of the Wellcome Foundation recently when I came across this 19th century Malayan black magic charm (Ilmu Sihir) intended to curse its recipient with a fatal illness. The Arabic letters surrounding the human figure are incantations and spells written in the language of Djinns and Syaitan (demonic spirits). It is from the Hervey Collection of Malay manuscripts, 19th century. Wellcome Library no.: Wellcome MS Malayan 2E.

Malaysia, along with other southeast Asian nations, has long had a fascination with black magic and the supernatural. You can find more examples here.

Warning: If you are planning to use this on your enemies you should know that murder by black magic is still murder and the courts will judge you accordingly!

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.