Bajang and Pelesit charms photographed in Malay Magic,1900
Actual primary plate6 diagrams inspected; book caption identifies Bajang and Pelesit CHARMS. These are documentary ritual drawings, not representations of the demons bodies; individual charm-side assignment unconfirmed.
Overview
Walter William Skeat’s 1900 Malay Magic describes the Bajang among beings associated with danger to women and children around childbirth. Its usual embodiment in his account is a musang, rendered by his English term pole-cat, and it disturbs a household by mewing like a large cat. The source also records one informant’s cricket form, which Skeat treats cautiously because of possible confusion with the Pelesit.
Children could wear black silk-thread bracelets intended to protect them from the Bajang. Skeat reproduces a diagram understood as a representation modified into a counter-charm. His account also quotes Frank Swettenham on accusations that a person’s illness had been caused by another household’s familiar. These passages record historical explanations and protective practices, rather than demonstrating supernatural causes of illness.
Origins & earliest records
Malay Peninsula; source-specific recorded tradition
Records & interpretation
Directly read source passage; historical collector framing retained.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Malay Magic
Chapter VI, Birth-spirits, printed pp.320–325; plate6
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Malay Magic
Chapter VI. Chapter VI, Birth-spirits, printed pp.320–325; plate6
Passage directly read. Colonial collector classifications are attributed, not normalized across living traditions.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical collection / primary recorded accountMalay Magic — Chapter VI, Birth-spirits, printed pp.320–325; plate6Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical ritual documentBajang and Pelesit charms photographed in Malay Magic,1900
Actual primary plate6 diagrams inspected; book caption identifies Bajang and Pelesit CHARMS. These are documentary ritual drawings, not representations of the demons bodies; individual charm-side assignment unconfirmed.
