The "Jenglot" is a mysterious and popular entity in Indonesia. It is shaped like a small human, and it is not known whether the Jenglot is a real demon or the creation of folklore. One thing is clear; many Indonesians believe that the Jenglot possesses mysterious powers.

Jenglot, according to folklore, mysteriously appeared in Pulau Jawa, Indonesia, in the year 1997. It was argued that the entity could be found in many places, like underground, on the branches of a tree, or even on rooftops of houses. Jenglot looks like a mini version of a cachexic man and is equipped with sharp jaws, long fingernails, and long flowing hair.

Jenglot is believed to belong to the vampire family because its main nourishment comes from the blood of animals or humans. The owner of the Jenglot must feed the creature with a drop of their blood each day.

If the owner fails to do so, it is believed that their loved ones will face dire consequences. The blood must not be fed directly to the mouth of the Jenglot but instead be placed beside it.

Some argued that the creature comes alive for a while to drink blood, especially when there is no one around. Others claim that the Jenglot will get the nutrition from the blood without "physically" drinking it.

Origins of the Jenglot

Many people believe that the Jenglot was once a human being like us. Tradition states that the creature was formerly a hermit who practiced black magic to obtain everlasting life. When the hermit finally passed away, the earth refused to accept his body (presumably due to his unacceptable sins), where he remained undecomposed and finally regressed to being the size and stature of what society knows as a Jenglot. There are also rumors that say Jenglot is a rare animal species not yet discovered by science—and that the Jenglot is nothing more than a man-made doll.

Jenglot was claimed to be found by shamans (medicine men in the old times) after performing magical rituals, though the creature can also mysteriously appear on its own as well. Certain sources also claimed that the Jenglot is a demon that can be caught and kept by those with the knowledge of black crafts.

According to Muhammad Syakir Muhammad Azmi, an Islamic Medicine practitioner from Malaysia, Jenglot can be crafted with basic kinds of stuff. The price of the stuff to make Jenglot varies on its availability even though it's not considered as expensive, it is considered dark.

It is also possible to create a Jenglot using the fetus of a dead animal. It is believed that Jenglot, made from these animals, is more "nutritious" and hence more expensive on the market. As a man-made "creature," the Jenglot by itself didn't have any powers. However, Jenglot derives its powers from the incantations of powerful black magic spells done by experienced shamans.

The Jenglot is said to be capable of "appeasing" its masters (owners) in many ways. For example, providing protection, as a lucky charm, or to exact revenge over its owner's enemies.

Exhibition and Studies About the Jenglot

There were previously exhibitions about the Jenglot in Malaysia and Indonesia. The exhibitioners claimed that the Jenglot is a "supernatural" and not a man-made being and can be "killed" for the exhibitions.

Jenglot has induced curiosity among scholars. One study was published in the Malaysian Medical Journal in the year 2009 about hair samples from three suspected Jenglots. In this research, hair samples from Jenglots were submitted by a Malaysian businessman and studied under a powerful electron microscope. The researchers concluded that the hair originated from a normal human being and was purportedly "planted" on the head of the Jenglot.