Bomoh and the illness

Bomoh and the illness
As a Malay, a devout Muslim and a bomoh, they believes that for every illness there must be an agent responsible for it and that for all these sickness there must be a cure.

Consequently, it is necessary to continuously seek ways and means to free oneself from illness, a process known as ‘ikhtiar’.

In common with other bomoh – which loosely translates as a medicine–man cum magician they believes that everything derives from God, but the human beings are nevertheless responsible for the illnesses that befall them.

People can become sick through irresponsible behavior, for example, which can be avoided by behaving properly.

However, supernatural forces such as evil sprits – locally known as ‘hantu’ or ‘penunggu’ - can process an individual whose soul is weak.

Illness can also be caused by sorcery, which used to be rampant, but rare today.

A bomoh uses various healing technique, the mot popular being his ability to heal fractured bones.

Many Malaysians believe that modern medicine is no match for treating fractures and even those who have undergone western medical treatment often seek further help from a traditional healer.

Bomohs are also well versed in the art of curing with herbal medicines.

If someone is diagnosed to suffer from ‘unusual’ illness, then the service of the bomoh is needed.

Once the bomoh knows the cause of the ‘unusual’ illness, he will advise the sufferer either to take certain herbal medicine or change his or her daily diet.

However, sometimes herbal treatments and dietary changes alone cannot alleviate the symptoms of illness due to a spirit attack.

The basis of the belief that is the excess of angin, tanah, fire and air must be removed and earth and water increased.

Therefore the bomoh counteracts the spirits’ backs, the shaman often advises s that they battle in cold water made still cooler by the addition of lime juice and the chanting of a cooling spell.

The bomoh will further increase water and earth by applying tepung tawar a neutralizing rice paste, to the patient’s forehead.

Simultaneously, destructive spiritual influences may be wept away from the patient’s body with leafy branches.
Bomoh and the illness