Pawang

This article is a part of the series on
Indonesian mythology and folklore
Cultural mythologies Adat Balinese mythology Batak mythology Malay folklore Ghosts in Malay culture Molucca Folklore
Traditional folk religions Iban Kaharingan Kejawèn Marapu Parmalim Pemena Sunda Wiwitan Sapta Darma
Deities Acintya Agni Antaboga Barong Batara Guru Batara Kala Batara Sambu Brahma Chen Fu Zhen Ren Dewi Danu Dewi Lanjar Dewi Ratih Dewi Sri Ganesa Garuda Hainuwele Hanoman Hudoq Hyang Nyai Roro Kidul Raksasa Ratu Adil Sanghyang Adi Buddha Saraswati Satrio Piningit Setesuyara Siwa Sunan Ambu Warak ngendog Wisnu
Mythological and folkloric creatures Beings Acintya Agni Aji Saka Bidadari Batara Guru Batara Kala Batara Sambu Brahma Calon Arang Chen Fu Zhen Ren Damarwulan Dewi Danu Dewi Lanjar Dewi Ratih Dewi Sri Ebu Gogo Hainuwele Hantu Air Hantu Bongkok Hyang Hudoq Ifrit Jailangkung Jenglot Jin Keong Emas Kuntilanak Kuyang Langsuir Leak Malin Kundang Na Tuk Kong Nyai Roro Kidul Orang bunian Orang Pendek O Tokata Pelesit Penanggalan Petruk Pocong Putri Tangguk Raden Panji Raksasa Ratu Adil Sanghyang Adi Buddha Sangkuriang Saraswati Satrio Piningit Semar Setesuyara Silewe Nazarata Si Pitung Siwa Suanggi Sunan Ambu Sundel Bolong Tuyul Twalen Wewe Gombel Wisnu Animals Antaboga Babi ngepet Barong Burak Ganesa Garuda Hanoman Naga Taksaka Rangda Warak ngendog
Wayang characters Wayang purwa Wayang panji Wayang menak
Rituals and traditions Bomoh Dukun Jailangkung Pawang Ziarah
Mythical and sacred locations Borobudur Kraton Mt. Tidar Prambanan Ratu Boko Tua Pek Kong Turgo
Sacred objects Mythical texts Arjunawiwaha Hikayat Amir Hamzah Hikayat Banjar Hikayat Bayan Budiman Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain Hikayat Raja-raja Pasai Kakawin Ramayana Kakawin Sutasoma La Galigo Mahabharata Bharatayuddha Kakawin Bhāratayuddha Kakawin Hariwangsa Nagarakṛtāgama Pararaton Pustaha Śiwarātrikalpa Smaradahana Tuhfat al-Nafis Wawacan Sulanjana Sacred weapons Kris Kujang Rencong Funerals Tau tau
See also Hantu Indonesian folk religions Javanese sacred places List of Indonesian deities List of sacred places in Java
Indonesia portal Mythology portal
v t e

A pawang is a type of shaman from Indonesia and Malaysia. The pawang deals with magic involving weather, wild animals and spirits, but they may also be employed for cases of sorcery.^[1] Pawang are usually associated with mountains and sky in contrast to the traditional healers (dukun or bomoh) who are most often linked to rivers.

Particular variations of pawang exist. Some specialise in controlling weather such as the pawang hujan (rain pawang). Others prevent attacks from animals (especially a dangerous ones) such as the pawang harimau (tiger pawang) and the pawang buaya (crocodile pawang). Some of them are able to do particular rituals and chants for ensuring good luck, such as bountiful hunt, having a safe trip, or success in mining or construction.

A pawang is said to control elements and entities by chanting and usually by having spirit servants to do his bidding. Practitioners believe the spirits can perform healings, seek missing persons and things or even investigate reasons for bad luck. They further claim that spirits can be used to possess people, cause sickness and miseries and many other bad things.^[2]

The British colonial administrator Frank Swettenham wrote about the role of the pawang in late nineteenth century Malaya in a chapter on 'Malay Superstitions' in his volume of essays Malay Sketches (1895). Swettenham described how the supposed victim of a bajang would employ a pawang to use various methods to determine the identity of their attacker, such as scraping an iron bowl with a razor to produce a corresponding loss of hair in the guilty party, divination by use of a water bowl or dowsing.