Banyuwangi's 'santet' can charm, not hurt

Banyuwangi's 'santet' can charm, not hurt

Text and photos by Antariksawan Jusuf

The killing of several alleged practitioners of black magic in
Java's easternmost regency of Banyuwangi last year has many
people identifying the regency with black magic and little else.
Upon the return to his birth place during the Idul Fitri
celebration last month, The Jakarta Post contributor Antariksawan
Jusuf found there is more to tell about this culturally rich land
besides black magic. The local rituals and the language for
example. He wrote his observations in the three related articles
below.

BANYUWANGI (JP): A seven-day traditional music and dance
performance was held at several popular tourist sites in
Banyuwangi, two days after the Islamic Idul Fitri celebration at
the end of January.

Bright, cheery faces greeted visitors in almost every corner
of this sleepy town on the easternmost tip of Java.

There was no sign of hatred and simmering anger from the
notorious murders in September and October last year.

Urbanites and villagers alike drew a macabre picture of what
went on during those months. As night fell, roadblocks and
barricades were erected every 10 meters. In the virtual curfew,
people armed with sickles and anything they could find questioned
passersby.

Frightened locals became irrational in their security
measures. White or red vans with a number plate beginning "B",
signifying Jakarta, or "L" (Surabaya) were the target of
suspicion because of the circulating rumor they bore the public
enemies: ninja-clad murderers.

They were believed to be behind the killing spree whose
perpetrators remain a mystery to this day. Some argued the
murderers were professional because of the killing methods. But
the targets were so diverse, from leaders of the Muslim
organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah and alleged black
magic practitioners (dukun), to public figures and even farmers.

In the first spate of murders, the victims were cast as black
magic practitioners. The authorities ultimately claimed only 38
of 117 victims were dukun, even though it was almost impossible
to find physical evidence behind the crimes.

When news of the terrible deaths spread nationally, Banyuwangi
became identified as a hotbed for black magic, known in
Indonesian as santet.

Are all the witchcraft rumors and accusations true?

"Actually, it is a complete misunderstanding," said novelist
and observer Hasnan Singodimayan. "Santet in Banyuwangi refers to
a love-philter spell used mostly by men to attract the opposite
sex, while in Indonesian the word means black magic."

In Banyuwangi, santet stands for mesisan kantet, meaning "let
the opposite sex follow", he said. Magic spells, such as Sabuk
Mangir, normally last for only 40 days.

Hasnan's novel Kerudung Baju Selubung (Veil as a Cover) was
made into the TPI television series Jejak Sinden (Trace of a
Singer) last year. The novel tells about black magic employed by
a woman to harm her former husband's new wife. Hasnan used
complete black magic verses in the novel.

His story attests to the Banyuwangi people's familiarity with
black magic.

"Black magic is not an exclusive phenomenon to Banyuwangi. But
here the number of black magic practitioners is so small. It is a
product of overexaggeration which is typical of people of
Banyuwangi," he said.

Hasnan did not deny there were victims of black magic, but "it
is not as many as suspected".

According to Ahmad Siddiq, a Muslim elder and head of the
Kertosari Muslim boarding school, black magic in Banyuwangi
varies in intensity. It ranges from a simple spell to make
somebody unable to utter a word in a middle of a speech, to a
high level of magic with victims penetrated by foreign objects in
their body, from iron nails and broken glass to frying pans.

Siddiq provides assistance for people affected by black magic
and other nonphysical diseases. On average, he treats one patient
a day.

During the time of terror in September and October, he was one
of the Muslim leaders threatened with death by alleged ninjas. He
also lent a hand by blessing several young people so they were
able to fight and capture ninjas. These young people did arrest
one alleged ninja and handed him over to the police.

People believe the ninjas possess supernatural powers that
allow them to easily escape an ambush.

To rid people of spells, Siddiq takes a glass of clean water
which has had incantations intoned over it. He also asks the
person to read a certain passage in the Koran.

If a person is afflicted with magic that is too strong for
Siddiq to overcome, he recommends one of five dukun. These dukun
perform special black-magic cleansing rituals.

"There are dukun who can cure a person by physically taking
out the foreign objects from a patient's body," he said.