The Indonesian game of Jelangkung plays out like sort of a mix between a seance and a session of the Ouija board, with the addition of freaky little dolls thrown into the mix, during which the “players” attempt to draw ghosts or spirits into specially made dolls in order to communicate with them. The game is typically played by 3 or 4 people, often in haunted places, and almost always late at night between the hours of 10PM and midnight, typically on a night of a bright moon. The game is said to trace its origins back 1,500 years to the Chinese game of Cai Lan Gong, which roughly translates to “Vegetable Basket spirit” because a vegetable basket was once used to sit the dolls in. In the Chinese version of the game, the gods Poyang and Moyang were invited to step into the dolls to act as a sort of divination device. It was a game which was often played by teenagers during moon festivals and the name of which became the Indonesian name Jelangkung. The Indonesian version took things a step further, stepping beyond the origins of merely being an innocent method of divination for children and becoming a general and rather sinister way to channel all manner of spirits into our world and almost always performed by adults.
There are several things needed to play the game. First is the dolls themselves. They are usually crafted from a coconut shell for a head and with a wooden body, and it is said to be imperative that they be dressed in regular clothing, with a face drawn onto them. In some versions, a key is tied to a necklace around the necks of the dolls. The hands of the dolls are fitted with some sort of writing instrument with which to write the responses from any spirits successfully called forth. The next important thing needed is incense, which is burned throughout the ritual and supposedly helps to lure in the spirits. Also needed is some form of stationary, something for the dolls to write on once they are possessed, with the paper often being adorned with letters of the alphabet in advance, strikingly similar to a Ouija board. Some people use a blackboard rather than paper, and chalk tied to the doll’s hand rather than pen or pencil.
When the game is ready to begin, the players will surround the doll and cast a spell or chant a mantra or incantation, beckoning any nearby spirits to come into the doll. In some places, such as the island of Java, a scarecrow is used instead of a doll, which is no less terrifying. The spell or mantra will be repeated as many times as needed until the doll has been deemed to be possessed, usually due to a perceived increased weight or by the doll suddenly tipping over moving inexplicably. In some versions the dolls is held upright by two handlers during the ritual. The types of spirits that are said to enter the doll are numerous, but are usually the ghosts of people who have died tragically, such as through suicide, murder, or a horrific accident, although sometimes more malignant entities such as demons are believed to enter. In general, it is uncertain of exactly what will enter the doll and there is no control over such things, with the ritual basically being an open invitation to any apparition, spirit, or demon that happens to be in the vicinity.
Once the spirit, ghost, or other entity has entered the doll, it is customary to ask it to introduce itself, after which it will allegedly write its name down on the provided paper with the writing instrument attached to the doll’s hand. It will also usually explain who it was and how it had died. After this, the players may ask whatever they want of the spirit, the answers to which it will either write on the surface provided or circle in letters which have been prepared beforehand through the writing instrument on the doll’s hand. For “Yes” or “No” questions, the doll will dip the key around its neck into either a cup of coffee or a glass of water, or simply circle a “Yes” or “No” written on the board or paper. The kinds of questions asked of the spirits are diverse, ranging from simple or childish questions such as who likes who, to which lottery numbers will win, to numerous questions about the future or luck of the players, to more somber and pressing questions such as who will die first or about diagnosing illness or unconventional ways to treat diseases.