Tuyuls are described as supernatural beings whose appearance is believed to look like a bald child, and tend to have childish behavior, supposedly not being very intelligent.
Particularly in Java, a popular belief circulates that one can "enslave" a Tuyul to do several things for his/her own benefit, such as stealing someone’s belonging or wealth. However, it doesn't come with a free price. The master (if the master is male, one of the female family/relatives) must "breastfeed" them in return of their services. If the master violates the rules, misfortunes will befall unto him/her and the family.
The Tuyuls are also believed as anxious beings, therefore they're always shown assembling in groups. To distract Tuyuls, one must put crabs on every corner of his/her house, since Tuyuls will play innocently with that animal instead of focusing on finishing their tasks that were given to them by their master. Some folktales add that green beans are also considered as effective item to distract Tuyuls.
A toyol or tuyul is an undead infant in South-East Asian folklore. It appears in the mythology of Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. It is invoked as a helper by shamans (dukun or bomoh) using black magic.
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