witchcraft in the philippines - barang
the use of insects to damage, torture, or kill
(content warning: body horror, insects)
mambabarang - Bisayan term for a witch who uses insects and spirits to cause harm to their target
i don’t know if i should classify this as a curse so i’ll just leave it with its orginal term
biting insects like centipedes, beetles, and bees are usually used but have strange and unusual features, like having an extra leg
they are kept in a bamboo tube fed with purple ginger, purple (black) rice, purple taro, and other plants and fruits with a similar shade
the name of the target is written on a piece of paper and then placed inside the tube or a strand of hair is taken and tied to the insect
if the insect eats the paper, then they are ready to heed the witch’s instruction
a malunggay (drumstick tree) branch is then placed inside the tube while voicing their intent, and a white thread is tied onto the insect that climbs the branch while an incantation is spoken, detailing the target’s name, address, their description and what kind of damage the insect should inflict
this usually occurs within a day, and deemed successful if the insect returns with a blood-stained thread
entry through an orifice (nose, mouth, ears, anus, open wounds)
conventional medical treatment supposedly doesn’t work and results in serious illness or death (it’s said that in death, flying insects are found exiting the person’s body)
okay! this post is just for info, i like researching about practices in my country but please don’t try this, even more so if you’re inexperienced (as i am). not for fun, not for anything, because it is serious, and you might end up inflicting harm on yourself
sources are from here, here, here,