, the Thai variation of Leyak''. The entity has different names among other Austronesian cultures.
Leyak are humans who are practicing
black magic and have
cannibalistic behavior. Their mistress is the "queen of
Leyak", a widow-witch named
Rangda, who plays a prominent role in public rituals. Her mask is kept in the village death temple, and during her temple festivals, she is paraded. Besides Leyaks, demons are said to be the followers of
Rangda. Leyak are said to haunt
graveyards, feed on
corpses, have the power to change themselves into animals, such as pigs, and fly. In normal
Leyak form, they are said to have an unusually long tongue and large fangs. In daylight, they appear as an ordinary human, but at night, their head and entrails break loose from their body and fly.
Leyak statues (a head with a very long tongue and sharp fangs) are sometimes hung on a wall for house decoration. In practice,
Balinese people sometimes attribute certain illnesses or deaths to
Leyak. A
balian (Balinese
traditional healer) will conduct a
séance to identify with
witchcraft who is responsible for the death. During the séance, the spirit of the dead will directly or indirectly point to their attacker. However, vengeance by the victim's relatives or family is usually counseled against, and people are advised to leave any action to the spirits themselves. Hence, the suspicions and fears of the family and relatives are confirmed, but revenge upon the witch is discouraged by the healers. == See also ==