Only Malay who has received the calling can become a real bomoh. And he usually learns his art by serving as an apprentice to a well known master. An individual can also become a bomoh through inheritance, and often the master will choose one of his siblings to learn his art. The chosen one can be any of his children, but to be eligible and individual must have certain physical and mental characteristics.
One specific requirement is the ability to remember and recite long incantations. This is extremely important because in every form of healing there are various mantras that need to be recited. Even medicine has its own incantations so as to ensure its effectiveness. If bomoh forgets his words this would ruin the healing process.
Incantations can be magical words or verses chosen from Al-Quran. However, most mantras begin with the name of God and end with the mention of the holy prophet Mohammad. This is to ensure that what is being done is always accomplished with the help of God.
Some bomoh treat a wide range of ailments, others specialize in healing certain illness and some, like pawang don't even involve themselves in healing. The pawang hujan, performs ritual to prevent rain and the pawang buaya is called upon to catch crocodiles. Besides these, there is also the bidan - female bomoh whose specialty is childbirth.
Malay Bomoh
Origin: pagan-magic.blogspot.com