The jenglot, is a creature found in Indonesia. It resembles a tiny humanoid doll, and seems to be a creature from modern times, as the first reports of the jenglot’s existence were made in 1997. Till today, however, it is still unclear if the jenglot is really a supernatural creature or merely a hoax, though many Indonesians believe that the jenglot does have mystical powers.
It certainly appears to me to be part of the "Fae" or "hidden world" just as there are elves and dark elves, gnomes and goblins, good people and bad people. these little buggars look like evil fairies.
The are reported to be found in Indonesia, in particular, on the island of Java. The creature can allegedly be found in all sorts of places, for instance, under the ground, in the trunk of trees, or even on the rooftops of houses. The jenglot is usually said to be several inches tall, and has the appearance of a tiny human being, though with sharp fangs, long nails, and long hair.
This creature is sometimes considered to be a type of vampire as it feeds on blood, either animal or human. The owner of a jenglot (Because apparently that is what happens, people own them) has to provide it with drops of blood on a daily basis. If the owner does not provide this sustenance, the people around him/her are said to be struck by misfortune. The blood should not be fed directly to the jenglot but placed close to it. This obviously sounds like a vampire, but the if not appeased it causes misfortune trope is something you do find in fairy folklore.
The origin of these "Creatures" is something that surely sounds magical, if not a little absurd. it is said that these were once humans. mainly shamans or priests who practiced inhumane or darker magic. The ground would not accet their bodies so they decomposed and shrunk down into this form, now still "Alive", and living off of blood.
Adding the sporadic story telling together, it seems these are more or less living idols. they are "alive" and are seen as living entities. The other origin theories are that they are a rare animal species, or a mystical creature that is captured and tamed. Either way, I certainly have not seen any that don't look extremely decomposed and very "shrunken head" like. I would honestly bet that is what some of these are. idols made in the same type of way as shrunken heads. that sounds way worse than saying they are just faeries though.
The jenglot has also generated some curiosity within the scientific community, and some studies have been done on these creatures. The results of one such study were published in the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences in 2009. In this study, hair samples from an alleged jenglot were studied using microscopical and molecular techniques. The researchers concluded that the hairs are of human origin, and that they were implanted on the head of the jenglot. Additionally, the study also disproved, in this particular case, the claim that the jenglot is a rare animal species that lives deep in the jungles of Indonesia.
So, while they are more than likely just man made totems. it is possbile that the original ones were not or were based off actual myths. We can see fairy like creatures and small hominid stories from every corner of the Earth. Even if these currently are just man made, there is a strong inference that they are used in rituals and possible black magic. I do have to say, for something i have never heard of, this has been one of the coolest possible cryptids i have read about in a hot minute.