Pontianak
Encyclopedia
The pontianak is a vampiric ghost in Malay
and Indonesian mythology
. It is also known as a matianak or kuntilanak, sometimes shortened to kunti. As with tiyanak
of the Philippines, pontianak are said to be the spirits of children who died while being born. This is often confused with a related creature, the lang suir, which is the ghost of a woman who died while giving birth. The word pontianak is reportedly a corruption of the Malay
perempuan mati beranak, or “woman who died in childbirth”. Another theory is that the word is a combination of puan (woman) + mati (die) + anak (child). The term matianak means "death of a child". The city of Pontianak
in Indonesia is named after this creature, which was claimed to have haunted the first king who settled there.
posits that the phantom is an invention of Malay wives who wanted to discourage their husbands from random sexual encounters with women that they met on the road at night.
In folklore, a pontianak usually announces its presence through baby cries. If the cry is soft, it means that the pontianak is near, and if it is loud, then it must be far. Some believe that if you hear a dog howling, that means that the pontianak is far away. But if a dog is whining, that means the pontianak is nearby. Its presence can sometimes be detected by a nice floral fragrance identifiable as that of the plumeria
, followed by an awful stench afterward.
A pontianak kills its victims by digging into their stomachs with its sharp fingernails and devouring their organs. In some cases where the pontianak desires revenge against a male individual, it rips out the sex organs with its hands. It is said that if you have your eyes open when a pontianak is near, it will suck them out of your head. Pontianak locate prey by sniffing out clothes left outside to dry. For this reason, some Malays refuse to leave any article of clothing outside of their residences overnight.
The pontianak is associated with banana trees (pokok pisang), and its spirit is said to reside in them during the day.
To fend off a pontianak, a nail must be plunged into the hole on the nape of her neck. This is said to make her her a beautiful woman and a good wife until the nail is removed. In the case of the kuntilanak, the nail is plunged into the apex of her head.
The Indonesian kuntilanak is similar to the pontianak, but more commonly takes the form of a bird and sucks the blood of virgins and young women. The bird, which makes a "ke-ke-ke" sound as it flies, may be sent through black magic to make a woman sick, the characteristic symptom being vaginal bleeding. In the female form, when a man approaches her she suddenly turns and reveals that her back is hollow, but this apparition is more specifically referred to as sundel bolong
.
Unlike the pontianak which appears beautiful and preys on men, the lang suir is hideous with red eyes and long sharp nails. Their victims are pregnant women, whom they either kill or cause to have miscarriages. Lang suir suck the blood of their victims through a hole behind its neck. If one puts the lang suir's hair in this hole or cuts their claws, it will become human again. While the pontianak is associated with banana
trees, lang suir are said to be encountered near the shore of a river or sea. This way, if a human victim isn't available, they might prey on fish.
Lang suir are often depicted as being dressed in white or green. Like the kuntilanak, the lang suir is able to fly, including in the form of an owl
. The Malay word for owl in fact means "ghost bird".
http://www.mysticalpond.com
A collection of mystical creatures of Malay legends and folklores.
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Indonesian mythology
Indonesian mythology
- History :The origin of Indonesian mythology can be traced back to the earliest development of Indonesian kingdom predominantly called the Javanese Empire. Fossil evidence suggests the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by Homo erectus, popularly known as the "Java Man". Estimates of its...
. It is also known as a matianak or kuntilanak, sometimes shortened to kunti. As with tiyanak
Tiyanak
The Tiyanak is a vampiric creature in Philippine mythology that imitates the form of a child. It usually takes the form of a newborn baby and cries like one in the jungle to attract unwary travelers. Once it is picked up by the victim, it reverts to its true form and attacks the victim...
of the Philippines, pontianak are said to be the spirits of children who died while being born. This is often confused with a related creature, the lang suir, which is the ghost of a woman who died while giving birth. The word pontianak is reportedly a corruption of the Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
perempuan mati beranak, or “woman who died in childbirth”. Another theory is that the word is a combination of puan (woman) + mati (die) + anak (child). The term matianak means "death of a child". The city of Pontianak
Pontianak, Indonesia
Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River...
in Indonesia is named after this creature, which was claimed to have haunted the first king who settled there.
Appearance
Pontianak are usually depicted as pale-skinned women with long hair and dressed in white, but they are said to be able to take on a beautiful appearance since they prey on men. In his 1977 short story collection The Consul’s File Paul TherouxPaul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work of travel writing is perhaps The Great Railway Bazaar . He has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his...
posits that the phantom is an invention of Malay wives who wanted to discourage their husbands from random sexual encounters with women that they met on the road at night.
In folklore, a pontianak usually announces its presence through baby cries. If the cry is soft, it means that the pontianak is near, and if it is loud, then it must be far. Some believe that if you hear a dog howling, that means that the pontianak is far away. But if a dog is whining, that means the pontianak is nearby. Its presence can sometimes be detected by a nice floral fragrance identifiable as that of the plumeria
Plumeria
Plumeria is a genus of flowering plants of the family that includes Dogbane: the Apocynaceae. It contains 7-8 species of mainly deciduous shrubs and small trees...
, followed by an awful stench afterward.
A pontianak kills its victims by digging into their stomachs with its sharp fingernails and devouring their organs. In some cases where the pontianak desires revenge against a male individual, it rips out the sex organs with its hands. It is said that if you have your eyes open when a pontianak is near, it will suck them out of your head. Pontianak locate prey by sniffing out clothes left outside to dry. For this reason, some Malays refuse to leave any article of clothing outside of their residences overnight.
The pontianak is associated with banana trees (pokok pisang), and its spirit is said to reside in them during the day.
To fend off a pontianak, a nail must be plunged into the hole on the nape of her neck. This is said to make her her a beautiful woman and a good wife until the nail is removed. In the case of the kuntilanak, the nail is plunged into the apex of her head.
The Indonesian kuntilanak is similar to the pontianak, but more commonly takes the form of a bird and sucks the blood of virgins and young women. The bird, which makes a "ke-ke-ke" sound as it flies, may be sent through black magic to make a woman sick, the characteristic symptom being vaginal bleeding. In the female form, when a man approaches her she suddenly turns and reveals that her back is hollow, but this apparition is more specifically referred to as sundel bolong
Sundel Bolong
In Javanese and Malaysian mythology, a Sundel Bolong is mythical ghost from the archipelago which is generally described as woman with beautiful long hair and a long white dress...
.
Lang suir
The lang suir is related to the pontianak, but is considered even more dangerous. The term is traditionally spelled as two words, but is now more often rendered langsuir or langsuyar, derived from the Malay word for eagle (helang). In popular usage, the pontianak and lang suir are often confused, but they are in fact very different. While the pontianak is the ghost of a child who died while being born, lang suir are the spirits of women who suffered from laboring sickness (meroyan) which resulted in the death of both mother and baby during childbirth. Such a woman would turn in to a lang suir 40 days after her death. To prevent this from happening, glass beads are placed in the corpses mouth.Unlike the pontianak which appears beautiful and preys on men, the lang suir is hideous with red eyes and long sharp nails. Their victims are pregnant women, whom they either kill or cause to have miscarriages. Lang suir suck the blood of their victims through a hole behind its neck. If one puts the lang suir's hair in this hole or cuts their claws, it will become human again. While the pontianak is associated with banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
trees, lang suir are said to be encountered near the shore of a river or sea. This way, if a human victim isn't available, they might prey on fish.
Lang suir are often depicted as being dressed in white or green. Like the kuntilanak, the lang suir is able to fly, including in the form of an owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
. The Malay word for owl in fact means "ghost bird".
In popular culture
- Indonesian films
- Terowongan Casablanca (Kuntilanak Merah) (2007)
- Kuntilanak (2006), Kuntilanak 2 (2007), Kuntilanak 3 (2008)
- Kuntilanak (1974)
- Kuntilanak (1962) starring AtengAtengAndreas Leo Ateng Suripto , better known as Ateng, was a popular Indonesian actor and comedian. He was famous for his shortness and at times, his Charlie Chaplin mustache...
- Sundel BolongSundel BolongIn Javanese and Malaysian mythology, a Sundel Bolong is mythical ghost from the archipelago which is generally described as woman with beautiful long hair and a long white dress...
- Kuntilanak Kamar Mayat (2009)
- Kuntilanak Beranak (2009)
- Paku Kuntilanak (2009)
- Malaysian films
- Pontianak Gua Musang
- Anak Pontianak (1958)
- Pontianak Kembali (1963)
- Pontianak Harum Sundal MalamPontianak Harum Sundal MalamPontianak Harum Sundal Malam is a 2004 Malaysian horror film directed and written by Shuhaimi Baba. Starring Maya Karin, the film is about a restless spirit who seeks revenge upon those who killed her...
(2004) - Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 2 (2005)
- Pontianak MenjeritPontianak MenjeritPontianak Menjerit, directed by Yusof Kelana in 2005, is a comedy horror flick about siblings' quarrel over a will worth million dollars to be inherited by their belated father.-Synopsis:...
(2005)
External links
- Article by Singapore Paranormal Investigators about pontianaks
- Pontianaks And The Issue Of Verisimilitude In Singaporean Cinema(requires a login and password) -- an essay by Dr Timothy White of the National University of Singapore, about the important role played by 1950s and 1960s horror films in the evolution of pontianak mythology (Microsoft Word document).
http://www.mysticalpond.com
A collection of mystical creatures of Malay legends and folklores.