First up, the feature ghost, the PONTIANAK.. (or Kuntianak in Indonesia)... The Pontianak is a female vampire, normally clad in white, with long black hair and white iris'. Some versions say that she has hooks on her back to hang from trees as well! The pontianak is often known to be a hitchhiking ghost, she either somehow becomes a back seat passenger in a car, or is a lady asking to be picked up from the side of the road. The Pontianak comes about when a lady dies of childbirth and refuses to pass on to the next world. And she sucks blood, like vampire does, and leaves no victim alive- thus no one lives to tell the tale of such an experience. It is said that in order to prevent a pontianak from being created, you could put glass beads or marbles into the corpses' mouth, put eggs under her armpits or long carpenter nails in her palms. It is also believed that if you stab a Pontianak with a long carpenter nail down her neck (towards her spine), she turns into a beautiful mortal lady- usually becoming a servant or spouse of the stabber (until the nail is pulled out again). Apparently, she is a long distant cousin of the Irish Banshees- since they all whail! Probably, she should hook up with Dracula?
Ghost Number 2 is the TOYOL. How is it made? The toyol is made when the corpse of the first baby of a pair of parents where both parents are both the eldest sibling in their own families. A bomoh (or witchdoctor) usually chants over the corpse and performs a ritual to summon the toyol. It is used to conduct mischief where the master can get it to steal from other people or cause small harm. The toyol is fed with its master's blood and has to be pleased with child-like things such as toys. When not in use, it is normally kept in a bottle which is opened when it needs to be used. The downside- once you get one, it has to be passed down or given to a bomoh (witchdoctor) to be disposed of, which is not an easy or convenient thing. Not sure why.. It is also apparently really stupid and is easily distracted by toys or small animals. Its also believed that it is visible like the pontianak- they dont usually just appear to certain people, they like an audience. I call the Toyol Dracula's baby..
The last and final Malaysian ghost I would share is the Jin, or Genie. The Jin is one of the more powerful ghosts whose purpose is similar to the toyol but could cause greater harm, of course it also demands more from it's master (ie, more blood, more gifts, more sacrifices- perhaps a bigger bottle too). They have no shape or form, and cannot be seen. The only visual evidence are sightings of hanging corpses bound in the traditional funeral wrap. The works of a Jin can be reduced by the help of a Bomoh.
Hantu Air (water ghost)- causes harm and drowns victims. Present in seas, lakes and ponds.
Hantu Jepun (Japanese Ghost)- ghosts of japanese world war 2 soldiers just lingering around.
Hantu Orb (orb ghosts)- basically white orbs that frequent haunted places..
Jin Pokok Pisang (Banana Tree Genie)- A Jin that lives in a banana tree, apparently not very harmful
some others that arent at the tip of my mind..
So, hope u can catch some sleep now! cos i doubt i would.. :S
Fellow Malaysians, if I got it wrong, whooops, but leave a comment!
Pictures taken from Google Images. and 400 hits in 2.5 months! WOhooooo!! thank you fans!
