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Pontianak (folklore)

The Pontianak, or Kuntilanak, is a mythological creature thats folklore has been spread throughout Malaysia and Indonesia, similar to the langsuir in Southeast Asia. In legends, the Pontianak takes the form of a woman who died during childbirth and is often to be described as a vampiric, vengeful female astral spirit. Another form of Pontianak refers to the white lady of Southeast Asian folklore, the white lady is often depicted as a long-haired woman and often represents local variation of a vampire. The white lady lures in unsuspecting men to incite fear and enact revenge. Signs that a Pontianak is nearby include the sound of an infant crying and the smell of decaying corpse or the plumeria flower. There are many versions of different types of vampires in a folkloric culture.

Etymology

Pontianak history is often related to stories about the spirit of a pregnant woman who died during childbirth and is forever unable to have a child. Stories portray Pontianak as the most terrifying legend that emerged in the city of the Kalimantan province, which is one of the most famous places before it was used for the construction site of the independent palace in the forest.

Indonesian mythology portrays the Pontianak as the Kuntilanak, the Kuntilanak are spirits of women who were never able to have children. The Kuntilanak derived from myths and folktales, some of which are particularly popular in Kalimantan (Borneo). Being one of the most famous pieces of Indonesian folklore, it inspired the name of a city in the Kalimantan region of Borneo (Pontianak, that was founded on 23 October 1771), named after the Malay mythology. The city is referred to as a ghost nest until Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie built his foundation in the exact spot (1771-1808), the first sultan of the Pontianak Sultanate was haunted by this creature.

The country of Kalimantan built the place before the palace to help sweep away sounds of ghosts who make noises by shooting cannonballs right after the palace was constructed. In the swamps, creeks, and forests within the west coast of Kalimantan the forest’s inhabitants said to build the city elsewhere because their culture believed that the spirits dwell in the swamps and forests. In early centuries, before the city had any buildings there were only swampy grounds due to the flooding by the river; this required buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them from the ground. Today, the island is covered in trees and locals still believe it is haunted by the spirits of women who were never able to give birth.

Physical Appearance and Behavior

The Pontianak (Kuntilanak) is often depicted as a beautiful woman with pale skin, red eyes, and dark hair. She is often dressed in a blood-smeared white dress. The Pontianak also described as changing into a more monstrous form upon when she captures her prey; her pretty are typically men or helpless people. Because she is bloodthirsty and has a carnivorous nature, a Pontianak can also appear as a beast or a ghost, resembling the Dracula vampire.

Pontianak only appears under the full moon and typically announces her presence with the cries of infants or feminine laughter and it is said that if the sounds are quiet, she is nearby, but if they are loud, it is far away. Some sources also state that a dog howling at night indicates that a Pontianak is present, but not too close; if the dog whines, then a Pontianak is near. Its presence is also said to be heralded by a floral fragrance, identifiable as that of the Plumeria flower, followed by a stench similar to that of a decaying corpse.

The Pontianak kills her victims by using her long fingernails to physically remove their internal organs to be eaten. In cases where the Pontianak desires revenge and retribution against a man, it is said to eviscerate the victim with her hands. If a victim has their eyes open when a Pontianak is near, she will suck them out of their head. The Pontianak is said to locate her prey by the scent of their clean laundry; because of this, some Malaysians refuse to leave any piece of clothing outside their house overnight.

The Pontianak is associated with banana trees, and her spirit is said to reside in them during the day. According to folklore, a Pontianak can be fought off by driving a nail into the hole on the nape of her neck, which causes her to turn into a beautiful woman and a good wife until the nail is removed.

The Indonesian Kuntilanak is similar to the Pontianak, but commonly takes the form of a bird and sucks the blood of virgins and young women. The bird, which makes a "ke-ke-ke" [1] sound as it flies, may be sent through black magic to make a woman fall ill; the characteristic symptom being vaginal bleeding. When a man approaches her in its female form, the Kuntilanak suddenly turns and reveals that its back is hollow, much like the Sundel bolong. A Kuntilanak can be subdued by plunging a nail into the top of its head.

Signs are very scary including the sounds and noises that this figure make, people claimed that the figure resembles as the "Samara Morgan" or "Sadako" In Japan and in USA.

In popular culture

In scary stories and horror films on Malaysian television, Kuntilanak or this figure is depicted as killing prey by sucking blood at the nape of the neck, more like a vampire.

  • Kuntilanak (1962)
  • Kuntilanak (1974)
  • Lawang Sewu (2007)
  • Casablanca Tunnel (Red Kuntilanak) (2007)
  • Kuntilanak's Nest (2008)
  • Kuntilanak (2006), Kuntilanak 2 (2007), Kuntilanak 3 (2008)
  • Kuntilanak's Morgue (2009)
  • Kuntilanak Beranak (2009)
  • The Nail of Kuntilanak (2009)
  • Santet Kuntilanak (2012)
  • Kuntilanak (2018)
  • Indonesian Video Games:
    • DreadOut (2014)
    • Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror (2018)
  • Malaysian films:
    • Pontianak (1957)
    • Dendam Pontianak (1957)
    • Sumpah Pontianak (1958)
    • The Pontianak Child, also known as Anak Pontianak (1958)
    • The Return of Kuntilanak (1963)
    • Pontianak Musang Cave (1964)
    • Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam (2004)
    • Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 2 (2005)
    • The Scream of Pontianak (2005)
    • Help Me, I'm a Pontianak (2011)
    • Pontianak vs Oil Person (2012)
    • The Nail of Kuntilanak (2013)
  • Singaporean films:
    • Return of Pontianak, also known as Voodoo Magic (2001)
    • Dendam Pontianak, also known as Revenge of the Pontianak (2019)[2]
  • Hong Kong films:
    • The Demon's Baby (1998)
  • Malaysian fiction:
    • The House of Aunts (2011) by Zen Cho[3]
  • American fiction:
    • Supernatural: "Cold Fire"

See also

References

  1. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sbfpb9IteA
  2. ^ "Revenge of the Pontianak". IMDb. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  3. ^ "The House of Aunts". 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2015-04-13.

External links

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