  the pontianak (dutch-indonesian spelling: boentianak) is a vampiric ghost in malay and indonesian mythology. it is also known as a matianak or kuntilanak, sometimes shortened to kunti. the pontianak are said to be the spirits of women who died while pregnant. 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 âwoman who died in childbirthâ.lee r. the almost complete collection of true singapore ghost stories. 2nd ed. singapore: flame of the forest, 1989. 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 sultan who once 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 consulâs file paul theroux 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.theroux p. the consul's file. london: hamilton, 1977. in folklore, a pontianak usually announces its presence through baby cries. if the cry is soft, it means that the pontianak is close, 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 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 indone
Corporeal_undead Indonesian_folklore Indonesian_legendary_creatures Jinn Malay_folklore Malay_ghost_myth Vampires