Pontianak
Also called Kuntilanak.
In Malay and Indonesian folklore, the Pontianak is the vengeful ghost of a woman who died in pregnancy or childbirth. She is defined by her long black hair, white funeral shroud, and the cry of an infant that signals her approach.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Malay folkloreIndonesian folklore
- Trait family
- The Water-Beckoners
- Symbols
- Ghost
Near this figure
Symbols
Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.
- Ghost is image-domain A ghost is the returning dead made present to the living, apparition of unfinished business and unresolved grief, by turns vengeful, pitiable and tenderly protective.
why
In Malay and Indonesian folklore, the Pontianak is the vengeful ghost of a woman who died in pregnancy or childbirth.
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Form
- Single vulnerable vein or nail as life source
why
a nail (paku) driven into the hole in the back of her neck or skull renders her passive and able to pass as an ordinary woman until the nail is removed
Behaviour
- Mimics infant or woman cry to lure victims
why
Her most famous power is announcing her presence with the wail or cry of an infant, and Malay and Indonesian folk wisdom holds that the sound is deceptive: the cry is loudest when she is farthest away and grows faint as she draws near, meaning a soft cry signals imminent danger.
- Transformation driven by womans rage and vengeance
why
The Pontianak is described as the tormented spirit of a woman who died during pregnancy, in childbirth, or shortly after giving birth, her death and grief transforming her into a malevolent revenant.
Curses
- Seductive charm
why
She is most commonly depicted as a pale, beautiful woman with long, disheveled black hair and a white or pale funeral shroud, who can appear alluring at a distance and only reveals her true monstrous nature, including long nails, bloodshot eyes, and a gaping wound, when she draws close to her victims.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Death carries
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Pontianak."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Pontianak."
- Walter William Skeat, Malay Magic, p. 319.
- Shadow carries both readings
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Pontianak."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Pontianak."
- Walter William Skeat, Malay Magic, p. 319.
- Hero meets
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Pontianak."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Pontianak."
- Walter William Skeat, Malay Magic, p. 319.