Background
A majority of spirits are those of vengeful women, and the pontianak from Malaysia is no different, being an all-female type of spirit. Their physical form is typically described as a pale woman with long hair, dressed totally in white, and are considered the ghosts of women who died while pregnant. They are not, however, the ghosts of women who died during childbirth, as there is a separate type of ghost dedicated to those women, called the lang suir, though the two are often confused for one another. The pontianak, in folklore, tends to announce her arrival through a baby’s cry. Contrary to what would be assumed, a loud baby’s cry means a pontianak is far away, while a soft baby’s cry means she is close. The same applies for her other calling card, the howl of a dog. If the dog howls loudly, then she is far, if he only whimpers, she is near. The pontianak can also be detected by her distinct smell, which is a sweet plumeria that turns to a sour stench. During the day, when the pontianak cannot come out, it is believed the ghost resides in a banana tree.
History
The pontianak is a type of ghost that is considered harmful and does inevitably murder her victims. She kills them by digging her long fingernails into his stomach, after which she proceeds to each his inner organs. All her subjects are men, or pregnant women, and most are random encounters, as the pontianak choses her victims after she is drawn to the smell of drying laundry left outside over night.. because of this many Malaysian people make certain to take their laundry in at night to make certain the spirit does not give the a visit. Despite being drawn almost predominantly by the smell of laundry, sometimes a pontianak will take revenge against a man who wronged her and after killing him will castrate him with her bare hands. To prevent a pontianak from attackting, a nail must be plunged into the nape of her neck. If that is done, the pontianak is claimed to make an excellent woman and wife, until the nail is removed, when she will return to her supernatural ways.
The most famous pontianak is one for whom an entire city was named after. Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie, in 1771, decided to create his sultanate in a rural swamp area of Malaysia. While preparing to build his city, the sultan and his men slept by the forest. Upon waking Alkadrie’s men complained of voices during the night, yet all were unsure of where the noises were coming from. Through the evenings they spent the men came to understand that the voices they heard were those of a pontianak who resided in the forest. Despite being told against building his sultanate in such an area, the sultan choose to order his men to fire cannons into the forest. They did so, and while the men never heard from the pontianak again, the sultan claimed he was continually haunted by the ghost and eventually named his city after the spirit, calling his new sultanate Pontianak. In an attempt to appease her.
Travel Information
The city of Pontianak is a small city that is subject to flooding, meaning all buildings are build at a height. The entire city is a flourish of mixed cultures and tradition. The city is laid back, without too much happening besides trade. Still, it makes for an excellent vacation spot, with plenty of hotels and eating areas. The best experience recommended for travelers is a boat ride across the Sungai Kapuas, or Kapuas River, which divides Pontianak, the best time to do so being 5:00-6:00pm. This ride will also afford the visitor a chance to see the forests of Pontianak, where the legendary ghost was said to reside.
Temporary Citations:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Pontianak
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g317101-Pontianak_West_Kalimantan_Borneo-Vacations.html
http://www.indomagic.com/articles/mythology/folklore/kuntilanak-pontianak/
A majority of spirits are those of vengeful women, and the pontianak from Malaysia is no different, being an all-female type of spirit. Their physical form is typically described as a pale woman with long hair, dressed totally in white, and are considered the ghosts of women who died while pregnant. They are not, however, the ghosts of women who died during childbirth, as there is a separate type of ghost dedicated to those women, called the lang suir, though the two are often confused for one another. The pontianak, in folklore, tends to announce her arrival through a baby’s cry. Contrary to what would be assumed, a loud baby’s cry means a pontianak is far away, while a soft baby’s cry means she is close. The same applies for her other calling card, the howl of a dog. If the dog howls loudly, then she is far, if he only whimpers, she is near. The pontianak can also be detected by her distinct smell, which is a sweet plumeria that turns to a sour stench. During the day, when the pontianak cannot come out, it is believed the ghost resides in a banana tree.
History
The pontianak is a type of ghost that is considered harmful and does inevitably murder her victims. She kills them by digging her long fingernails into his stomach, after which she proceeds to each his inner organs. All her subjects are men, or pregnant women, and most are random encounters, as the pontianak choses her victims after she is drawn to the smell of drying laundry left outside over night.. because of this many Malaysian people make certain to take their laundry in at night to make certain the spirit does not give the a visit. Despite being drawn almost predominantly by the smell of laundry, sometimes a pontianak will take revenge against a man who wronged her and after killing him will castrate him with her bare hands. To prevent a pontianak from attackting, a nail must be plunged into the nape of her neck. If that is done, the pontianak is claimed to make an excellent woman and wife, until the nail is removed, when she will return to her supernatural ways.
The most famous pontianak is one for whom an entire city was named after. Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie, in 1771, decided to create his sultanate in a rural swamp area of Malaysia. While preparing to build his city, the sultan and his men slept by the forest. Upon waking Alkadrie’s men complained of voices during the night, yet all were unsure of where the noises were coming from. Through the evenings they spent the men came to understand that the voices they heard were those of a pontianak who resided in the forest. Despite being told against building his sultanate in such an area, the sultan choose to order his men to fire cannons into the forest. They did so, and while the men never heard from the pontianak again, the sultan claimed he was continually haunted by the ghost and eventually named his city after the spirit, calling his new sultanate Pontianak. In an attempt to appease her.
Travel Information
The city of Pontianak is a small city that is subject to flooding, meaning all buildings are build at a height. The entire city is a flourish of mixed cultures and tradition. The city is laid back, without too much happening besides trade. Still, it makes for an excellent vacation spot, with plenty of hotels and eating areas. The best experience recommended for travelers is a boat ride across the Sungai Kapuas, or Kapuas River, which divides Pontianak, the best time to do so being 5:00-6:00pm. This ride will also afford the visitor a chance to see the forests of Pontianak, where the legendary ghost was said to reside.
Temporary Citations:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Pontianak
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g317101-Pontianak_West_Kalimantan_Borneo-Vacations.html
http://www.indomagic.com/articles/mythology/folklore/kuntilanak-pontianak/