What is it about Halloween that makes us seek things that go bump in the night???
People dressed up in the weirdest outfits imaginable, pumpkin heads grinning eerily in the night and children going house TRICK- OR - TREATING for candy. Sounds familiar???
Yes, its Halloween once again but, of course, this celebration mostly takes place in Western countries. MALAYSIANS have not quite bought into the idea yet.
So what's HAlloween all about, anyway??
And why is it always associated with horror and spooks???
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain ( pronounced : son-in ) or the Celtric New Year, where Celts believed that on the night before, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead become blurred, allowing spirits, both harmless and harmful, to pass through. their belief is much like our very own HUNGRY GHOST month that is observed by the Chinese.
In western countries , they have vampires, witch & etc.. MAlaysian does have their own LOCAL LORE..
HERE are few popular Malaysian ghosts that you might meet... hehe!!
- Pontianak – also known as the vampire where it is belief that they are usually ladies dressed in white seeking for revenge. The pontianak is said to be the spirit of a woman died of childbirth. Most of the time, they can look very beautiful but if you look closely, she would have razor sharp teeth. They usually comes out after the sun sets searching for men orpregnant women (apparently, it is said that she could not bear the thought of other women being able to enjoy motherhood) to suck blood. Sometimes, they even eat the flesh of babies ripped out from their mother’s womb.
- Toyol – these are actually ghostly kids that people adopt for the objective of stealing other people’s money. It is believed that this spirit is kept and preserved in a jar in a form of a foetus. Because the toyol is kept by people to do bidding, you have to feed it with blood everyday.
- Polong – unsen ghost that can be used by black magic practitioners (bomoh) to harm someone
- Pelesit – a ghost in the form of grasshopper used by bomohs to possess someone
- Hantu Air – water ghost found usually in rivers, lakes and swimming pools. They are usually the victim of drowning
- Kum Kum – an old witch who attacks young virgins to restore her youth and beauty
- Hantu Raya – ghosts that acts as a double for the bomoh
- Hantu Tetek – translates as Ghost Breast. This ghost is a female with huge breasts which is said to use it to suffocate her victims
- Bunian – good ghost or jinns (genie) that is usually found in the jungle. Loves to help humans in trouble or in need.
- Hantu Bungkus (Pocong) – ghost jumping around wrapped in white shroud
- Hantu Bukit – ghosts that haunt the hilly areas.
- Hantu Jepun – translates as Japanese ghost. Believed to appear wearing WW2 army attire carrying samurai swords. Usually found marching or if you are lucky, you can only hear the footsteps of marching. They are mostly headless
- Hantu Pari Pari – fairy ghosts
- Hantu Kubur – just like its direct translation of ghost cemetary. These ghosts are usually found haunting cemetaries
- Orang Minyak – also known as “oily man”. They are usually seen all covered in black oil and is said to love rape virgins
- Hantu Penanggalan (Hantu Tengelong) – Usually women studying black magic that has the ability to split its body from its head and fly around with its guts hanging around. It is said that its love to suck the blood of women during childbirth
