The Pontianak
Malay folklore tells of a woman in white who announces herself with the scent of frangipani, and a city in Borneo is named after her.
What was reported
In Malaysian and Indonesian folklore, the pontianak, or kuntilanak, is the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth. She appears at night as a beautiful woman in white with long black hair, and her arrival is signalled by the sweet smell of frangipani flowers, followed by a foul smell.
Some say that when her cry sounds close, she's far away, and when it sounds far away, she's near. A nail driven into the back of her neck is said to turn her back into a gentle woman.
Explanations offered
It's a folk belief with deep roots in the region. The Indonesian city of Pontianak takes its name from the legend: tradition says its founder, the sultan Syarif Abdurrahman, drove the spirits away with cannon fire when he founded the town in 1771. She is a staple of Malay horror films.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
- Witnesses
- Malay tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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