Wewe Gombel
In Java, people say a spirit woman takes children who are neglected by their parents, cares for them in secret, and gives them back once the parents are sorry.
What was reported
Wewe Gombel is a spirit of Javanese folklore, named after Gombel Hill in Semarang. She is said to be the ghost of a woman who suffered at the hands of her husband, and now takes children who are mistreated or ignored by their families.
She hides them, often in the top of a tall tree, feeds them and looks after them. When the parents realise what they've done and show they are sorry, she lets the children go home. She is more protector than monster.
Explanations offered
Wewe Gombel is a folk figure with a moral, about parents' duty to look after their children. She's a well-known figure in Indonesian films and stories.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Gombel Hill, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
- Witnesses
- Javanese folklore
- 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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