Pontianak is the ghost of a woman who passed away tragically during pregnancy or childbirth where it would seek revenge against those involved in her death. This infamous Southeast Asia vampiric mother is specifically known in Malaysia and Indonesia. A city in Indonesia was even named after this infamous Southeast Asia vampiric mother, ‘Pontianak’.
In this video that was posted by Storied on YouTube, it explained everything you need to know about ‘Pontianak’ or alternatively known as ‘Kuntilanak’:
Both of the name ‘Pontianak’ and ‘Kuntilanak’ ends with the Malay word ‘anak’ that means child. It is obvious that there is a connection between the monster and her children. The ‘ponti’ on the other hand originates from the Malay phrase for “tall tree” or “tall trees” where it is their habitat.
Pontianak feeds on the organs and blood of humans especially child and in order to lure their victims, they would disguise themselves as beautiful young women. Such delicate and fragile masquerades will fool almost everyone but in their true form, they are vicious and gruesome. Using their long and sharp fingernails, they will create a wound for them to suck the blood out of their victims.
As mentioned before, Pontianak is the ghost of a pregnant woman but not all pregnant women who die during childbirth or while pregnant will become a Pontianak, only those who suffer because of a man. The tragic, ‘unhappy’ death is the cause of the existence of this monster.
According to the legend, the first inhabitants of the ‘Pontianak’ land in Indonesia that was founded in 1771 are the Pontianak themselves. In the late 18th century, a nobleman of Arab, Syarif Abdurrahman received the land as a gift making him the first sultan of the land. The intrusion was not accepted well by the Pontianak, causing them to harass the group of settlers. It drove the Pontianak away when the sultan fought back by firing canons and cutting down all trees the Pontianak called ‘home’. A mosque and the sultan’s palace were built using the very wood and that was how the land gained its name, ‘Pontianak’.
Sources: Storied