Name: Penanggalan, Hantu Penanggal
Area of Origin: Malaysia
The Penanggalan are ghostly variations of the Vampire myth found in Southeast Asian folk mythology, and are similar to the Manananggal of Filipino folklore. The words Manananggal and Penanggal may both mean ‘detach’ or 'remove’ due to both languages having a common root in the Austronesian language family. A Penanggal is a detached female head that is capable of flight, with its entrails and organs dangling below. Though often classified as an undead creature, it can re-attach itself to its body and live as a human being. In folklore, a Penanggal may either be a beautiful old or young woman that has obtained her beauty through use of black magic or through other supernatural means. They are usually midwives that have made pacts with the devil; a stipulation in the pact is to not eat meat for 40 days. Breaking this stipulation will afflict a curse upon the midwife, turning her into a bloodsucking vampire or demon. After the detached head returns from its hunts, it will immerse its organs in a vat of vinegar in order to shrink them for easy insertion back into the body. The Penanggalan traditionally prey upon pregnant women and young children, and perch on the roofs of houses where women are in labor, screeching when the child is born. It is said that the use of the thorny leaves of the Mengkuang plant will help protect houses that are susceptible to a Penanggalan attack, as the creature’s exposed organs could get damaged by their sharp exterior. However, the demoness could still come up through a house’s floorboards if the area is unguarded.
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