Kuntilanak

The Kuntilanak comes from the traditional stories of the Malay Archipelago, especially in places like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. These stories started in the Java and Sumatra islands of Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula, where beliefs in spirits called hantu or semangat, along with local traditions and ideas from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, shaped the myth.

The spirit, like many others, acts as a reflection of the anxieties surrounding maternal death, gender roles, and revenge in the cultures they derive from.

The Kuntilanak is thought to be the soul of a lady who tragically perished from childbirth. According to certain legends, Kuntilanak are female rape victims who became pregnant and were subsequently brutalized by their rapist. In other accounts, the Kuntilanak originated from traumatized women who were abused by their attackers and / or spouses until they died during or after childbirth, either as a result of despair over losing their child, domestic violence, or maternal death.

Due to experiencing a ‘bad death’, the Kuntilanak is seen as a malevolent spirit. Primarily targeting men, especially those who mistreat or harm women, reflecting her vengeful nature as the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth. Alluring men with her beauty and then using her sharp nails to slice and remove their organs, or sucking out their blood.

The Kuntilanak is described as a beautiful woman with pale skin, a blood-stained white dress, long black hair, red eyes, and a sweet smell of the frangipani (plumeria) flower, and as having a hollow or hole on the nape of her neck, which distinguishes her from other spirits.

In some modern adaptations, there has been some confusion or adaptations where the Kuntilanak is described to have a hollow cavity behind her back where a baby would have been located. But referring to classical and traditional folklore literature, this “hollow back” description primarily is a characteristic of the Sundel Bolong (another female spirit in Indonesian folklore).

Other narratives have also depicted the Kuntilanak taking on a bird form, emitting a distinctive “ke-ke-ke” cry as it flies, when targeting young pregnant women and virgins. In these cases, the Kuntilanak does not attack the woman as remorselessly as she does with men. A bird from the Kuntilanak lingers silently from a distance, causing illness and harm, marked by vaginal bleeding or other reproductive issues.

The bird form's targeting of virgins symbolizes a punitive or vengeful act on young women who represent purity and fertility, something the Kuntilanak had taken away from them when they were human.

The Kuntilanak is said to reside in banana trees during the day, using them as a nest before emerging at night to haunt humans. There is a wide association within the Southeast Asia folklore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, where stories warn people to avoid banana trees, especially during the night, due to the belief that it’s the dwelling place of many spirits, like the Kuntilanak.

The link between the Kuntilanak to banana trees originates from the Southeast Asian belief that spirits inhabit natural and often secluded places. Besides banana trees, there are other associated locations that spirits like the Kuntilanak could dwell in, such as forests, cemeteries, abandoned buildings, and the edges of villages. This connection of spirits residing in banana trees is reinforced through oral stories and cultural practices that complement animistic views of nature and spirits residing within it.

It is believed that a Kuntilanak will not interfere with a pregnant woman if she has nails, knives, and scissors. According to Malay beliefs, objects like nails can ward off the Kuntilanak. However, avoiding banana trees and isolated places reduces the chance of an encounter.

If attacked, driving a nail into her hollow nape can demobilize the Kuntilanak vengeful spirit and turn her into an obedient, beautiful woman until the nail is removed. Reflecting the idea that the Kuntilanak can be controlled or "tamed" temporarily, but not truly married in the conventional sense, as her spirit remains restless and dangerous.

It represents both a physical and symbolic "pinning down" or sealing away of the pain and rage associated with a woman denied safe childbirth or motherhood. The act can be seen as an effort to subdue or "heal" the broken maternal identity embodied by the Kuntilanak.

The Kuntilanak’s targeting of men and pregnant women in folklore also reflects social commentary on gender violence and injustice, particularly blaming men for pregnancy-related deaths and the suffering of women. Her vengeful spirit acts out unresolved trauma tied to gender roles, fertility, and family bonds.

Thus, the nail as a controlling object symbolizes societal attempts to manage this powerful embodiment of maternal tragedy and female suffering. It is both a protective ritual and a symbolic reclaiming of power over violent disruption of childbirth and motherhood, revealing deep cultural anxieties surrounding gender, family, and death.

My Personal take

Be nice to woman lol :0

References

• Damayana                    Researcher at PSHK and lecturer at Jentera Law School, G.P. (2024) Indonesian folklore of vengeful female ghosts hold symbols of violence against women, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/indonesian-folklore-of-vengeful-female-ghosts-hold-symbols-of-violence-against-women-85485 (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

• Duile, T. (2024) Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, ScienceDirect. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S0006229420000143#aep-abstract-id2 (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

  Volume 176, Issues 2–3, 11 June 2020, Pages 279-303.

• FabulaHub (2025) The story of the kuntilanak - indonesian ghost myth and modern tale, FabulaHub. Available at: https://fabulahub.com/en/story/the-story-of-the-kuntilanak/sid-2604 (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

• Frolova, M. (2020) Indonesian ghost kuntilanak in folklore and mass culture, Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/82681216/INDONESIAN_GHOST_KUNTILANAK_IN_FOLKLORE_AND_MASS_CULTURE (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

• Hays, J. (no date) Funerals and ghosts in Indonesia and the Orang Pendek, Facts and Details. Available at: https://factsanddetails.com/indonesia/History_and_Religion/sub6_1f/entry-3984.html (Accessed: 05 December 2025).

• Kuntilanak (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuntilanak (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

• Kuntilanak: Haunting the unborn (2025) Javanese Myths. Available at: https://www.javanesemyths.com/kuntilanak-haunting-the-unborn/ (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

• lagodaxnian (2010) Indonesian ghost mythology, Lagodaxnian’s Blog. Available at: https://lagodaxnian.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/indonesian-ghost-mythology/ (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

• Nair, N. (2025) Kuntilanak :the vengeful beauty, Mythlok. Available at: https://mythlok.com/kuntilanak/ (Accessed: 24 November 2025).

Stories passed down aren’t necessarily untrue.

Rather they are woven tales or warnings meant as teaching tools. Passing down cultural values, morality, or attempts at explaining phenomena to future generations. Reflecting the individuals who told the tale.

Tales are passed through fragments of a story. These collections are a compilation of an attempt to combine parts in order to present the most comprehensive story. Some descriptors may take minor creative liberties to highlight or emphasize what has already been said.