Creepy urban legends are things that both frighten and delight us. The stories vary from culture to culture and transform into something different with each retelling. Here are some of the most famous urban legends from throughout Southeast Asia.
Mae Nak Phra Khanong (Thailand)
There once lived during the reign of King Mongkut (1851-1868) a beautiful girl named Nak, who was married to a man named Tid Mak. The love between Nak and Tid Mak bore fruit, and soon Nak was heavy with child. But as the Fates would have it, Tid Mak was called to serve in the Army, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife. While Tid Mak was away, Nak suffered a fatal complication while giving birth and died along with her child. But due to her deep love for her husband, Nak refused to cross over and instead remained as a ghost in their house. When Tid Mak returned home, still blissfully unaware of his wife’s death, he found his beautiful wife and child waiting for him. Not wanting his husband to know of her deathly situation, Nak killed anyone who attempted to warn her husband that he was living with a ghost. And for a time they lived a life full of happiness and love, plus the occasional brutal death of nosy neighbors. But Nak could not have it her way for long, as fate again intervened to stop her murdering shenanigans.
One day, as Nak was preparing lunch for her husband, she accidentally dropped a lime off the porch. She quickly reached out to catch the lime, but in her haste she overstretched her arm, elongating it to inhuman proportions (apparently, Thai ghosts are like Mr. Fantastic). Unbeknownst to Nak, Tid Mak saw the whole thing and at last, realized that Nak was a ghost. Fear gripped Tid Mak, who did not want to spend his life hitched to a ghost. He fled their house that night and took refuge inside a holy temple so that Nak could not chase after him. When Nak realized that Tid Mak had fled, her grief knew no bounds. Grief quickly turned to anger and she went on a murdering rampage. Her neighbors got the brunt of her wrath, and dozens died by her hands. Wanting nothing more to do with her, the neighbors hired an exorcist to lock her up in an earthenware jar (Asian Ghostbusters-style) and toss the jar over the canal.
For years afterward, the village was at peace. But the story does not end there — several years later, someone accidentally fished out the jar from the canal and unwittingly released the ghost of Nak. The one who vanquished her this time was the famous Buddhist monk Somdej Toh, who imprisoned her spirit in the bone of her forehead and bound it on his waistband. The priest from The Exorcist should really take a lesson from this guy. When Somdej Toh died, the relic was said to have passed on to the Royal Family to make sure Nak would not be released to do harm ever again. Imagine that — she has the Royal Family as jail wardens.
Leak (Indonesia)
In the Balinese folklore, Leak or Leyak is a mythological figure in the form of flying head along with its entrails and inner organs. In nearly the same way as Palasik in Minangkabau, Leak is actually a black magic practitioner who needs to feed on babies’ blood in order to retain his power. Balinese believe that Leaks have a mistress called "The Queen of Leak", a widow-witch named Rangda, who plays a prominent role in public rituals. Her mask is kept in the village’s temple and during various temple festivals, she is paraded. Besides leaks, demons are said to be the followers of Rangda. The leak is said to haunt graveyards, feed on corpses, and have the power to change themselves into animals, such as pigs, and fly. In normal Leak form, they are said to have an unusually long tongue and large fangs.
Tuyul / Toyol (Indonesia & Malaysia)
Often translated into English as "goblin", the toyol is actually a small child spirit invoked from a dead human fetus. Traditionally described as looking more or less like a naked or near-naked baby, modern depictions often give them green or brownish skin, large fangs, and sharp ears. The toyol may be used by its master to capture other people or to do mischief. Because they are childlike in their thinking, valuables can be protected by scattering buttons on the floor, or leaving sweets or toys next to them, all of which will distract the toyol. It is said that the owner of a toyol may become rich, but at the expense of the health, fortune and even the lives of members of their family.
Kuntilanak / Pontianak / Tiyanak / Matianak (Indonesia, Malaysia & Philippines)
It is the ghost of a stillborn female. To prevent this, as with its mother the langsuir, a needle is placed in each of the corpse's hands and a hen's egg under each armpit. Depicted as an ugly woman with sharp nails and a white dress, the pontianak can also take the form of a beautiful young woman or a night-bird. When she is close, she gives off a strong smell of frangipani. It is usually encountered by the roadside or under a tree, and attack men and drink their blood. The Indonesian kuntilanak, however, typically uses its bird form to attack virgin women. The bird, which makes a "ke-ke-ke" sound as it flies, may be sent through black magic to make a woman sick, the characteristic symptom being vaginal bleeding. A pontianak can be made into a good wife, by placing a nail into the hole at the nape of its neck (called Sundel Bolong). Modern popular culture often confuses the pontianak with its mother the langsuir. However, traditional myth is clear that the pontianak is the ghost of a dead baby and not a pregnant woman. A similar ghost called tiyanak exists in Philippine lore.
The Sweet Girl of Ancol Bridge (Indonesia)
This legend revolves around the ghost of Maryam, a girl that is said to haunt Ancol Bridge in Jakarta, Indonesia. The locals believe that her ghostly presence in Ancol Bridge is the reason behind the many traffic accidents in the area. The sad story of Maryam has its roots from a tragic incident that was said to have happened in the early 1800’s. The story goes that Maryam was a servant of a wealthy old merchant. When she was sixteen, her beauty captivated the wealthy merchant so much that he wanted to have her as a concubine. Such a fate was unthinkable for the young maid, thus she decided to run away instead. While Maryam was wandering around, looking for a new place to stay, another rich old guy took notice of her beauty and made some advances, which Maryam rejected. Angered by her rejection, he went after her with some of his thugs. Poor Maryam was raped and killed by her suitor, who dumped her body in a nearby rice field. There have since been many reported sightings of a ghostly woman near Ancol Bridge, whose presence is said to cause traffic accidents to any male motorists passing by.
Don Simeon Bernardo’s Tomb (Philippines)
In one of the cemeteries in Malabon, Philippines, a statue atop a tomb has been the center of national attention for decades and is the source of a creepy urban legend that has terrified adults and youngsters alike. Don Simeon, who died in 1934, personally had the statue made by an artisan before his death and had instructed his children to put it on his tomb. The statue depicts Satan triumphant over St. Michael the Archangel. What makes the whole thing even creepier is the stone tablet right beside the statue, which contains a dialogue between Satan and St. Michael, where Satan proclaims dominion over the world and mankind. For such a deeply Christian country, the very thought of Satan triumphant and that someone even had the gall to make a statue of it, was just too much. Thus it spawned many stories that were passed around over the years. The elderly folks living near the cemetery swear that the statue placed by Don Simeon was just a small thing to begin with, but it kept growing each year. Also, at night, the statue of the devil is said to come alive and haunt anyone who loiters around the cemetery. This is said to be the reason why the statue was subsequently encased in an iron cage – to protect the people from its devilish antics. A documentary done by a national TV station about the statue and its owner had shed some light on the legend. As it turns out, the statue appeared to grow because the original statue was destroyed by vandals, and was replaced by a bigger one. Despite the efforts of the Bernardo family to dispel the rumors, many folks still believe the legend. After all, a good story is always worth believing over some dreary truth.
Maria Labo (Philippines)
Maria Labo, who is said to have lived in one of the island provinces in the Visayas, was once a happy wife to a policeman, and a mother to two sweet boys. But her husband’s salary was not enough to make ends meet. To help her family get by, Maria opted to work as a caregiver for an old man in town without knowing that the old man was an Aswang. The old man was already frail and desperate to die, but an Aswang could not die unless he bequeaths the curse to someone else. Taking the opportunity that comes with having a naïve village girl at hand, he secretly passed the curse on to Maria.
Several months after the old man died, Maria unemployed and hoping to give a better life for her family. She went to Canada as an overseas worker and returned after a couple of years. Maybe it has to do with the cold Canadian air and maple syrup, for it was only when she returned that the curse started manifesting itself. Her hunger for human flesh became unappeasable. When her husband went home one night, he found their house oddly quiet. He went into the kitchen where Maria was cooking dinner. He asked her where the kids were, and Maria merely pointed at the large pot atop the stove. When the husband opened the lid of the pot, he saw the kids (chopped and well seasoned) simmering away in a thick broth, ready to be served for dinner. Enraged, her husband grabbed a big knife from the kitchen table and struck her. The blow wounded Maria’s face and forced her to flee the house. This urban legend started in the early 2000’s and is still going strong, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao. It’s said that Maria is always on the move and never stays anywhere for long, out of fear that someone might notice she’s an Aswang. Maybe a time will come when she’ll get bored of the Philippines and go somewhere else. Perhaps New Zealand will be to her liking.
Orang Minyak (Malaysia)
Orang Minyak (Oily Man) is a ridiculous urban legend that would make any self-respecting Japanese porn director angry for not thinking of the idea first and making a movie out of it. An orang minyak is a regular chap who has learned some black magic and uses it to both rob and rub. With powers granted by Satan himself, he covers his whole body in a black oily substance that makes him practically invisible at night and makes breaking and entering easy as pie. Oh, yeah, apparently the orang minyak can also crawl up walls and the sides of the tall building, as well as jump long distances on rooftops, making him kind of like a sleazy Malaysian version of Venom. The Orang Minyak apparently does not have the usual modus operandi of most monsters – he has no appetite for blood and guts – preferring instead to molest teenage girls and steal expensive appliances. He might not kill people, but who would not be scarred for life if you wake up one night with an oily man groping your privates and then stealing your laptop and new iPhone. What makes thing creepier is that unlike other urban legends, the orang minyak is still pretty much active in his career, with sightings being reported as recently as 2012. In that incident, the orang minyak terrorized an entire village for a couple of weeks.
The Ka Ghost (Thailand)
The Phi-Ka (Thai: ผีกะ) ghost is a kind of ghost that originates in Northern Thailand. It looks like the Phi-Pob (Thai: ผีปอบ) ghost because it takes the form of a human body. It is believed that it likes eating raw meat. The Phi-Ka ghost can be divided into six types. First, the Phi-Ka-Phranang (Thai: ผีกะพระ-นาง) is one of the most well-known of this variety of ghost as it is believed that a sacrifice made to this ghost can bring fame and fortune to those seeking it. Another well-known example of this type of ghost is the Phi-Ka-Dong (Thai: ผีกะดง). This entity is known to be quite ferocious and it is believed that it usually hunts in a group or pack. The saliva of the Phi-Ka-Dong (when it takes its physical form) is believed by some to be able to help treat some illnesses and diseases.
There is also the Phi-Ka-Arkom (Thai: ผีกะอาคม), which is a kind of ghost that was a human who violated or broke a tradition. In the past, before an academy would accept you as a student, they have to do the Keunkroo ceremony. If they do not do it, the students would be cursed and become a Phi-Ka-Arkom. Next, the Phi-Ka-Takood (Thai: ผีกะตระกูล) is a ghost that protects fields, so they can make fields more fertile. Fifth, the Phi-Ka-Taihong (Thai: ผีกะตายโหง) is a person who died unnaturally, but they do not know that they have died. If a person does not eat for a long time, their body will be weak, and it will be easier for them to become the Phi-Ka-Taihong. The last type of Phi-Ka ghost is the Nokkhaophika (Thai: นกเค้าผีกะ), it has an owl as a symbol. If the ghost comes to a village in the evening, a lot of owls will cry out unnaturally.
The wraith of Jeruk Purut (Indonesia)
The wraith of Jeruk Purut (Hantu Jeruk Purut) is believed to be the wandering spirit of a dead pastor who tries to find his own graveyard. Urban legend said that the headless pastor is lost; instead of heading to Christian’s graveyard in Tanah Kusir (South Jakarta), he lingers around the Muslim’s graveyard in Jeruk Purut (also in South Jakarta). Along with his mystical dog, the wraith sometimes is spotted by the grave-keepers, walking out of the darkness, carrying his own head.