Glossary of Malaysian ghosts

Pontianak or kuntilanak – A type of vampire in Malay folklore.

Langsuir – A version of pontianak but said to be the deadliest banshee in Malay folklore.

Manananggal – The spirit of an older, beautiful woman capable of severing its upper torso to fly into the night with huge bat wings to prey on unsuspecting pregnant women in their homes.

Toyol – A mythical spirit in Malay mythology. It is a small creature created from a dead human foetus using black magic.

Orang bunian – Said to inhabit jungles and are similar to elves except they are invisible to most people.

Orang minyak (oily man) – According to history, Satan offered to grant worldly desires if the orang minyak raped 21 virgin girls within seven days and worship Satan as a God. These orang minyak usually douse themselves with oil and run around naked. Although the orang minyak is believed to be human, there are countless stories of them being related to the supernatural world.

Orang halus (invisible people) – These dwarfs usually cannot be encountered unless one is purified by cleansing the body and wearing clean clothes. They live in the jungles and are conversant in Malay!

Hantu galah – A male ghost, believed to be gigantic, with extremely long and thin limbs.

Hantu pisang (a Mah Meri belief) – A beautiful ghost that is supposedly formed when the heart of the banana bud is pierced with a nail attached to a thread.

Mumiai (pronounced moo-mee-eye) – A poltergeist who throws things around and attacks people who are especially lazy or criminal.