Our modern day understanding of vampires is slightly warped from the true history of the species, or myth. Eastern Europe is known as having the largest amount of folklore associated with these monsters, dating as far back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Back then, one could be a vampire simply from being born on a certain day, or born out of wedlock, or a person who had died an unnatural death. Of course, being bitten by a vampire can also lead to the transformation of one.
Identifying a vampire is also different nowadays. Traditionally, vampires had fangs, or tails and contrary to common belief, were bloated-looking creatures with a darkish complexion. They were also the least likely candidates to have intimate relations with humans, especially in regards to the romance we often see in contemporary television.
These days, vampires are best identified as pale-skinned, six-pack donning, sparkly-bodied beings, admired by females who constantly look like they’re bearing a grudge. They are also less feared, and everyone seems to want to jump into bed with them. One thing that remains the same throughout the years is that vampires are the undead, and suck the life out of you – sometimes emotionally, at others, literally.
In Asia, vampires are the subjects of horror, not of romance. The folklore associated with them are often still relevant in people’s practice of superstition.
The Jiang Shi (literally translated to mean ‘stiff corpse’) is one of the most feared ‘undeads’ in traditional Chinese folklore. They are also a common feature in horror films, and as a young child, I remember being frightened by their ability to suddenly elevate their bodies in a plank-like posture. However, I wasn’t too sure about their origins, and when in doubt about any Asian traditions or superstitions, I always consult my mother. Our conversation regarding the Jiang Shi went a little like this:
What do they do?
“They just hop and take your soul.”
And then what?
“Nothing. You just become a zombie.”
How do they come back to life?
“They’re revived when something like an animal jumps over them.”
How do you get rid of them?
“Throw a pillow at them.”
What?
“So they have something to hug. Once they have something to hold, they start to settle down.”
Are they real?
“For me, I don’t think they’re real.”
Jiang Shis are more of a vampire-zombie hybrid. True, they suck the life force out of a person, thus rendering said person to death, but they are also blind, stiff, and hop around with their arms stretched out in front of them. They are essentially corpses and ‘exist’ usually because the soul of a deceased person is unable to leave the body due to improper deaths like suicide. And depending on how long they’ve been dead for, they can have a disgusting green-hue appearance, a decomposed face, and long white hair.
The thing with Jiang Shis is that people have claimed to have seen them before. They are scary, and can harm you. Sometimes meeting one can lead to death. Should you encounter Jiang Shi, there are several things you can do. First, hold your breath as this may help you go by unnoticed. Secondly, if you happen to have rice or grains or plenty of anything small in size, throw it in front of the Jiang Shi as this will distract them. Allegedly, they can’t help but count rice grains. Or, as my mother warned, throw something at them that they can hold.
Now, to the Pontianak. The whisper of this unmerciful creatures’ name is enough to bring shudders down the spines of Malaysians and Indonesians alike. This is a female only vampire and the name denotes a woman who has died in childbirth.
The birth of the Pontianak is marred with tragedy. The being is out for vengeance either because it has given birth to a stillborn, has died from childbirth, or a woman who was killed by a Pontianak. They are violent in nature, and kill by digging their long nails into their victim’s torso and feeding on their internal organs. They also suck blood out of their victims, which is why it is a belief that one should never leave one’s clothes outside to dry at night as the Pontianak will be able to find you through your scent. What is most terrifying and gruesome of all is that Pontianaks are known to tear out foetuses from pregnant women and feed on them because allegedly, they get the most strength from foetuses.
The Pontianak lurks mostly in the forest, lives in banana trees, and cannot be killed. Instead, it can only be stopped by driving a nail into the back of their necks, after which the vampire will transform back into a normal woman. However, this nail can never be removed until said woman is dead and buried.
You know when a Pontianak is close when you hear a dog whining. Sometimes, from a distance, you can hear the female vampire wailing as it mourns the death of its child. Be warned: despite their horrific acts of violence, the Pontianak appears as a beautiful woman until it begins gnawing at you, in which case, its transformed figure is enough to scare you to death.
Again, I consult my mother:
Are Pontianaks real?
“Yes,” she says, then pauses. “There’s a really famous one in [name of Malaysian street] that waits by a bus stop. Many people have seen her.”
What does she look like?
“I don’t know – I’ve never seen her! All I’ve heard is that she has long hair, wears white and is apparently very pretty, which is why some people try and pick her up.”
And then what happens?
“Then they realise that something’s not right with her.”
This is really interesting, Lin. It is amazing how different cultures (through films and texts) interpret monsters differently. I love the last video!