Langsuir

 

 

ORIGIN

She is from Malaysian folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

N/A

 

APPEARANCE

She is typically perceived as being very hideous with red eyes and long sharp nails. Her face is also decayed and she has long, sharp fangs. Their clothing tends to be of either green or white. In some places however, she is regarded as beautiful. Her hair is black and so long that it reaches down to her ankles. Her hair is long so that it covers the hole on the back of her neck.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Langsuyar

 

REPELLED BY

After death, glass beads can be placed in their mouths to stop them coming back from the dead. If you put one of their hairs in their hole or cut their claws, then they will become human again. You can also prevent the transformation by placing needles in the palms of her hands and a hen’s egg under each arm pit. Only a particularly powerful magician could drive her away or tame her. This was usually done with specific incantations.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

They suck blood through a hole which is allocated behind her neck. They are also able to fly and can transform into an owl to do so. She also has the ability to possess her victim so that she can suck their blood. This causes a slow and painful death for the victim.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

They are very closely related to the Pontianak, but considered to be more dangerous. They are sometimes confused but they are actually very different. They are the spirits of women who suffered from labouring sickness which resulted in both the death of them and their child. She could turn into a Langsuir up to 40 days after her death. In Chinese, her name means "bad luck people". Her victims tend to be pregnant women, who she will either kill or cause to have a miscarriage. She is also said to fly into trees and attack children at night. She lets out terrible screams (known as an ngilat). If they have been domesticated then they are able to marry and have children. If they dance at a village merry making however, they will be reverted back into their old ways.

 

CAN BE FOUND

You are said to be able to encounter them near the shore of a river or sea.

 

TALES

There is a popular tale in Malaysia about a woman of exquisite beauty who, upon hearing the news of her child’s stillbirth, died of shock and became a demon.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

There appear to be many pictures and video footage found on the internet (whether this is a hoax or not is debatable). There are also plenty of local tales from people who have either seen or been in contact with her in some way. A lot of people say that they have seen her face on that of a black crow.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Pontianak, Vampire, Manananggal, Lamia