Kuntilanak is considered by some Indonesians as one of the most terrifying female ghosts, and Timo Duile, a German anthropologist, has uncovered its history.
In his 2020 publication titled "Kuntilanak: Ghost Narratives and Malay Modernity in Pontianak, Indonesia," Timo explores the cultural significance of the Kuntilanak, not only in Indonesia but also in other Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Southern Philippines, and Thailand.
In Malaysia and Singapore, Kuntilanak is referred to as Pontianak, a female vampire-like creature that is attracted to blood and is dangerous to women who are giving birth. As an undead, Kuntilanak poses a threat to the living because she cannot find peace. She is said to wear a white dress and usually lives under trees or in forests.
The Connection of Kuntilanak with Pontianak City
Timo's study on Kuntilanak, which employs a humanistic and spiritual approach, centers on the people of Pontianak, West Kalimantan. In his research, Timo notes that the people of Pontianak claim that their city was built by displacing the Kuntilanak that used to inhabit the Kapuas and Landak rivers' confluence.
The area was once swampy and densely forested, and some claim that the name "Pontianak" comes from the Malay words po(ho)n ti(nggi), which means "tall tree." Consequently, the Kuntilanak narrative is often associated with tall trees in rural West Kalimantan.
"This article discusses the Kuntilanak/Pontianak ghost, a vampire-like creature that not only haunts the collective memory of people in the Malay world but also plays an important role in the city of Pontianak (the capital of West Kalimantan province in Indonesia) as a haunting, terrifying, and inexorable spirit," Timo wrote in his journal.
The Significance of Kuntilanak as a Myth and Mode for Intellectual Progress
Anthropologist Timo Duile also suggests that the narrative of kuntilanak is a myth and mode of "enlightenment in the broad sense", that is, as "intellectual progress". The purpose is to free human beings and position them as rulers.
According to Timo, the narrative of kuntilanak is constitutive of the conception of modern Malay identity as a civilized Islamic identity, as a civil society.
"Thus, this concept contrasts with the wild and terrifying nature of the Kalimantan hinterland. Not only the conception of Malay identity in Pontianak but also modern and advanced societies in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore in general," he explained.
The Traumatic Dimension of Kuntilanak
Nevertheless, Timo emphasizes that this mythic perception has consequences. Kuntilanak has created and maintained a traumatic dimension of other societies. Therefore, when dealing with modern society and modern narratives, Timo argues that factors such as religion and animism should not be considered as the opposite of modernity or modern/Western ontology.
Photo source: Istimewa
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