A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Skeat describes the Polong as an extremely small female figure, about the size of the upper joint of a little finger. It flies to a place selected by its owner. Its companion or plaything is the Pelesit: when the Polong is sent to enter a victim, this insectlike familiar goes first and begins chirping before the Polong follows.
The Polong is hidden outside its owner’s house and fed with blood drawn from a finger. Skeat distinguishes its role as a privately kept familiar from spirits confined to childbirth encounters. The relationship between owner, tiny humanoid and insect companion is central to this particular account.
Origins & earliest records
Malay Peninsula; source-specific recorded tradition
Records & interpretation
Directly read source passage; historical collector framing retained.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Malay Magic
Chapter VI, Birth-spirits, printed pp.328–329
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Malay Magic
Chapter VI. Chapter VI, Birth-spirits, printed pp.328–329
Passage directly read. Colonial collector classifications are attributed, not normalized across living traditions.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical collection / primary recorded accountMalay Magic — Chapter VI, Birth-spirits, printed pp.328–329Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
