A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
In Malay Magic, Pontianak or Mati-anak is the stillborn child of the Langsuir. Skeat describes its embodiment as a kind of night owl, resembling the mother’s bird form. A translated charm addresses it as a jin and refers to the grave mound and bamboo cooking joints. These details belong to the particular account and charm he printed.
The source records burial precautions intended to prevent a stillborn child from becoming this spirit: eggs beneath the arms, needles in the hands and probably beads in the mouth. Skeat’s child-spirit account should remain distinct from his adult Langsuir account, while acknowledging that other regional and later uses of these names require their own witnesses.
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.327–328
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.327–328
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.327–328Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
