| | The Malaysian Book of the Undead | |
Our ghosts are cool like that!
2008-11-05 14:26:57
Do you believe in ghosts? I'm not talking about Casper, Slimer, The Poltergeist, Freddie Krueger or any of the popular ghost-stars of television or movies. I'm talking about Malaysian ghosts. Just like the multi-racial identities of the Malaysian people, the supernatural entities in our midst are also multi-racial! On top of that, they all have cool names!
We've all heard of Hantu Tinggi, Hantu Kopek, Hantu Kangkang and the much feared, much-debated female roving ghost we all call Hantu Kum Kum. And because of Maya Karin, the Pontianak has also become a household name in any event that involves a discussion on blood-sucking females. But what do you really know about them?
Danny Lim, a prominent photojournalist and columnist has compiled a book on local ghosts. Aptly titled The Malaysian Book of the Undead, this gem of a book explains the legends, origins and predilections of these supernatural spirits that often haunt our wildest imagination. Do you know that if a woman dies while giving birth, she (or rather, her spirit) faces the possibility of being either one of our bloodsucking vampires? You won't get this pivotal information by reading Bram Stockers, I tell you. And do you know how to keep your earthly possessions safe from the kleptomaniac goblin our grandparents called the Toyol? And do you know that there's a ghost that combines both Malay and Chinese cultures in order to keep the social contract in tact? I bet you don't. The concept of a Chinese ghost disliking worshippers who had just eaten pork somehow just escapes our imagination.
This little "guidebook," published by Matahari Books, will be available at your nearest bookstores. Don't judge this book by the cover, though. It is quite charming, but mostly just funny.
In a scary kind of way, that is.
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