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luciole — Pontianak
Published: 2008-05-14 23:28:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 58972; Favourites: 3027; Downloads: 6216
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Description
A pontianak is a type of Malay ghost of a woman who died during childbirth and becomes the undead.According to the story, the Pontianak resides in banana trees that grow near houses. She appears as a beautiful and seductive woman, usually accompanied with the strong perfume of frangipani, and upon capture of her prey (usually unwary men or pregnant women), she turns into a hideous hag and kills them.
However, if one wishes to capture this beautiful spirit to make her a wife (don't underestimate how desperate some people can be), a red string can be tied or inserted (using needles) into the banana trees's heart/fruit/blossom and the other end tied to the person's window. However, if the string is ever severed, the pontianak will be released and kill her captor.
I wanted to capture the moment when she realized that someone is attempting to capture her. However.. the strings are not tied tightly enough..
This is for pixelbrush.com's Myth contest.
edit: Winner of Pixelbrush's Event #15 Myth contest ^^!!
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Comments: 508
.....The kiong si sounds kinda sad.. and funny at the same time XD But I don't think I'll paint it.. it's too scary and I don't know, taboo? DX Since people believe in it.
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lol no idea @_@
I wont really say its taboo since you painted the pontianak... ._.
people believe in those as well, especially during the japanese occupation and in Singapore <_< but they say we hardly see them now because there's too many buildings unlike back in the past where there were lots of forest areas.
and its believed that pontianak came from women who die from child birth or pregnancy, and when they were buried, eggs must be placed under their arms to prevent them from becoming a pontianak as they cant fly with eggs underneath it i think lol. I know the egg part, not sure why an egg though lol =w=
but I really dont think its taboo since its traditional beliefs/folklore. you wont get cursed as long as you dont make fun of them lawls XD
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ah... haha
is your mum a taoist? =0 maybe you can paint a picture with the different types of ghosts interacting or something lol xD or maybe a picture through the eyes of a black dog? xD they say that black dogs can see ghosts... ._.
well i believe its an egg cause ghosts are usually scared of sharp items lol >> so if she tries to fly, the eggs will break and the shell will probably harm her i think @_@
but painting a ghost bride will be nice too
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Hahahha yeahhh there's a fine line I think. I will paint a pontianak and ghost brides cos I don't believe in them.. but if I painted stuff like kiong si and things like that, my mom will scold me XDDD So I must choose one that is not so sensitive..
I heard about the egg thing.. sound very strange to me XDDD
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ah... haha
is your mum a taoist? =0 maybe you can paint a picture with the different types of ghosts interacting or something lol xD or maybe a picture through the eyes of a black dog? xD they say that black dogs can see ghosts... ._.
well i believe its an egg cause ghosts are usually scared of sharp items lol >> so if she tries to fly, the eggs will break and the shell will probably harm her i think @_@
but painting a ghost bride will be nice too XD
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She turned out beautifully.
The voting on these challenges gets more and more difficult, and that delights me no end.
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I'm just glad I finished her! D: That's an achievement for me.
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It's summer, the time of fun and projects and fun projects!!
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Ah, I know that story. ^^ Lovely job!
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Yaay you inspired me to write this poem
[link]
Thank you.
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I've heard a similar story when I was in the Philippines. This is an excellent portrayal
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This is beautiful. To me it looks like little red riding hood!!! ;]
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lol!!! Well its a girl with a red hood so....um.....y...yeah......
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Simply amazing. Have you done any other ghost legend pieces?
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Nope, but I have ideas to make more 
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D: The langsuir is very intriguing too: [link]
But she may look too similar to the pontianak.
The Malay heroine Mahsuri is cool too: [link]
Or maybe some western ghosts.. 
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That's awesome! I had read about the langsuir in some vampire research I was doing a few weeks ago, but I hadn't heard of Mahsuri. Thank you for telling me about it. I'll have to come poke around your gallery sometime.
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Mahsuri isn't a ghost, but it's a myth XD it's cool nonetheless.
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OMG I love it! It's so pretty XD The coloring is so smooth like water! & I totally love the myth! I want to do research on it now XDDD
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Thank you
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LOL I think that would be so scary!! That's like asking for death to come knocking on your door... or window O_o;;
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XDD I have heard of people who do go looking!!
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Wow, this is absolutely gorgeous. Great job!
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nicely done, however i didn't noe you could make it your wife*
i thought you could summon it and make it talk to you or read predictions if you do the whole tie the string to your window.
i also heard that if you tie a pen under one of its branches it will write stuff for you
also i heard something to do with a crab where if you did wish to summon it you have to tie the crab or key to the string...
malay folk law, hehe, i used to live in malaysia so ive heard
currently i have a banana tree in my garden, ow i can also see it from my bedroom window
it was given to my parents after the owner heard bout pontianak L0L,
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HAhaha wow! So many different versions. The only ones I heard is people who make the pontianak give lottery numbers..
And yeahhh I would see how people take it too seriously, I don't know how I'd feel if there;s a banana tree near my house XD
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lool
there are 2 banana trees in my backyard ._.
and a whole plot of land full with banana trees a few meters away -.-
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well personally, ill jes leave the tree alone, i don't wanna find out what happens...
besides that if im not mistaken not all pontianak are restricted to banana trees
they can roam as free ghosts doing bad stuff
well im not sure weather its still relevent here in a foreign country, my friends and i still make late night comments about them when we stay up wayyyyy too late
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Yeahhh they're not so scary when you're in another country XD But it's different when you know you have banana trees around..
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I love the details and the mythicalness of it. I'm a bit myth fan and your art is pretty much awesome, so it gets a 10 in my books.
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this is stunningly gorgeous on sooooo many levels!
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This is breath taking. *____*
I really like the stormy background.
Beautiful setting.
Really cool choice of myth too! I'd never heard of her before. <3 She is beautiful.
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