Halloween is fast approaching and we bet there would be plenty of scary themed parties around and the age-old question would then be “What should we dress up as?” Typically, we would either go for the spooky route or dress up as a character from a famous movie.
The Simpsons even hilariously “predicted” through a meme by IFunny.co on how this year would see plenty of recreations of the iconic Harley Quinn.
Well, if you are sick and tired of dressing up as the usual Western ghosts such as the vampires, banshees and mummies, here is a local take on some of our iconic Malaysian ghosts. The best part is how relatively simple it is to channel these hantu‘s. In fact, sometimes all you need is just a sheet of white cloth!
1) Pontianak
The pontianak is a well-known female ghost according to legends and folklore. Pontianaks are said to come to life when a woman dies from childbirth. The vampiric ghost supposedly preys on the living during the night. During the day, she will live in the heart of a banana leaf and that is why the old folks have told their young ones not to pluck the banana heart out in the middle of the night.
Dressing up as this female vampire is fairly easy. All you need is a long wig that goes all the way to your legs, as well as a long white dress. Put on some red lipstick and white face paint and you’re almost done. Once you’re dressed up, just splash some red paint on your sleeves and you’ve successfully channeled the pontianak.
2) Penanggal
The penanggal was once a human but was cursed for dabbling with black magic. During the night, the penanggal detaches her head from her torso, and her spine and internal organs are seen hanging from her neck. It’s a pretty gory sight but this look is fairly easy to pull off.
You will require some fairly good makeup skills and red face paint. Create fake organs out of papier-mâché and attach them to a string which you will then wear around your neck.
3) Toyol
Known for its green skin colour and big red eyes, the toyol is a mischievous creature with a child-like attitude. Its job is primarily to steal valuable possessions like money or jewelry under the order of its master. When provoked, the toyol will hurt anyone who has angered it.
All you need is a green long-sleeved shirt as well as a pair of long green pants and a pair of green shoes. You can even choose to paint your face and hands a shade of green to perfect your toyol look.
4) Orang Minyak
The literal meaning of Orang Minyak is “oily man”. The origin of this creature is a man who was cursed in an attempt to win back the love of his life with some black magic. Unfortunately, his plans backfired and he remains as an orang minyak. He goes around attacking woman and covers his body in oil so he can make a quick escape and avoid being captured.
Similar to the toyol, to channel this look, you will need a black long sleeved shirt, a pair of black long pants and some black shoes. You can then paint your face and hands black to flawlessly channel the orang minyak look. It is also highly recommended to pour oil on your outfit to really look the part, but as it would tend to get messy, this part is optional.
5) Pocong
Pocongs are often seen in the forests or in abandoned places. According to certain beliefs, the pocong is said to be the soul which has been rejected by the earth itself and the creature remains trapped in the white fabric which covers its body.
To dress up as this ghost, just cover yourself in some white fabric with strings which has been tied over your head, chest, hips and knees. Just be sure to leave a hole for your arms to move around easily and you can either hop or shuffle to get around. You can also cover yourself in some soil to really look the part of a pocong.
6) Nu Gui (Female Ghost)
Nu gui loosely translates to a female ghost and it is also known as a woman dressed in a long red dress. The ghost is actually of women who have committed suicide. The nu gui returns to the living realm to take her revenge on those who have wronged her. The nu gui is also said to be beautiful in appearance, and she uses her beauty to lure men to their death.
What you need to channel the nu gui is some white face makeup and scarlet red lipstick. For your attire, don a long red dress and make sure to let your hair down too.
7) Hantu Jerangkung
The hantu jerangkung is also known as a skeleton ghost. It is believed that this creature was summoned by a shaman for the purpose of protecting its master from any harm. This hantu’s sole purpose is to protect its master, and it also has the ability to possess humans.
To play the part of a hantu jerangkung, get yourself a skeleton face mask either from Daiso or perhaps from Toys ‘R’ Us. Match your look with some red contact lenses and a white dress and you’re just about done. Optionally, you could also attach some papier-mâché bones on your body.
8) Hantu Kum-Kum
Hantu Kum-Kum was once a woman who has the knowledge of making herself appear more attractive through the power of magic. Each time she casts a spell to look beautiful, she must not look into a mirror for up to 10 days or more. If she glances at a mirror during this time, the spell will be broken and her face will be horrendously ugly forever. The only way to gain her beauty again is to kill a virgin and attain her blood. This hantu will go around looking for her victim by knocking on doors and muttering the magic words of “Kum-Kum”.
To channel this look, you will require some SFX make-up skills. Cover your face will some face paint and add some clay in order to recreate the facial craters and holes which the hantu kum-kum has. As for your attire, dress in a long white dress, and don’t remember to let your hair down too.
9) Hantu Galah
Some may know the Hantu Galah as a tall ghost. The hantu galah is actually a tree which has been possessed by a demon in the forest. These creatures will venture around the forest and strangle those which makes eye contact with it.
The hantu galah looks a lot like Groot from the movie Guardians Of The Galaxy. In order to channel the hantu galah look, wear a long nude coloured dress and create branches made from papier-mâché as your arms and hair. This look takes a fairly long time to recreate as compared to the rest of the hantu’s in this list but it is one which also has the ‘wow’ effect if you bother to take the time to channel this look!
Feature Image Credit: Robert Denura, jadeisabelle.com
