HUGH CLIFFORD : GHOST IN MALAYSIA

HARIMAU JADIAN

The mysterious and creepy incident  known as the "A Night of Terror," a famous account of a were-tiger (harimau jadian) massacre in the Tembeling Valley (Sungai Tembeling), Pahang.

Although Hugh Clifford did not arrive in Malaya until 1883, he meticulously recorded this event in his 1897 book In Court and Kampong (and later in The Further Side of Silence), noting that the incident took place around 1860.

The Incident: The Tembeling Massacre

According to Clifford's records, a family of nine—seven men and two women—were living in a house deep in the Tembeling Valley. One night, they were attacked by what the locals believed to be a "were-tiger" rather than a natural predator.

The details of the event remain one of the most chilling pieces of colonial-era folklore:

• The Attack: Unlike a normal tiger, which typically avoids entering human dwellings and drags prey away, this creature entered the house and killed all nine people inside.
• The Creepy Detail: When the bodies were discovered, they had not been eaten. Instead, their blood had been systematically sucked or drained, and their bodies were left otherwise intact.
• The Supernatural Evidence: Clifford noted that the local Malays believed the killer was a man from the Korinchi (Kerinci) region of Sumatra, who were widely rumored to possess the power of lycanthropy. The fact that the tiger entered a locked house and ignored the flesh of the victims served as "proof" to the locals that it was a supernatural entity.

Context and Significance

Clifford was fascinated by this story because it was the only recorded instance he encountered of a tiger entering a house to slaughter an entire family without consuming them. He often used this incident to illustrate the deep-seated belief in the supernatural that permeated the Malay Peninsula at the time.

The story has since become a staple of Malaysian horror folklore, often cited as the premier historical "evidence" of the harimau jadian legend.

PELESIT AND HANTU TINGGI

Sir Hugh Clifford, a high-ranking British colonial administrator who spent over 20 years in the Malay Peninsula, was one of the most prolific chroniclers of Malay supernatural beliefs. His stories are unique because they blend anthropological observation with the atmospheric, gothic style of Victorian travel writing.

In his seminal works—most notably In Court and Kampong (1897) and The Further Side of Silence (1916)—he provides vivid accounts of the Pelesit and the Hantu Tinggi.

1. The Pelesit (The Cricket Spirit)

Clifford describes the Pelesit as the Malayan equivalent of the "familiar" used by European witches.

• Physical Form: He notes that the Pelesit usually takes the form of a house-cricket. It is almost always female-owned and is frequently mentioned alongside the Polong (a tiny, blood-drinking goblin kept in a bottle).
• The Ritual of Creation: In his writings, Clifford recounts the grisly folk belief that a Pelesit is created from the tongue of a dead child. The practitioner must dig up a newly buried infant and perform specific incantations until the spirit manifests.
• Usage: The owner (often a woman) sends the Pelesit to "possess" a victim. It enters the body through the mouth, and the victim falls into a state of delirium or wasting sickness. Clifford’s stories often depict the social consequences of these beliefs: entire villages turning against a suspected "witch" and casting them out on a raft to drift downriver.
• A Specific Sketch: In the chapter "Up Country," Clifford describes witnessing an Orang Asli (aboriginal) woman performing a ritual that his Malay companions identified as a Pelesit summoning, highlighting the deep-seated fear even high-ranking locals had of these small spirits.

2. The Hantu Tinggi (The Tall Ghost)

Clifford’s accounts of the Hantu Tinggi are often woven into his descriptions of the "Spectre Huntsman" (Hantu Pemburu), whom he considers one of the most terrifying entities in the Malay spirit world.

• The "Growing" Terror: The defining characteristic Clifford emphasizes is that the Hantu Tinggi is a giant that grows taller and taller as you look at it. If a traveler looks up at its face, the spirit continues to stretch until its head is above the forest canopy, often causing the witness to fall dead or go mad from terror.
• The Spectre Huntsman: Clifford frequently identifies the Hantu Tinggi with the Hantu Pemburu. He describes this entity as a tall, lonely figure roaming the deep jungle with a spear and a pack of ghostly hounds, hunting for souls or "mouse-deer carrying their young."
• The Jungle Atmosphere: Clifford uses these stories to illustrate the psychological weight of the Malayan jungle. To him, the Hantu Tinggi was a personification of the "oppressive, melancholy silence" and the "unseen eyes" that travelers feel when deep in the primary rainforest.

Comparison and Context

Spirit Nature in Clifford's Stories Primary Threat:

• Pelesit A "familiar" spirit; small, domestic, and malicious. Possession, sickness, and village-wide paranoia.
• Hantu Tinggi A "wild" forest demon; massive, primal, and cosmic. Madness or instant death from the sight of its scale.

Clifford’s "stories" were often presented as true anecdotes from his travels. He viewed these beliefs not just as "superstition," but as a window into the Malay psyche and the way the local people interacted with a landscape that was often dangerous and unforgiving.

HANTU PENANGGAL

Hugh Clifford’s accounts of the Penanggalan are among the most gruesome in his writings. He described it not just as a ghost, but as a "horrible wraith" that embodied the fears of the Malayan "lying-in room" (the birthing chamber).

In In Court and Kampong, Clifford paints a vivid and terrifying picture of this entity, which he considered one of the most distinct and localized forms of the "Oriental Vampire."

1. The Physical Horror

Clifford provides a description that has since become the standard for this creature in English literature:

• The Form: It appears as a disembodied female head and neck, with the stomach and trailing entrails dangling beneath it.
• The Visual: He describes the sight of it flying through the night with "yards of bloody, trailing entrails" flickering in its wake like the tail of a macabre comet.
• The Sound: He noted that it was often associated with a rhythmic whirring or hissing sound as it flew through the air.

2. The Origin Story (The Vinegar Vat)

Clifford recorded a specific legend explaining how the first Penanggalan came to be. According to his accounts:

• A woman was performing a religious penance (duduk bertapa) while sitting inside a large wooden vat used for holding vinegar (made from the sap of the nipah palm).
• A man suddenly approached and startled her. In her shock, she jumped so violently that her chin struck the rim of the vat with such force that her head was ripped clean off her shoulders, pulling her internal organs out with it.
• Because of the vinegar, her entrails "shrank," allowing them to be pulled through the narrow opening of the neck. This is why, in folklore, a Penanggalan must soak her entrails in vinegar upon returning to her body to make them small enough to fit back inside.

3. Habits and Preying

Clifford observed that the fear of the Penanggalan dictated much of the architecture and behavior in Malay villages during his time:

• The Target: It specifically targets newborn infants and women in labor, seeking to suck their blood.
• Defensive Architecture: Clifford noted that Malays would often grow thorny plants (like jeruju) or place pineapple leaves around the stilts of their houses. The belief was that the Penanggalan’s trailing entrails would get snagged on the thorns, trapping her until sunrise, when she would be destroyed by the light.

4. Clifford’s Perspective

Clifford often used the Penanggalan to explain the "melancholy" he perceived in the Malay character. He believed that living in a world where such a "monstrous" and "unspeakable" thing was considered a literal, physical reality contributed to the deep-seated fatalism of the people he governed.

"The Penangal... that horrible wraith of a woman who has died in child-birth... comes to torment small children in the guise of a fearful face and bust, with many feet of bloody, trailing entrails in her wake."

— Hugh Clifford, In Court and Kampong

ABOUT LANGSUIR OR PONTIANAK

Hugh Clifford wrote about the Langsuir (Langsuyar) / Pontianak in the context of Malay folklore, based on stories he collected while serving in British Malaya in the late 19th–early 20th century. His accounts appear in works like In Court and Kampong (1897) and Studies in Brown Humanity (1898).

Langsuir / Pontianak according to Hugh Clifford

Clifford describes the Langsuir (often overlapping with the Pontianak) as a female vampire spirit, born from a woman who died in childbirth. In Malay belief, intense emotional trauma—especially grief, rage, or despair—could prevent the soul from resting, transforming it into a supernatural predator.

Key traits in Clifford’s writings and collected lore:

Appearance:

A beautiful woman with long black hair and pale skin, often dressed in white. However, her true form is monstrous—sharp teeth, glowing eyes, and sometimes long claws. Clifford emphasizes the contrast between beauty and horror.

Behavior:

She preys on men, pregnant women, and infants, feeding on blood or life essence. Her presence is often signaled by a sweet floral scent or an eerie silence in the jungle.

Sound & Signs:

Clifford records local beliefs that her laughter or crying could be heard at night—soft and distant when near, loud when far, a classic warning sign in Malay folklore.

Weaknesses & Protection:

Traditional defenses included:

1. Thorns (especially mengkuang or nibong)
2. Iron objects
3. Reciting Quranic verses
4. Driving a nail or needle into the back of her neck (a motif Clifford specifically notes), forcing her into human form

Clifford’s perspective

Clifford did not treat these stories as simple superstition. Instead, he framed them as:

1. A reflection of village psychology
2. Expressions of fear surrounding childbirth, death, and the jungle
3. A worldview where the supernatural and everyday life were deeply intertwined

He often wrote with a mix of respect, fascination, and colonial detachment, documenting beliefs without openly mocking them—unusual for his time.

Langsuir vs Pontianak (in Clifford’s era)

Clifford noted that distinctions were fluid:

1. Langsuir: more ghost-like, tied to trees and forests
2. Pontianak: more violent, explicitly vampiric

In practice, villagers often used the terms interchangeably.

COLONIAL HORROR TO MODERN MELODRAMA

Comparing Hugh Clifford’s 19th-century accounts of the Langsuir with modern Malaysian portrayals reveals a shift from "colonial ethnographic horror" to "empathetic cinematic melodrama."

While Clifford viewed the creature through the lens of a British administrator documenting "native superstitions," modern media often reframes her as a tragic figure, blending traditional terror with contemporary themes of gender and justice.

1. Physical Characteristics & Form

2. Narrative Tone: The "Curiosity" vs. The "Tragedy"

• Clifford’s Colonial Gaze: For Clifford, the Langsuir was a symptom of a "lawless" and "unregenerate" Malay society. He documented her as an exotic curiosity—a "birth-demon" that reflected the dangers of the jungle and the "primitive" state of the people he governed.
• Modern Empathy: In films like Osman Ali’s Langsuir (2018), the creature is given a backstory. She is no longer just a random monster; she is a victim of social injustice, betrayal, or a tragic romance. Modern portrayals often force the audience to sympathize with the Langsuir’s pain before fearing her wrath.

3. The "Hole in the Neck" Symbolism

• The Traditional Taboo: In Clifford's time, the hole in the back of the neck was a literal biological "glitch" through which she sucked the blood of infants. It was a terrifying physical deformity hidden by her hair.
• The Modern Meta-Commentary: Modern literature and film often use this "hidden hole" as a metaphor for hidden trauma or the "gaps" in patriarchal society. By taming a Langsuir (closing the hole), men in these stories are essentially "domesticating" a transgressive woman, a theme explored in contemporary feminist critiques of Malay horror.

4. Cultural Context: Animism vs. Religion

• Clifford’s Observations: Clifford wrote during a time when animistic rituals (placing needles in the palms, eggs under armpits) were the primary defense. His accounts are rich in these folk-magic details.
• Modern Shifts: Contemporary Malaysian portrayals (influenced by the horror boom of the 2000s like Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam) often introduce a more Islamic framework. The battle is frequently between the ustaz (religious teacher) and the spirit, reflecting the modern Malaysian identity where folklore must coexist with religious orthodoxy.

Summary Table: Then vs. Now

• Clifford (1890s): Horror is external—a wild, avian monster from the dark jungle.
• Modern (2020s): Horror is internal—a vengeful woman reacting to a broken society.

Google Gemini AI

21 January 2026: 10.59 p.m