The Penanggalan or `Hantu Penanggal` is a
peculiar variation of the vampire
myth that apparently began in the Malay Peninsula. See also the Manananggal, a similar creature of Filipino
folklore. "Penanggal" or "Penanggalan"' literally means "detach",
"to detach", "remove" or "to remove". Both terms - Manananggal and
Penanggal - may carry the same meaning due to both languages being
grouped or having a common root under the Austronesian language family, though
the two creatures are culturally distinct in appearance and
behavior.
According to the folklore of that region, the Penanggalan is a
detached female head that is capable of flying about on its own. As
it flies, the stomach and entrails dangle below it, and these
organs twinkle like fireflies as the Penanggalan moves through the
night. In Malaysian folklore, a Penanggal may be either a beautiful
old or young woman who obtained her beauty through the active use
of black magic, supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means which are most commonly described
in local folklores to be dark or demonic in nature. Another cause
where one becomes a Penanggal in Malaysian folklore is due to the
result of a powerful curse or the
actions of a demonic
force, although this method is less common than the active use of
black magic abovementioned. Unlike Manananggal, all Penanggal are
females and there is no variation in Malaysian folklore to suggest
a Penanggal to be male.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckLtpBCAu08
