Ghostly Tales From Around the World

When I studied to become an anthropologist, my favorite thing to do was read folklore stories about ghosts. Tales of the unexplained are universal in all countries. Often times they are meant to be stories to offer a lesson in life, but sometimes the tales can be a little spooky. Here are a few of my favorite stories from around the world.

Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan (Ghost Story of Yotsuya)

This is a ghost story about Oiwa and Iemon. It is a popular ghost story amongst the Japanese culture, and has been adapted into at least 30 different screen movies and variations. The story itself was written in the early 1800’s by Tsuruya Nanboku IV as a kabuki play. He wove truth into his tale from actual murders that involved servants killing their masters, and a samurai who had his concubine drowned after being caught in an affair. In Nanboku’s story, Iemon marries Oiwa. Iemon, after marrying Oiwa becomes frustrated with his position in life, a samurai without a master. Iemon is then seduced into a scheme to marry the granddaughter of his influential neighbor. To do so, he comes up with a plot to murder his wife. However, the plan backfires, and the poison used to kill Oiwa makes her horribly disfigured. She becomes distraught and dies. A servant notices the plot, and he is killed. Iemon crucifies the bodies of the servant and Oiwa on a board and has them thrown into a river. Because of his misdeeds, Iemon begins to hallucinate and see his dead wife. On his wedding day, when he lifts the veil of his new bride, he sees Oiwa. Panicking, he slashes at his bride and beheads her. When his murder is committed he notices it is his bride. Terrified at what he has done, he runs to his neighbor’s house to confess, only to be confronted by the spirit of his servant. He kills the “spirit” only to find that it is his neighbor. Iemon is continually hunted and haunted by the spirits of his past. He eventually finds his brother-in-law, who ends it all by killing Iemon, and avenging the murders he has committed.

Pontianak

In Malaysian culture, there is a spirit of haunting beauty, but who is also very deadly. Pontianaks are spirit women who died in childbirth, hell bent on taking revenge for their loss. A scent of flowers usually announces the presence of the spirit, which is followed by a piercing shriek. The softer her cry, the closer she is, as if to seductively call out to her potential prey. Malaysians believe that if you place a needle into the back of a Pontianak’s neck, she cannot attack you, and she will remain beautiful. Folklore myths, tell of stories of women who died in childbirth having beads placed into their mouths to prevent them from becoming Pontianak’s and piercing the night with their screams. The Pontianak is the American version of a vampire.