Hantu Air
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Hantu Air, Puaka Air or Mambang Air is the Malay translation for Spirit of the Water or Water Ghost, which according to animist traditions in Maritime Southeast Asia, is the unseen inhabitant of watery places such as rivers, lakes, seas, swamps and even ditches.[1] Communication between humans and Hantu Air occurs in situations based on the well-being of an environment and can be positive or negative. Water spirits are called on and communicated with through ceremonies, rituals, incantations, and in extreme cases exorcisms.[2] Hantu Air is associated with bad things happening to people including people going missing, drowning, flooding and many other incidents.[1]
The identification of incantations and rituals can be derived from the indigenous, Hindu, or Islamic origins.[2] These origins influenced the cultural belief that everything contained a supernatural soul or essence. For a long time animism and dinamism were widely practiced in Maritime Southeast Asia. Locals would associate almost anything with the spiritual world, including nature.[3] The civilization of Maritime Southeast Asia believed that the well-being and success of humans was dependent on the spirits which inhabited the environment. The spirits are considered powerful entities that spread throughout the environment and are identified as being either good or evil.[2]
Determining whether a spirit is good or evil depends on the interaction between spirit and human. A positive interaction invokes the benevolent spirits which are treated similar to pets and help their owners with endeavors. This relationship is a mutual companionship to maintain the well-being of an environment. A negative interaction invokes the malevolent spirits which cause disease.[2]
Negative associations commonly occur when the spirits are disturbed from their home. In that case, one's health would decline and may become very ill. A pawang would have to identify the spirit, address the issue, and correct the wrongdoing. Then the person who became ill can heal and return to proper health. Based on the severity of harm done from the malevolent spirits, the pawang can either peaceful negotiate with the spirits or exorcize them. To conduct an exorcism, the pawang may need to perform a seance to cleanse evil influence off a person, object, or place. This includes purification and neutralization processes.[2]
Hantu Air is used to explain any sickness or death associated with watery areas that cannot be otherwise explained.[1] Some people believe that spirits discarded by their previous owners will haunt places associated with water. The unguided and lost spirit roams the area and feeds on anything available, including humans.
Superstitions arising among the locals tell of this evil spirit dwelling in watery places where it sometimes disguises itself as an old tree trunk, a beautiful lady, fish or other animals in order to lure people into its trap. When caught the human will be eaten or drowned.
Currently, deaths near watery areas are attributed to outbreaks of Leptospirosis, instead of Hantu Air.[4][5]
