Once upon a time, in the mystical land of Borneo, there existed a legendary female spirit known as Kok-lir. This ghostly entity was notorious for its unsettling act involving men's testicles. The native Borneans had their name for it, Pontianak, which was believed to have influenced the naming of Pontianak in Indonesia.
It is also known as Antu-anak in Malay folklore; this evil spirit targeted its former husbands or any men it had bewitched during its mortal existence.
According to local folklore, women who died during childbirth were said to transform into Kok-lirs. Their nails would grow sharp and long, an eerie sign of their presence. To prevent this transformation, a traditional method involved pricking the deceased's feet with thorns from a citrus tree. However, some unfortunate souls fell victim to this bloodthirsty spirit.
Benedict Sandin shared this ghost story via The Sarawak Gazette 1964, which recounts the plight of two victims who fell prey to the Kok-lir. The tale tells of a widower and his son seeking shelter in a hut owned by two beautiful women after a long day of fishing. The women welcomed them warmly, even providing fire to warm their chilled bodies and preparing meals for their guests.
As the widower and his son sat by the fire, seeking comfort, tragedy struck. The son sat naked on the floor, warming up himself. Then suddenly, one of the women pointed at his testicles, exclaiming, "Haii-waii-wai! It's the sweet stuff!"
At that moment, her nails began to grow longer. Filled with terror, the widower swiftly took his son and fled to their boat, with the two women hot on their heels, screaming "kok-kok-kok."
In a desperate bid to escape, the widower and his son hid beneath their boat while the women clawed at the hull. Miraculously, the break of dawn spared their lives, and the women vanished. The widower and his son, though shaken, survived the encounter.
Another eerie account tells the story of a newly married couple embarking on a customary visit to the bride's ancestral home. During their journey, they heard the haunting presence of a Kok-lir drawing near, chasing after them relentlessly. Desperate to save himself, the husband swiftly climbed a tree, leaving his breathless wife behind. As she sat in fear at the foot of the tree, a strikingly beautiful young maiden appeared, and the wife invited her to engage in conversation.
Engrossed in their conversation, the wife asked the maiden if she could remove lice from her hair, a seemingly innocent request to distract her from impending danger. While the wife diligently picked the lice, her husband descended from the tree, clutching a knife. Swiftly and decisively, he severed the maiden's head, causing her quick demise. In a bizarre twist, she transformed into a creature known as "Enturun," an eerie amalgamation of a bear and a cat.
Even today, echoes of this ghostly presence can be heard around Dayak houses, especially at night, as it continues its relentless hunt for male victims. Such encounters often follow the tragic death of a woman during childbirth.
Thus, the chilling legend of Kok-lir lives on, captivating the imagination and serving as a cautionary tale of the supernatural in Borneo's rich folklore.
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