A human fetus that has been sired (transformed into a vampire) while still in the womb. This occurs when an adult human is sired just before or during childbirth. The child is then stillborn, but undead, so it is animated.

Though rare, a pontianak may be produced just shortly after birth. A newly sired mother will sire her newborn but if the child is over six weeks old the mother is more likely to eat or abandon the child.

When siring is attempted on a newborn by anyone other than its mother, the newborn will die. The mother of a pontianak is known as a langsuyar. They normally remain close throughout their existence.

Repeated use of either name (pontianak or langsuyar) will draw the attention of that creature. Old sorcery suggested that in order to avoid this unwanted attention you could simply reverse the names. This trick is no longer effective.

A new pontianak resembles a human child, but it never grows or matures as a human would. Instead, as it ages, it becomes more and more owl-like. The head and limbs pull into the body resulting in an owl-like shape while the eyes become sunken and round.

It grows feathered wings and develops the ability to fly. The skin becomes wrinkled and leathery like a bat. In the darkness, perched high in a tree, an aged pontianak is easily mistaken for a night owl.

Both the pontianak and its mother feed on human blood and intestines. They are not immortal but do live for a very long time. The pontianak continues to become more and more leathery until it finally completely dries out, cracks in half, and crumbles to dust. The mother will not survive for long on her own.

Also known as mati-anak, or madi-anak.

See Also: Creatures by Type: Vampires