Haints and Hantu

One of the first things you learn when you study about Indonesia is that many people believe that human beings live side by side with spiritual beings...very often referred to as ghosts, but what some people from the mountains of North Carolina might have called "haints" once upon a time, are called "hantu" here.

Being that my people are from the mountains of North Carolina and that my father was a compelling story-teller, I know a little bit about ghosts. That's not a common thing for many foreigners to admit to Indonesian people; there's a certain sophistication associated with being "beyond" all that, but certainly the United States, just like any human society in the world, has a collection of ghost stories. Especially western North Carolina, so it's never been very difficult for me to share the following story that I'll now share with you!

Many of us experience something weird, from time to time...maybe a bit frightening, even; the proverbial "bump in the night", the strange feeling we get in certain areas of a building or house, some of us may even imagine what's causing the feeling (a ghost!)

In the house where I used to live, as lovely as it was and comfortable, when I was a fresh arrival to Indonesia, I had such an experience. In my room, for a few nights, I had an eerie feeling emanating from a spot just outside my bathroom door. In my head, I imagined a crouched female figure, with long messy hair, dressed all in ragged white, who seemingly always wanted to jump on my back as I passed.

A googled image of what "kuntilanak" might look like...

True to form, I prayed when that happened. And hard. I have to admit it was a scary feeling and a bit threatening, as well.

After the first time it happened, I told my very Javanese co-workers about it. I described what I felt and imagined I "saw", and they said "Oh - that sounds like Kuntilanak." (here, a ghost can be many places - islands, cities, wherever, but it's still the same ghost. Kuntilanak, for instance, is not a Javanese ghost, but hails from an island to the north, Kalimantan (commonly known elsewhere as Borneo) In the US, true to our sense of individualism, our ghosts are also individuals and like Highlander, there can be only one, per location, anyway)

I continued to pray and the "feeling" was gone. All clear. Thanks be to God.

Many months later, I was telling that story to my dear young friend, Yani, with whom I practice English. She couldn't believe that I wasn't just exactly FREAKED right out. (She was, of course, also shocked that a "bule" (foreigner, especially from the US) could talk about ghosts to freely.)

When I told her that I prayed, she said that she wasn't sure that Javanese ghosts could understand prayers from the Alkitab (Bible). I told her that I wasn't praying to the ghosts, I was praying to God and He understands everybody. She asked if that was enough for me to not be scared and I answered her "Of course! God loves us and He is all powerful. He reigns. He is in control. I trust Him."

She said "Ohhhh. Anda punya kepercayaan BESAR!" (That means "You have BIG faith!)

Yes, I do, I said. That's why I'm here. Trusting God is easy for me. He's all I've ever been able to count on and He's always been there for me. He has reached down and pulled me out of some very scary situations...and just between you and me, Kuntilanak isn't one of the worst, either!

Yes, I have big faith. And I am thankful.

Just a few weeks ago, I was chatting with the young man who takes care of the house where I used to live. He just casually mentioned that all the neighbors are scared of that house...because they've seen Kuntilanak more than a few times...under the mango tree, beside the house...some people even claim to have seen her inside the house...

So ghosts? Yes, maybe it's fun to talk a bit, but we all know where the power and the glory is. And it is with God, so I am not scared.