Pelesit

Pelesit (Malay pronunciation: [pələsit]) is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore.[1] It is generally a cricket, or occasionally a grasshopper. The term literally means "buzzer" from the root word lesit meaning to buzz or whizz, as an insect does.[2] They are also called Palasik.

Belief in the pelesit traces back to Malay animism[3] before the introduction of monotheism. Generally speaking, a pelesit can only be owned by a woman,[4] and were said to have been prevalent in Kedah. The male equivalent is another hereditary spirit, the bajang. Due to the similarity, the two are sometimes confused in folklore.

  • In Kijiya, a Malaysian komku series, the Pelesit are demonic creatures that serve as the series' main antagonists[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hussain, Mustapha (2005). The Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain: Malay Nationalism Before UMNO. Utusan Publications. ISBN 978-967-61-1698-7.
  2. ↑ Yang Kassim (1991). English-Malay Dictionary. Seremban: Minerva.
  3. ↑ Asian Horror Encyclopedia By Laurence C. Bush
  4. ↑ Hantu Hantu By James Noel McHugh
  5. ↑ Publisher website for Kijiya
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