The Flying Head: A Tale of the Kuyang in Kalimantan
The Kuyang is the specter of dark ambition. It is believed to be a normal woman by day—often recognized by a faint line around her neck, which she covers with a high collar or scarf. At night, however, she succumbs to the black magic she practices to achieve eternal life or unearthly beauty.
In the dead of night, the Kuyang sheds her body like a useless cocoon. Her head detaches, and she flies into the darkness, her internal organs—the heart, lungs, and intestines—dangling in a horrific, glistening mass beneath her neck.
Her arrival is announced not by a chilling cry, but by a faint, whistling sound and a sickly, pungent odor—like a decaying fish—that drifts through the humid night air. If you look up, you might see a small, reddish or greenish glowing orb swiftly moving through the palm fronds. That is the Kuyang on the hunt.
The creature’s preferred prey is the most vulnerable: the blood of a newborn baby or a woman who has just given birth. This blood, they say, replenishes her dark powers and extends her cursed life.
The Midnight Terror
In a small, isolated village along the Barito River, where the darkness is absolute and the air hangs heavy with the scent of wet earth, a young mother named Sari had just given birth to her first child. On the fifth night, as the oil lamp cast long, dancing shadows, she felt a sudden, icy draft.
Sari’s grandmother, who slept beside her, was a woman steeped in the old ways. She snapped awake, her eyes wide, and without a word, she began frantically searching for two objects: a handful of crushed garlic and a mirror.
"Sari, don’t look at the window, don’t make a sound," she whispered, her voice strained with terror.
A chilling whistle pierced the air, closer this time, followed by the unmistakable sound of wet, flopping tissue against the wooden roof. It was directly above them.
The grandmother hurled the crushed garlic against the wall. The whistling intensified, turning into a hissing sound of fury.
Then, at the small gap in the window frame, it appeared: a disembodied head, its eyes burning with a cruel hunger, framed by a horrible curtain of dark, wet organs swaying just below the sill. The Kuyang was staring directly at the bundle on the bed.
The grandmother acted instantly. She didn’t scream or pray; she simply held the small mirror up to the creature.
The Kuyang froze. The woman who was the Kuyang was said to be repulsed and temporarily driven away when she saw her horrific, detached form reflected back at her. The hissing turned into a screech of pure malice, and with a heavy, wet smack against the wall, the flying head was gone, receding into the darkness.
Sari clutched her baby, the scent of fish and blood still strong in the air. The next morning, a woman in the village—who always wore a high, thick scarf—was found to be inexplicably ill, with a fresh, raw scar circling her neck. They knew the Kuyang had been among them, and they knew who she was. They knew her body lay vacant somewhere, waiting for its gruesome head to return.
Other True Story
There was an incident involving the kuyang in Bontang (224 km from my City, approximately 4 and half hours drive) in 2016/2017, that caused a commotion. It started with a post by a young mother who said her child died because of the kuyang.
Here’s the media story.
“Suddenly, at 4 a.m., my husband and I woke up at the same time. Kayla was lying on her side. When my husband picked her up, there was blood on her forehead. I thought it was a mosquito. Why, when I looked at my child, was pale, her mouth was blue, her eyes were bleeding from her nose and water, and her mouth was mucus,” wrote the young mother.
When the child was taken to the hospital, the doctor stated that the child died from a fall, as he had ruptured a blood vessel. However, according to the deceased’s parents, they had been sleeping on the floor. They also initially suspected that the child had been crushed while sleeping, but the doctor stated that if the child had died from being crushed, he would have suffocated.
When the body was washed, the family discovered that the baby’s head was hollow and soft. From the buttocks to the spine, it was blue and soft. Therefore, the baby’s mother firmly believed that her child had died from a kuyang.
Although there is no definitive information on whether this is true or not, the local community is growing concerned and vigilant. Some residents have even prepared certain leaves and placed them on windows as a means of warding off the kuyang.
Summary
People believe the kuyang is not a ghost but a human who possesses black magic for eternal life. During the day, the kuyang often wears a black robe.
At night, the kuyang detaches its head and internal organs from its body to hunt for prey. The kuyang usually preys on babies or childbirth blood to increase its knowledge. People who have seen the kuyang say it flies like a large bird. Not only can it hover and fly quickly, but this creature is also said to disappear and reappear instantly.
The kuyang can be passed on to those it chooses.
According to the book “Pacarku Perempuan Kuyang,” which the author claims is based on a true story, a person who practices black magic cannot die if their knowledge has not been passed on. Usually, their descendants will pass on the knowledge.
A broom, a mirror, a comb, and shallots are said to be weapons against the kuyang. But again, the most important thing is to ask for help from God.
I hope these stories give you insight of ghosts and the likes.
Thank you for reading this & your like on this post. God bless you all.
