hantu darah

The Blood Demon. Sakai women keep themselves apart during their monthly purification and use a special kind of bamboo receptacle called chit-nåt ("chit-nort"). The decoration of the receptacle resembles a plant, which is used to "destroy" (i.e. neutralize) the blood. If the blood is not thus "neutralized," the hantu darah would spring from it and creep forthwith to the woman's body and stop her courses, and so prevent her from bringing healthy children into the world. The men know nothing of the hantu darah and even the shamans would not acknowledge this antidote against the blood demon. No Sakai men will touch the receptacle.

❧