Wewe Gombel
Description
Ghost of woman who committed suicide after husband's betrayal. Kidnaps neglected children to care for them, punishing bad parents
Origin & Background
Wewe Gombel is known as a female supernatural being or vengeful ghost in Javanese mythology. This legend is related to an incident that occurred in Bukit Gombel in Semarang. Long ago, there was a couple who had been married for several years but had no children. As time passed, the husband realized that his wife was infertile and lost his love for her. He neglected his wife and left her alone for a long time, and she lived in sorrow. One day, the wife followed her husband and witnessed him having an affair with another woman. Hurt by her husband's betrayal, the wife became enraged and killed him. Faced with her crime, the wife was chased away by the anger of the neighbors and eventually committed suicide in despair. After her death, her soul, burning with a desire for revenge, became Wewe Gombel.
The Legend
Wewe Gombel is said to be a being that kidnaps children. She targets children who are abused or neglected by their parents and lovingly cares for the kidnapped children like a grandmother. She nests at the top of the Arenya Pinata palm tree and protects the captured children without harming them. The children do not feel fear while in her embrace and are under her protection until their parents repent. Traditionally, Wewe Gombel is depicted as a woman with long sagging breasts, and in modern portrayals, she sometimes appears with vampire-like fangs.
Variants
Wewe Gombel has similarities with Hantu Kopek from Malay legend.
In Popular Culture
Wewe Gombel has appeared several times in Indonesian films, including the 1988 film 'Wewe Gombel' and the 2012 film 'Legenda Wewe Gombel.' The HBO Asia anthology series 'Folklore' also includes an adaptation of Wewe Gombel in the episode titled 'A Mother's Love.' The portrayal of Wewe Gombel sometimes appears as part of local festivals.
This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Wewe Gombel" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia