Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Pocong is a ghost that is widely known by the Indonesian people. He is depicted as a ghost figure wrapped in a shroud and moving while jumping.
However, not many people know that pocong used to be described as moving not by jumping, but by rolling and walking. And, interestingly, this change in depiction was closely influenced by a business in Indonesia.
How could that be?
The existence of Pocong
Please note, pocong ghosts have existed in Indonesia for a long time. However, it is difficult to trace its beginnings.
Even so, according to Justito Adiprasetio and Annissa Winda in The Conversationpocong and other ghosts exist in Indonesia based on a syncretic belief system, intertwined beliefs in haunting spirits, sacred places, and moments of horror.
This means that it could be said that the existence of pocong and other ghosts was born at the same time as these things appeared. This is in line with Suwardi Endraswara's explanation in The World of Javanese Ghosts (2004), although in the context of the Java region.
According to him, any ghost has been present since the Javanese existed. This can happen because Javanese people have a belief that there are creatures in other areas that are invisible.
Regardless of when the pocong existed, another interesting thing to pay attention to is the depiction of the pocong. Please note, depictions of ghosts are basically always dynamic. This can happen due to people's imagination according to the current situation.
In 1906, for example, a book was published entitled Malay Beliefs made by British colonial official, Richard James Wilkinson. In his presentation, Richard explained that there was a ghost bound by a shroud called the kochonk ghost (known in Indonesia as pocong).
Due to its feet being tied, the kochonk cannot jump or walk. As a result, he moved by rolling around. Meanwhile, another depiction of pocong was also presented by Suwardi Endraswara. According to him, pocong is a female ghost dressed in white whose appearance is like a corpse that can walk.
Of course that depiction is not wrong. However, one question is, if previously the pocong was described as rolling and being able to walk, why does it move by jumping now?
The answer is caused by the film industry business. In the search for Justito and Annissa, film Grave Demon (1975) is the most vulgar horror film that uses pocong as the main ghost in the period before the 1990s.
In the film, played by Benyamin Sueb, the pocong was first depicted jumping to and fro. Apart from that, the site History also mentioned the film Grave Demon also strengthens the view that cemeteries, trees and natural places such as ponds or lakes are favorite places for ghosts to appear.
Of course, because film is one of the shapes of people's imagination, the narrative of the pocong moving around has been recorded across generations. Moreover, according to Justito and Annissa's notes, in the 2000-2020 period, pocong appeared more often as the main ghost in 37 Indonesian films. As a result, like it or not, this depiction is becoming more and more entrenched, especially after many pocong appearances in many other media, such as newspapers, magazines and comics.
However, now there are also many films that offer variations on how to move the pocong. There are those who describe pocong as being able to fly, as in Mumun (2022). Or something is depicted suck.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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