PULUNG GANTUNG, A LOCAL MYTH? [ENGLISH]

Do you know that Gunung Kidul holds the highest number of suicide in Indonesia? It is 9 out of 100.000 a year, higher than Jakarta which is only 2 out of 100.000 a year. Most of them chose to end their lives by hanging themselves. 

One night, when the volley ball match for women was being held, some people spotted a fire ball in the sky and fell somewhere. Some even screamed with pale face. Then I heard the word phrase “PulungGantung” (sign of hanging oneself).Thus, the term is to be believed has strong relation with the incidents. 

The phenomenon can be described as a fire ball with a long tail that flashes across from the sky that eventually fall in the roof of a house on in the tree. It appears about 18.00-04.00. Its light can be blue, yellow, white, green, or red. The blue, yellow, white, or green light is perceived as
a good sign. On the other hand, the red one is considered bringing a bad luck that will lead to death.

This belief is strongly planted on people’s mindwho live in GunungKidul, especially those who live in rural areas. They are driven to believe that one of the people whose houses are around the place “PulungGantung” falls will commit suicide by hanging themselves. Some cases are conducted by jump to well. To bury the death body, it is supposed not to be washed, prayed or wrapped by cloth. And the crossbar where they hang themselves should be burnt. So there will not be another person will commit suicide.

People believe that the direction where the dead body is facing becomes another sign of where the next “PulungGantung” will fall. Therefore, another suicide by hanging themselves will occur again. For example if the dead body is found facing north, so that in the north “PulungGantung” will fall.

Another belief exists. It is “PulungGantung” itself that causes the death, not just the sign. Those who hang themselves are not aware of what they are doing, which is very different from committing suicide by drinking poison for example. In other words, “PulungGantung” is spirit whom is spying a person who will die. That person will lose consciousness. There also will be “spirit” who will help them to end their life.

When “PulungGantung” falls to a place, it is almost certain that nothing can be done to avoid death. Every time someone commits suicide by hanging himself, “PulungGantung” must have seen before. It is said that the spirit comes from South Ocean, and it will be only gone there.

However, people still hope that bad luck can be dismissed. They will beat drum made from bamboo or wood struck to sound an alarm, read Al-Quran while staying up all night and day. An incident might not happen in that area, but in other area it will. Moreover, when someone’s effort to in committing suicide is failed or he is saved, he will enter another kind of death, such as becoming disabled or paralyzed until the time he dies.