{"id":9017,"date":"2021-09-04T23:25:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T15:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=9017"},"modified":"2022-10-05T22:01:32","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T14:01:32","slug":"vietnamese-ghosts-demons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/vietnamese-ghosts-demons\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ghosts And Demons In Vietnamese Folklore That Had Us Check Under Our Beds As Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ghosts and demons in Vietnamese folklore<\/h2>\n
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Every country has its own share of horror stories and legends, and many people find them intriguing. They reflect a part of the local people\u2019s culture and lifestyle, as well as add a level of mystery to common occurrences and locations.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, for the thrillseekers out there, we bring you legends of <\/span>9 types of ghosts and demons in Vietnamese folklore<\/b>, whose stories are passed down from one generation to the next.<\/p>\n


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1. \u00d4ng Ba B\u1ecb \u2013 Vietnamese version of the Bogeyman<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit:<\/span> Duy\u00a0V\u0103n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Most Vietnamese kids can probably remember growing up terrified of <\/span>\u00d4ng Ba B\u1ecb<\/b>, <\/span><\/i>or the \u201cthree-sacked man\u201d. \u201cStop crying or \u00d4ng Ba B\u1ecb will come and take you\u201d; \u201cEat your broccoli or I\u2019ll call \u00d4ng Ba B\u1ecb\u201d, our parents would tell us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Basically, this demon is the Vietnamese equivalent of the Bogeyman \u2013 a mythical figure invented to scare children when they are disobedient.<\/span><\/p>\n

Folk verses describe \u00d4ng Ba B\u1ecb as an old rugged man with \u201cthree sacks, nine straps, and twelve eyes\u201d, who likes to kidnap naughty children using his sacks. There are claims that the figure originated from the 17th century, when starvation ran rampant in Vietnam, driving many people into kidnapping others\u2019 children to sell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether this is the case or not, we know that the tales are told from parents to children all the way to this day. It would seem using a fearsome figure to scare kids into behaving is a universal thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Ma Da \u2013 vengeful spirits of the drowned<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Supernatural Wiki<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aside from \u00d4ng Ba B\u1ecb, children living in river areas are also taught to fear <\/span>Ma Da<\/b> \u2013 vengeful spirits who lurk in bodies of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Believed to be the souls of drowned victims, Ma da often manifest as bloated corpses with weed for hair. As these poor souls died in torment, they cannot find peace and can only be reincarnated if there\u2019s another to take their place. As such, they roam in lakes and rivers waiting to drag down unsuspecting swimmers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, the stories are most likely made up to warn children not to go swimming unsupervised, as fatal water-related accidents are still common in Vietnam.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Ma Th\u1ea7n V\u00f2ng \u2013 lingering souls of hanged victims<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Duy V\u0103n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

If Ma Da are spirits of the drowned, <\/span>Ma Th\u1ea7n V\u00f2ng<\/b> are the souls of hanged victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most often, people found dead by hanging are suicide victims, indicating that they had suffered some sort of injustice or tragedy in life. As such, their souls linger at the sites of their death, waiting to strangle anyone who comes close as a way to express their hatred and anger.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is believed that only an experienced exorcist can overcome all this negative energy and send Ma Th\u1ea7n V\u00f2ng to the nether realm, though some say they can also be destroyed by burning the ropes they had used to hang themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Qu\u1ef7 Nh\u1eadp Tr\u00e0ng \u2013 ghosts who possess a recently dead body<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Duy V\u0103n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Legends have it that when someone passes away and is prepared for burial, we must take care not to let a black cat \u2013 the symbol of bad luck \u2013 leap over the deceased\u2019s coffin. Otherwise, the body will be infested by evil spirits, turning into <\/span>Qu\u1ef7 Nh\u1eadp Tr\u00e0ng<\/b> and chasing the living.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other stories also claim Qu\u1ef7 Nh\u1eadp Tr\u00e0ng are spirits of the dead who prey on frail, dying people, seeking to consume their souls and steal their bodies so as to indulge in earthly pleasures. When that happens, the sick person will appear reinvigorated, but also start to act oddly. Often, they ask for lots of food, sometimes including peculiar things such as raw blood or even living animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their behaviors might be mistaken for signs of recovery, which is why this version of Qu\u1ef7 Nh\u1eadp Tr\u00e0ng can live among people for days before anyone starts suspecting anything. In truth, though, the person is already dead, their body possessed by another soul. It is said that once the evil spirit is expelled by an exorcist, the body will immediately show signs of decay, as if having been dead for days.<\/span><\/p>\n

In any case, some would argue that these legends are just exaggerated accounts of incidents where someone is wrongly declared dead and wakes up during their funeral.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Ma Tr\u00e0nh \u2013 slaves of a tiger demon<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Duy V\u0103n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

People of the M\u01b0\u1eddng ethnicity living in mountainous regions in Vietnam\u2019s Thanh H\u00f3a Provinces still pass on stories that if a tiger lives long enough to prey on 100 people, it becomes a demon. It acquires superior intelligence and physical capacities, its hair turns gray, and red dots appear on its ears marking how many people it\u2019s killed.<\/span><\/p>\n

These tiger demons like to brutalize their victims and enslave their souls, turning them into <\/span>Ma Tr\u00e0nh<\/b> \u2013 who are bound to do the tigers\u2019 will for eternity. They appear as normal humans, but often wander around the forests trying to lure people to their masters.<\/span><\/p>\n

These beliefs leave locals reluctant to go deep into the forests, especially after dark. But then again, perhaps they are only legends stemming from people\u2019s fear of the unknown and the dangers that lurk in the wilderness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Ma G\u00e0 \u2013 apparitions kept as house guardians<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Truy\u1ec7n Ma C\u00f3 Th\u1eadt<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

People in Vietnam understandably try to avoid most ghosts and demons, but <\/span>Ma G\u00e0<\/b> \u2013 literally translated to \u201cchicken ghosts\u201d \u2013 are apparitions that some actively welcome into their houses to serve as guardians. It is said that burglars or uninvited trespassers who enter a house protected by a Ma G\u00e0 will immediately drop dead on the spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

The name Ma G\u00e0 might lead people into thinking these ghosts look like chickens, but as far as the stories go, they are formless lumps often kept inside a jar. They got their name because chicken is said to be their favorite food.<\/span><\/p>\n

But keeping a Ma G\u00e0 is a dangerous affair, as the homeowner must constantly worship and provide them with ample food, otherwise they will turn on their keeper. Some also say the evil aura will cling onto the homeowner\u2019s family, affecting their mental and physical health, as well as that of those around them, over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7. Ma Lai \u2013 floating heads that consume excrement<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>The legends of these floating heads have been made into movies<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit:<\/span> Zing News<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Ma Lai<\/b> are one of the most terrifying creatures in the folklore of ethnic minorities living in Vietnam\u2019s mountainous T\u00e2y Nguy\u00ean region. By daytime, they are said to walk among us disguised as women \u2013 usually young and beautiful, if constantly appearing sleepy. At night, however, their heads reportedly detach from their bodies, dragging bloody organs with them, to float around to feast on carrion, excrement, and other rancid stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also said that someone whose excrement is consumed by a Ma Lai is cursed with eternal hunger, and will eventually wither and die of starvation no matter how much food they eat.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Ma Lai must return to their bodies before sunrise, otherwise they\u2019ll be burned to death by sunlight. Therefore, the easiest way to vanquish one is to hide her body so that she cannot reattach her head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similar creatures are also seen in the folklore of many other Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia, where they are known under different names such as Krasue, Ahp, or Penanggal. It seems that our cultures share a lot of similarities with one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

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8. Th\u1ea7n Tr\u00f9ng \u2013 evil spirits who torture the souls of the dead<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Mehdi Moayedpour<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In some Vietnamese urban legends, <\/span>Th\u1ea7n Tr\u00f9ng<\/b> are evil spirits who often appear near new graves. It is said they torture newly dead people\u2019s souls for information about their living relatives. With this information, Th\u1ea7n Tr\u00f9ng can reap the souls of those living people as well, leading to instances where several family members die within a short time period of one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Appearance-wise, these spirits are described as black birds with blood-red beaks. Some stories also claim that they only have bird-shaped heads, but with human bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/i>A scene from the Vietnamese horror video game Th\u1ea7n Tr\u00f9ng (The Death)<\/span>
\n<\/span>Image credit:<\/span> Steam<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, nobody has ever seen such creatures. Regardless, stories of Th\u1ea7n Tr\u00f9ng have become inspirations for a Vietnamese horror game of the same name, in which the player explores deep alleys of Hanoi and uncovers dark secrets hidden within.<\/span><\/p>\n

A free demo version of the game is<\/span> available on Steam<\/span><\/a> under the English title The Death, in case you want to check it out.<\/span><\/p>\n

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9. Ma V\u00fa D\u00e0i \u2013 ghost of a woman who forcefully breastfeeds victims<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/i>Image credit:<\/span> Duy V\u0103n<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Ma V\u00fa D\u00e0i<\/b>, or the long-breasted ghost, is a common legend in some southern Vietnamese Provinces, though stories of this peculiar figure often leave people more intrigued than scared.<\/span><\/p>\n

True to the name, Ma V\u00fa D\u00e0i appears as a woman with long breasts sagging down the front of her upper body. Some also add in the usual horror tropes, saying she often floats around with her feet off the ground, or that she\u2019s always clad in a long white robe, with hair covering her entire face.<\/span><\/p>\n

In any case, the stories agree that this spirit often perches on treetops to prey on travelers at night. When she catches a victim, she forcefully breastfeeds them, and the victim is often found unconscious on the roadside the next morning with their mouth full of dirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

A similar legend was also popular in Saigon\u2019s Ch\u00ed H\u00f2a Prison back in the 60s, where many inmates said they\u2019d seen a woman with long breasts force-feeding their cellmates.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the day, however, no official sighting of such a woman has been recorded, so it\u2019s best to think of the stories as warnings for children not to wander off after dusk.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Vietnam folklore and legends about ghosts and demons<\/h3>\n
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Legends of these ghosts and demons in Vietnam are fascinating, and they add a level of mystery and thrill to our daily lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

But at the end of the day, it\u2019s important to remember that they are just that: legends. It\u2019s best not to read too much into them and see paranormal activities where there are none.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, in some cases, the morals behind the stories are worth keeping in mind. For instance, don\u2019t go swimming in unsafe bodies of water, and refrain from wandering around dark, secluded areas at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0For more stories, check out:<\/span><\/p>\n