Papua
Dambin-Ow
Elemental / Demonic Danger 3 of 5 · Frightening
- Form
- Spirit of a bad/pointless death
- Origin
- Asmat evil spirit of a bad or pointless death — dambin-ow — distinct from the good ancestors (yi-ow) and from evil place spirits (osbopan). Documented in Asmat ethnography citing Kal Muller (academia.edu paper). Its corporeality is variable across accounts, coded 0 here.
- Behavior
- Afflicts the living from the unresolved manner of its death.
- Deterrents and vulnerabilities
- Asmat ritual redress of deaths and feuds in traditional practice.
- Diet
- Life force / Soul
- Culture
- Asmat
- Region
- Papua
- Sampling
- Added in dataset v3–v5; first placed on a tree here.
Coded characters
◆ New entry coded by folklore synthesis. Sex: Unspecified.
| Human-like | Humanoid, witch, or human spirit |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male, unspecified, or variable |
| Death or birth origin | Death, childbirth, or infant origin |
| Incorporeal | Embodied creature or witch |
| Flight | Grounded |
| Burial | None or weak |
| Children | None |
| Blood and organs | None |
| Theft and mischief | None |
| Hair or fur | None |
| Animal form | None |
| Detached head | None |
| Fire or light | None |
| Water | None |
| Forest | None |
| Settlement | Village, house, hospital, or road |
| Black magic | No strong sorcery motif |
| Widespread | Localized |
| Body plan | Humanoid spirit |
| Diet | Life force or offerings |
