Outgroup
Ma Da
Elemental / Demonic Danger 4 of 5 · Dangerous
- Form
- Water ghost
- Origin
- Ma da of Vietnam: the water ghost, spirit of the drowned that must pull a living replacement down to be released — the mainland cognate of Hantu Air and Hantu Banyu, stating the replacement logic explicitly.
- Behavior
- Claims a replacement victim to free itself.
- Deterrents and vulnerabilities
- Offerings at the water's edge; avoidance of haunted stretches.
- Diet
- Life force / Soul
- Culture
- Vietnamese
- Region
- Vietnam (outgroup)
- 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 | Not death or birth related |
| 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 | Sea, river, or water |
| Forest | None |
| Settlement | Village, house, hospital, or road |
| Black magic | No strong sorcery motif |
| Widespread | Widespread across Southeast Asia |
| Body plan | Aquatic spirit |
| Diet | Life force or offerings |
