Hantu Penanggal (Penanggalan)

The provided source does not supply a detailed origin story for the penanggalan. The single source summarizes the creature as part of Malay ghost myths but does not describe specific origin narratives, such as curses, pacts, or practitioners of magic.

It takes the form of a floating disembodied woman's head, with its organs and entrails trailing from its neck. From afar the penanggalan is said to twinkle like a ball of flame, giving it both a grotesque corporeal appearance up close and a luminous, will-o'-the-wisp–like aspect at distance.

The source classifies the penanggalan as a nocturnal vampiric entity: it is active at night and has a vampiric function in Malay folklore, feeding on living beings' blood or life force. It moves as a floating disembodied head (appearing as a flickering light from afar). The source does not provide further specifics about particular victims, methods of attack, or other supernatural capabilities.