Pocong
An Indonesian ghost shaped like a corpse bound in its burial shroud. The BBC says Indonesian folklore treats pocong as souls of the dead that are trapped.
Wikipedia says the name comes from Javanese and means wrapped in a shroud, and describes the pocong as a ghost that looks like a shrouded corpse. In Islamic funerals the body is wrapped in a white cloth called kain kafan. It is tied above the head, below the feet and at the neck, and fastened at several points so it stays in place on the way to the grave.
In April 2020 the Jakarta Post reported that young residents of Kesongo hamlet, in Kepuh village, Sukoharjo regency, Central Java, stood at the hamlet's entrance gate dressed as pocong. The paper's headline gave the aim: keeping residents indoors. The BBC reported the same year on an Indonesian village using people dressed as ghosts for coronavirus distancing patrols.
In May 2026 Kompas's fact-check desk reported that the Kalideres police chief had confirmed that reports of a so-called pocong begal in Kalideres were untrue.
"Pocong (Indonesian pronunciation: [pɔ't͡ʃɔŋ] poh-chong; from Javanese: ꦥꦺꦴꦕꦺꦴꦁ, romanized: pocong, lit. 'wrapped-in-shroud') is a ghost that resembles a dead body wrapped in a shroud.[1] In Islamic funerals, a shroud called a "kain kafan" (in Indonesian and Malay) is used to wrap the body of the dead person. The dead body is covered in a white fabric that is tied over the head, under the feet, and around the neck. The shroud is firmly secured at multiple points to ensure it stays in place during the journey to the gravesite."
- 'Pocong' out to keep residents in, The Jakarta Post (2 April 2020)
- Coronavirus: Indonesian village uses 'ghosts' for distancing patrols, BBC News (2020)
- [KLARIFIKASI] Polisi Pastikan Tidak Ada Insiden Pocong Begal di Kalideres, Kompas.com Cek Fakta (25 May 2026)