Penanggalan

Origin and tradition

Malay folklore regarding a female dark priestess who, during a purification bath ritual, was startled, causing her head to tear away from her collarbone.

Illustration in this atlas

A floating female head with long unkempt black hair, dragging a glowing bundle of lungs, stomach, and bloody liver beneath her chin.

References and further reading

1. en.wikipedia.org — Penanggalan

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.