The Ap (Cambodia) and The Krasue (Thailand)

This gory old ghost story is told in many different ways and there are almost identical versions in both Cambodia and Thailand. The tale begins when a beautiful young woman walks outside her house at night. As she walks, she notices a mysterious red glow in the air, and she walks toward it only to be confronted with the ghastly floating head of a beautiful young woman. Below the head, the ghost is a mess of entrails—spine and bloody organs hanging from the neck down. The beautiful woman screams but alas, it’s already too late. This particular Southeast Asian myth, may sound bizarre but it's a persistent legend throughout both Cambodia and Thailand. How this neatly floating head came to be is debatable but the most enduring version of the myth states that women who abuse black magic may be forced to turn into an Ap or a Krasue as a penalty for their wicked ways. The strange dark practices of the Ap don’t stop there though; she’s said to feed on blood and foetuses and many say is particularly interested in imbibing the innards of pregnant women. Legend goes on to state that the Ap can be repelled if you put thorny vines outside your house, as the dangly heads with equally dangly entrails may get caught in them. There are two ways that you can become an Ap or Krasue—by straying down the dark path of black magic, or the Ap herself can turn you into one by having you ingest her saliva. If she offers you a glass of water, or a quick kiss, we suggest turning her down…as politely as you can.

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