Bayangi are ghosts confined within coconut shells and enslaved through black magic to serve their master’s will. Owning a bayangi is believed to bring great luck and riches, but it does so by draining the fortunes of the surrounding community and channeling them toward its master. While the bayangi owner accumulates wealth, their neighbors suffer a series of misfortunes.
If the owner disregards this unsettling consequence, they may enjoy a period of prosperity for seven years. However, at the end of the seventh year, the bayangi must be set free. Should the owner choose to keep the ghost imprisoned beyond this period, the resentful spirit will continue to bring wealth but at a devastating cost—targeting the owner’s family members and close friends.
If you want to read more about bayangi, check out Ghosts, Spirits and Paranormal Entities from Asian Folklore and Mythology (Book 1). Subscribe to get more bi-weekly paranormal folklore.