Deformed Ghosts (Myanmar)
- S. N. Linn
- Jul 4
- 1 min read

Some ghosts from Myanmar folklore have bizarre and unsettling appearances, so much so that encountering one is said to cause raging fevers lasting for days. In Myanmar traditions, ghosts are generally expected to have unpleasant features, but deformed ghosts take this to an entirely new level. Examples include monstrous ghosts covered in bristles, spirits with eyes as large as dinner plates, and ghosts with tongues several feet long. Occasionally, a single ghost may possess all these features!
One prominent example of a deformed ghost is the thabat—a colossal ghost with ears so enormous that it uses one as a sleeping mat and the other as a blanket. Thabat are also said to have tongues as long as their bodies, but they usually keep these rolled up and hidden in their mouths, until they are about to feed.