Salina Christmas

In some Eastern beliefs, a qareen is a constant companion or a double assigned to every human born. It’s assumed to be the supernatural part of the human or a ghostly entity that shadows the human’s every move. There’s a parallel between a qareen and a demon in the deified Eastern sense (not the devil), or between deities or demi-gods in the European Antiquity sense.

Depending on beliefs, it can be a devilish function or subservient to God and humans. In Malay culture, a constant companion can also be a saka – derived from the word pusaka meaning inheritance or heirloom – that’s passed down for generations, by choice or by default.