Vetala tales have been part of Hindu custom for lots of of years and have taken many varieties with totally different cultural and non secular significance. Like many related mythological characters worldwide, vetala legends are sometimes used to show Hindu kids classes. In some instances, vetalas are extra evil than others. Generally they torment people with riddles, whereas typically, they’ve darker intentions. By the point Stoker was uncovered to vetala tales, they have been usually characterised as one thing demonic and ghastly.
In response to the “Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures” by Theresa Bane, all vetalas have been as soon as human kids who died however weren’t buried correctly. As such, vetalas possess different lifeless our bodies, inflicting horrible sorts of disfiguration, amongst them eyes like a bat and the deathly pallor of a corpse — sound acquainted? Most significantly, although, vetalas drink human blood, and their skill to manage human minds and to know the previous, current, and future is much like vampires, who’re additionally typically mentioned to own psychic talents.
A method, amongst others, vetalas are typically defeated is to establish the improperly interred baby’s physique and provides it a correct burial, as Bane goes on to put in writing. That’s much like how Western vampires are vanquished. In response to Nationwide Geographic historian Mark Jenkins, writer of “Vampire Forensics,” “Any type of spiritual image may deter a vampire,” together with magic circles, holy floor, and churchyards.
[Featured image by Harshadpd via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled]