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Vetala
Spirits that inhabit corpses and reanimate them. Unlike zombies, vetalas are intelligent and cunning. They hang upside-down from trees in cremation grounds, possessing knowledge of past, present, and future.
Ancient - Present
India
10000+ witnesses
The Vetala is India’s intelligent undead.
The Legend
According to Hindu tradition:
Vetalas are:
- Spirits inhabiting corpses
- Highly intelligent
- Can see past and future
- Live in cremation grounds
- Hang upside-down from trees
Famous Story
The Vetala Panchavimshati:
- 25 tales of King Vikram
- Vetala tells riddles
- King must carry it
- If he speaks, Vetala escapes
- Returns to tree
Characteristics
Vetalas are:
- Not mindless undead
- Sharp-witted
- Love riddles
- Know all secrets
- Can be bound by sorcerers
Appearance
Described as:
- Inhabiting fresh corpses
- Sometimes bat-like
- Hanging from trees
- In burial grounds
- Active at night
Powers
They can:
- Possess living or dead
- See the future
- Grant wishes if pleased
- Cause madness
- Tell hidden truths
Sorcerer’s Tool
Black magicians:
- Seek to capture vetalas
- Use them for knowledge
- Force them to serve
- Very dangerous practice
- Often backfires
Modern India
Still believed:
- Cremation grounds feared
- Particular trees avoided
- Rituals performed
- Stories still told
- Not forgotten