The Churel: A Legendary Ghost of a Woman from South Asian Folklore
The Churail is a shapeshifting female spirit from South Asian folklore known to originate in ancient Persia. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal. According to legend, a Churail is created when a woman dies before fulfilling her duties or desires, often due to mistreatment by her family or death during childbirth. She then returns as a vengeful spirit seeking to drain the life force from male relatives and seduce unwitting men.
The Churail is said to take many grotesque and distorted forms, though she can appear beautiful to attract victims. Her signature traits include long black hair, elongated breasts and claws, and most notably, feet that face backwards. To escape her wrath, families take special precautions during burials like positioning the corpse face down and scattering seeds or flowers at the grave. Priests may also perform exorcisms.
Mainly three types of Churail are described - Soshi seek vengeance on family, Poshi redirect sexual deviance towards men, and Toshi protective spirits of loyal wives. Legends warn of Churails imprisoning or rapidly aging men through explicit sexual encounters. Accusations of witchcraft have also been used against women in these regions throughout history. While an obscure figure abroad, the menacing Churail maintains a place in South Asian folk horror to this day.
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