Vetala

A vetala (Sanskrit: वेताल vetāla) is a revenant in Hindu mythology, usually defined as a knowledgeable (fortune telling) paranormal entity said to be dwelling at charnel grounds. The vetala is comparable to the vampires of Western mythology. Reanimated corpses are used as vehicles by the spirits for movement, the corpse no longer decays while it is inhabited by a vetala. A vetala may possess and also leave a dead body at will.[1]

King Vikram & Betala in Baital Pachisi.

The most popular vetala story is Baital Pachisi. Vikram Aur Betaal was a television programme produced by Ramanand Sagar and directed by his son Prem Sagar that aired on DD National channel that was based on it. Non-actual Vetala were also a part of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel and have appeared in television shows such as Supernatural season 7 episode 11, Adventures in Babysitting, Sleepy Hollow, Jekyll & Hyde, and a web series titled The Vetala released in 2009, written and directed by Damon Vignale. The series reveals a CGI vetala character in the final episode. 2020 Indian zombie horror series Betaal also features a curse of Vetala.

The Vetala (Linda Leith Publishing, 2018) is a novel by Canadian author Phillip Ernest. It tells the story of Nada, a professor of Sanskrit, who finds herself face to face with the imaginative vetala, the subject of her life-long study.

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See also

References
  1. Gray, David B. (n.d.). 'Skull Imagery and Skull Magic in the Yugini Tantras'. Santa Clara University. Source: (accessed: Tuesday February 2, 2010), (accessed: July 26, 2017)

Sources
  • Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
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