In India when a woman dies in an unnatural way, such as in childbirth or by suicide, she may return as a vampiric REVENANT known as a chedipe. Riding upon a tiger at night, the chedipe selects a home and places all of the inhabitants within into a deep sleep. Then it drains the blood from all the men by biting a hole in their big toes. The chedipe, whose name means “prostitute,” is associated with a discriminated caste of people known as the devadasi, those who work in the sex industry.

PRONUNCIATION:

(CHA-dippy)

VARIATIONS:

ALVANTIN, CHUREL, Jakhai, Jakhin, Mukhai, Nagulai

SOURCES:

• Crooke, Religion and Folklore, 194;
• Duprae, The Vampires, 61;
• Riccardo, Liquid Dreams of Vampires, 51;
• Thurston, Omens and Superstitions, 261­62

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology Written by :Theresa Bane ©2010 Theresa Bane. All rights reserved