In northern India and Pakistan, the word 'Churel' (or Chudail) is often used as an insult for a woman of bad character, but its mythological origin is terrifying. The Churel is a vampiric spirit that arises from a woman who dies during childbirth, pregnancy, or due to neglect and abuse by her in-laws and husband during menstruation or gestation.
The Churel is described as a woman of horrible and fascinating beauty at the same time. She can appear as a beautiful young woman to seduce young men on the roads or in the fields, but her true form is that of an old and emaciated witch, with sagging breasts, a black and thick tongue, and her most distinctive feature: feet turned backwards. This inversion of the feet is the key sign to identify her, symbolizing that her path is contrary to the natural order.
The Churel attacks the males of her family to avenge the mistreatment, sucking their blood or vital energy (virility) until they are left dry and old, or killing them slowly. It is a deeply rooted legend in the patriarchal structures of rural India, serving both as a warning to men to take care of their pregnant wives (for fear that they will return as Churels) and as a stigmatization of female death. To prevent a woman from becoming a Churel, special funeral rituals were performed, such as nailing nails into her thumbs or burying her with thorns, to anchor her soul to the earth.
