Spirit of a deceased person in South and South East Asia
A
bhoota
or
bhuta
(
Sanskrit
:
???
,
bh?ta
) is a supernatural creature, usually the
ghost
of a deceased person, in the popular culture, literature and some ancient texts of the
Indian subcontinent
.
[1]
Interpretations of how bhootas come into existence vary by region and community, but they are usually considered to be perturbed and
restless
due to some factor that prevents them from moving on (to
transmigration
, non-being,
nirvana
, or
swarga
or
naraka
, depending on tradition). This could be a violent death, unsettled matters in their lives, or simply the failure of their survivors to perform proper funerals.
[1]
Belief in ghosts has been deeply ingrained in the minds of the people of
the subcontinent
for generations. There are many allegedly haunted places in
the subcontinent
, such as cremation grounds, dilapidated buildings, royal mansions,
havelis
, forts, forest
bungalows
, burning
ghats
, etc. Ghosts also occupy a significant place in the
Bengali culture
. Ghosts and various supernatural entities form an integral part of the socio-cultural beliefs of both the Muslim and Hindu communities of
Bangladesh
and the Indian state of
West Bengal
. Fairy tales often use the concept of ghosts and references to paranormal activity are found amply in modern-day Bengali literature, cinema, radio and TV programmes. In Pakistan, the word jinn is used to refer to both the
Arabic Jinns
as well as bhootas. Influenced by Arabic and Persian mythology, bhootas in the Pakistani society have a more varied and fluid identity, ranging from Jinns from another realm made of fire, to ghosts of humans who died painful deaths.
Etymology and idiom
[
edit
]
Bh?ta
is a
Sanskrit
term that carries the connotations of "past" and "being"
[2]
and, because it has connection with "one of the most wide-spread roots in Indo-European — namely, *bheu/*bhu-", has similar-sounding cognates in virtually every branch of that
language family
, e.g.,
Irish
(
bha
),
English
(
be
),
Latvian
(
but
) and
Persian
(
budan
).
[3]
[4]
In
Hindustani
,
Punjabi
,
Kashmiri
,
Bengali
,
Sindhi
and other languages of the northern subcontinent, the concept of
bhoots
is extensively used in
idiom
. To be "ridden by the
bhoot
of something" (
bhoot sawaar hona
) means to take an obsessive interest in that thing or work unrelentingly towards that goal. Conversely, to "dismount a
bhoot
" (
bhoot utaarna
) means to break through an obsession or see through a false belief that was previously dearly held.
[5]
[6]
"To look like a
bhoot
" (
bhoot lagna
) means to look disheveled and unkempt or to dress ridiculously. A house or building that is untidy, unmaintained or deserted when it should not be is sometimes pejoratively called a
bhoot bangla
.
[7]
The word has travelled far into Southeast Asia: it entered
Javanese
through Sanskrit as
buta
generally referring to a
malevolent spirit
/demonic giant which haunts places, it also refers to the genre of evil giants in
wayang
stories such as
Buta Cakil
. It has also undergone an evolution in the
Malay world
to mean a
jinn
-like creature mentioned in the as
Malay Annals
;
[8]
there is a legend of such a creature that dwells in the plains of the
Perak River
with similar traits albeit of gigantic size giving its name to a town in north of the
Malay Peninsula
named
Bota
.
[9]
Characteristics of Bhootas
[
edit
]
Bhootas
are able to shape-shift into various animal forms at will, but are most often seen in human shape.
[10]
However, their feet often reveal them to be ghosts, since they face backwards.
[11]
As the earth is regarded as sacred or semi-sacred in many traditions of the Indian subcontinent,
bhootas
will go to great lengths to avoid contact with it, often floating a fraction above it, although sometimes as much as a foot off the ground.
[11]
Furthermore
bhootas
cast no shadows, and speak with a nasal twang.
[12]
They often lurk in the branches of specific trees and prefer to appear in white clothing.
[13]
Sometimes
bhootas
haunt specific houses (the so-called
bhoot banglas
, i.e.
bhoot
bungalows
), which are typically the places where they were killed or places which hold some other deep significance for them.
[14]
Many
ghost stories
in the region combine these elements. For instance, they might involve a protagonist who fails to flee or take countermeasures when they run across a
bhoota
. Instead, they unwittingly accept the
bhoota's
companionship (e.g., keep the ghost company as he/she walks through a forest, or (if a man) picks up the ghost in his car because it looks like an attractive woman waiting by the roadside at night). They become progressively aware that their companion is dressed entirely in white and has a strangely nasal voice, before the horrifying realization dawns on them that their companion's feet are turned backwards, or he/she is not casting a shadow in the moonlight, or is walking without actually touching the ground.
Bhootas
are said to seek out milk and immerse themselves in it. Consuming
bhoota
-contaminated milk is considered a typical route for
bhoota
-
possession
of humans, which has also been a frequent plot element in bhoota stories.
[12]
A particular kind of
bhoota
, that of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth, is known as a
churel
(
dakini
in Nepal and eastern India).
Churels
look like human women, but their feet are turned backwards or other features are turned upside down. They can change their forms at any time. Churel often try to lure young men at road crossings and fields or similar places. If a man is enamored of a
churel
, it is believed that she will cause his death. There are, however, stories of people living with a
churel
, or even marrying one.
[
citation needed
]
Thwarting
bhootas
[
edit
]
In many regions,
bhootas
are said to fear water and objects made iron or steel, so keeping either of these near at hand is believed to afford protection against them.
[15]
The scent of burnt turmeric is also said to ward them off
[12]
- as are the fibres of the
Apiaceous
herb
bhutkeshi
(= "bhoota's hair").
[16]
As is typical of ghosts throughout the world, invoking the name of holy figures and deities is also said to repel
bhootas
. In some regions, sprinkling earth on oneself is said to shield against
bhootas
.
[17]
According to Hinduism and all
Dharmic Religions
, the
soul
cannot be destroyed by any means. As a bhootaa is just the lost, or angry soul of a deceased person, Hindu
exorcists
will not (or cannot) destroy them, but perform instead a ritual from the
Atharva Veda
called
atma-shanti
which is just a modified shraadh (
death anniversary
) carried out by those haunted by a
bhoota
, promising it that they will do everything in their power either to ensure the rebirth of the bhoota or to finish the works left incomplete by it (or both).
Such actions provide the bhoota with what it wants, causing it to cease haunting its victim for good.
[18]
Bhutas
[
edit
]
View of the Bhuta Gallery,
Crafts Museum
,
New Delhi
,
India
The Bhutas, spirits of
deified
heroes, of fierce and evil beings, of
Hindu deities
and of animals, etc., are wrongly referred to as "ghosts" or "demons" and, in fact, are protective and benevolent beings. Though it is true that they can cause harm in their violent forms, as they are extremely powerful, they can be pacified through worship or offerings referred to as Bhuta Aradhana.
[19]
In popular culture
[
edit
]
Many shows across South Asia have been based on stories and legends of bhootas.
- Woh Kya Hai ("What is that?") ? A Pakistani reality show where the host investigates haunted locations throughout Pakistan and records the activities.
- Saaya ("Shadow") ? A Pakistani horror drama revolving around black magic, possession, demons, and ghosts.
- Aahat ("An Approaching Sound") ? An Indian thriller/horror anthology series focusing on many supernatural stories, including those of bhootas.
The
Shudder
original
V/H/S/99
has one of the characters reference the bhuta and even uses turmeric to burn one of the ghouls.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Britannica; Dale Hoiberg; Indu Ramchandani (2000),
Students' Britannica India, Volumes 1-5
, Popular Prakashan, 2000,
ISBN
978-0-85229-760-5
,
... Bhut also spelt bhoot, in Hindu mythology, a restless ghost. Bhoots are believed to be malignant if they have died a violent of premature death or have been denied funerary rites ...
- ^
Henk W. Wagenaar; S. S. Parikh; D. F. Plukker; R. Veldhuijzen van Zanten (1993),
Allied Chambers transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English dictionary
, Allied Publishers, 1993,
ISBN
978-81-86062-10-4
,
... bh?t ??? (m.) a ghost; an evil spirit; ... the past tense (also bh?tk?l ??????); (adj.) past, bygone ...
- ^
Leon Stassen (2003),
Intransitive Predication: Oxford Studies in Typology and Linguistic Theory
, Oxford University Press, 2004,
ISBN
978-0-19-925893-2
,
... one of the most wide-spread roots in Indo-European - namely, *bheu/*bhu-. This root, which can be found in practically all branches of the family ... Welsh bod, Irish bha, Scottish Gaelic ba; English be ... Latvian but ... Russian byt' ... Modern Persian budan; Vedic bhu- ...
- ^
William H. Snyder (2001),
Time, Being, and Soul in the Oldest Sanskrit Sources
, Global Academic Publishing, 2001,
ISBN
978-1-58684-072-3
,
... derived in Sanskrit from the two verb roots (Indo-European *es- and *bheu-) ... bh?tam n. "being, creature" ...
- ^
Seminar, Issues 525-529
, R. Thapar, 2003, 2003,
... Filmi bhoot savaar tha na [I was obsessed with films] ...
- ^
Nonica Datta (1999),
Forming an identity: a social history of the Jats
, Oxford University Press, 1999,
ISBN
978-0-19-564719-8
,
... Is bholepan ke bhoot ko syr se utar de ... Get rid of your naivete ...
- ^
Lt Gen Yashwant Mande (2001),
Terror In Kashmir & Other Stories
, Prabhat Prakashan, 2009,
... The house had developed a shabby look. No visitors came. It had become a bhoot bangla ...
- ^
Ahmat Adam (2016).
Antara Sejarah dan Mitos: Sejarah Melayu & Hang Tuah dalam Historiografi Malaysia
. Strategic Information and Research Development Centre. p. 104.
ISBN
978-967-2165-93-4
.
- ^
Maxwill, Sir William George (1925).
In Malay Forests
. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons.
ISBN
978-1-177-61260-9
.
- ^
R.E. Enthoven; Arthur Mason Tippetts Jackson (1989),
Folklore Notes - 2 Vols
, Asian Educational Services, 1989,
ISBN
978-81-206-0485-8
,
... it is believed that ghosts or evil spirits have the form of a human being, but their feet are turned backwards ... They can change their forms at any time ...
- ^
a
b
"Anthropos"
.
Anthropos
. Vol. 57. Zaunrith'sche Buch-, Kunst- und Steindruckerei. 1962.
... its feet are twisted and turned backwards. The bhut always floats one foot above the ground ...
- ^
a
b
c
William Crooke (1896),
The popular religion and folk-lore of northern India, Volume 1
, A. Constable & Co., 1896, p. 237,
... they are very fond of milk ... Bhuts can never sit on the ground ... ... three infallible tests by which you may recognize a Bhut. In the first place he casts no shadow ... can stand anything in his neighbourhood but the scent of burning turmeric ... always speaks with a nasal twang ...
- ^
Office of the Registrar General (1967),
Census of India, 1961, Volume 8, Part 6, Issue 9
, Manager of Publications, Government of India, 1962,
... Bhoot: This malevolent male spirit appears in spotless white clothes. Its abode is trees and field-embankments. It appears and disappears in moments ...
- ^
Amaresh Misra (1998),
Lucknow, fire of grace: the story of its revolution, renaissance and the aftermath
, HarperCollins Publishers India, 1998,
ISBN
978-81-7223-288-7
,
... bhoot bangla - haunted mansion ...
- ^
Gurnam Singh Sidhu Brard (2007),
East of Indus: my memories of old Punjab
, Hemkunt Press, 2007, p. 269,
ISBN
978-81-7010-360-8
,
... desirable to keep water handy, since the
bhoot
avoided water. Another object useful for warding off the
bhoot
was anything made of iron. It need not be a sword or knife; even a steel bracelet was supposed to be protective ...
- ^
Singh, Harish "Importance of local names of some useful plants in ethnobotanical study",
Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
vol 7 (2), April 2008, pps. 365-370 [ plant listed in table under synonym
Selinum candollii
DC
]
- ^
Ellen Winner
(2003-11-01),
World Shaman: Encountering Ancient Himalayan Spirits in Our Time
, iUniverse, 2003,
ISBN
978-0-595-28836-6
,
... I saw a huge shadow was moving there and here. Slowly that shadow changed in human's shape and walking towards me. I thought some kind bhut was trying to attack me. I hurriedly speak the mantra, picked up a little dust from the ground ...
- ^
Devdutt Pattanaik (2006),
Myth=Mithya
, Penguin Books India, 2006, p. 77,78,
ISBN
978-0-14-309970-3
,
...ghosts are not godless-creatures. They are not exorcised......
- ^
"Museums of India - National Handicrafts and Handilooms Museum, New Delhi" (
ISBN
0-944142-23-0
) by Jyontindra Jain and Aarti Aggarwala.
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
Bh?ta
at Wikimedia Commons
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