
Vikram and the Vampire (1870) - ArtWomb
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/48511/48511-h/48511-h.htm
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vram22
This series is well-known to Indians under the Sanskrit name Vetala-
Panchavimshati - which means "ghoul('s) N" which is short for "N (stories of
the) ghoul [1]".

Pancha means 5, I forget or don't know what vimshati means - could be that the
whole number part (panchavimshati) means 25.

So the whole name of the series means 25 stories of the ghoul (vetala) - as
told to king Vikramaditya, a famous king of ancient times, on whose back a
ghoul somehow landed, and who then had to carry the ghoul on his back from
somewhere to the cemetery 25 times.

Each time, while going there, the ghoul told him a different story ending in a
puzzle or question.

Vikram was renowned as a good and fair judge.

The ghoul would tell him each time, that if he answered the question right
(which involved judging the protagonists of the story, and saying who of them
was right or wrong), he (the ghoul) would get off his (Vikram's) shoulders and
let him go. But, if by the 25th time, Vikram still did not get the question
right, the ghoul would kill him.

Entertaining stories we heard or read as kids. Often with some moral. Typical
of Indian legends / folk tales.

[1] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoul)

Edited for better wording / typos.

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vram22
Sorry:

s/cemetery/burning ground

since Hindus cremate, they don't bury.

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selimthegrim
The Bhils in interior Sindh bury. Some sadhus bury as well.

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fellellor
So do lingayats in Karnataka iirc.

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selimthegrim
Yes, I had forgotten about them too

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ArtWomb
Happy Easter Sundy HN! Bit of counter-programming for those indulging in too
much Kyregma and Jelly Belly's ;)

Slipping into Burton's prose is like mounting a white elephant for a long
stroll into humid, tiger-ravaged jungles.

Native folktales provide the antidote to _Myth of a Thousand Faces_ Ur-texts.
They're stochastic. Endless. Authorless. Abundant with seemingly coincidental
frissons. "Pearls with a thread draw through" indeed!

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cassandrahere
Can't access the link from Germany. Apparently Project Gutenberg is blocking
German IPs because of a court ruling.

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cmonnow
Gutenberg blocked in Germany.. Irony

