Pages

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Palis...a Foot-licking Vampire Demon


Yes, you read that correctly.  Today's entry into the ABCs of the Paranormal involves a foot licking demon/vampire thing that I thought you all might be interested in hearing about!  I haven't been able to find a lot on this particular critter, but nearly identical accounts can be found in both A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits by Carol and Dinah Mack, and Rosemary Guiley's Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters.

Summarized from the two aforementioned sources:

From Persian-Islamic lore, this is a vampiric demon who attacks at night and kills by licking the soles of its victims' feet, in the process, draining them all of their blood. The palis, which is not very smart, can be thwarted through the use of salt, but also can be easily tricked. There's a popular legend about two men traveling through the desert who managed to trick the beast. When they went to sleep, they lied down with their feet touching the other's...sole to sole. The beast came upon them in the night, but it could find no soles to lick. In frustration it cried out something along the lines of traveling 1033 valleys and never having met a man with two heads, lol.

I would suggest to anyone wishing to do internet research on this topic to be cautious of wording used and any links that may come up.  I did manage to find many people NAMED Palis, a few random companies, and a French commune among "other things." Also, apparently, Palis is a Sanskrit related language, and can also be used to define a group of dances that are performed in order to call up the demons harassing the ill and make them leave.

No comments:

Post a Comment