Chedipe - Indian Witch-Vampire

Chedipe is a witch-vampire from folklore stories in India. The word chedipe means prostitute. If a woman is a prostitute or she dies of an unnatural cause of suicide or at childbirth it is considered that she can turn into chedipe.

In some stories, she appears naked riding a tiger or she could shapeshift into tiger and attacks men in the forest. One of her legs sometimes remains in human form. They can be undead.

Chedipe was seductress who brings impurity into the home. She was believed to wound or have a sexual affair with sleeping man victim which resulted of wife's suspicion of infidelity. She weakens the marriage bond between man and his wife. Chedipe feeds off the pain, sadness and destroying the couple’s love and trust.

By legend she visited houses at night, naked, had hypnotic power, cast a spell on the house residents and suck blood from men from their toes. People were put in deep sleep and in the morning they remembered nothing. She was returning to same people, suck their blood, weakens them, drain their energy until they were dead.

By legend to protect the house from chedipe the house must be sanctified with mantras, holy icons and incense. If the man feels drained, he should seek medical attention. If he does that chedipe would not return, otherwise, she will keep coming back.

Chepide is associated with devadasis, a discriminated caste of people. Devadasis are girls in India dedicated to worship and service a temple for the rest of their lives. They had a high social status, married wealthy patrons, had children from their husbands, but they spent time practicing art skills, like dance and music for traditional worship ceremonies. Their children were also trained for this. Their husbands had another wife for the housewife. Chedipe is considered as type of devadasis and symbolizes a prostitute.