Its eyes, which were wide open, were of a greenish-brown, and never twinkled; its hair also was brown, and brown was its face—three several shades which, notwithstanding, approached one another in an unpleasant way, as in an over-dried cocoa-nut. Its body was thin and ribbed like a skeleton or a bamboo framework, and as it held on to a bough, like a flying fox, by the toe-tips, its drawn muscles stood out as if they were ropes of coin. Blood it appeared to have none, or there would have been a decided determination of that curious juice to the head; and as the Raja handled its skin it felt icy cold and clammy as might a snake. The only sign of life was the whisking of a ragged little tail much resembling a goat’s. Judging from these signs the brave king at once determined the creature to be a Baital—a Vampire.
This scintillating description of the frightful Vetala by reputed Indologist Sir Richard Burton caught the fancy of a certain Bram Stoker. In popular belief, Stoker’s Dracula is said to have been inspired by Central European tales of Nosferatu or the undead and the infamous 15th-century Romanian prince Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler. However, while the humble Vetala may not be listed among Nosferatu and Vlad, its contribution to the creation of this gothic legend is undeniable.
Stoker’s family served in India, and Stoker soon became fascinated with Indian occult, and Burton’s translation of the Baital Pachisi provided him with a window into the tales of the cadaverous creature, Vatala.
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