Originally posted by groingrinder
I used to work with a guy who had backwards kneecaps and walked like a flamingo.....but he was not a ghost.

Oh man... that poor guy. That must have been very
difficult and painful. I can only imagine the taunts
he must have gotten from other kids in school.

One of the universal (transcultural) traditions is that most ghosts do not actually realize they are dead. Books like the Egyptian and Tibetan books of the dead are actually meant to be read to the dying person, or to the corpse, instructing them about how to survive in the spirit world.

The movie "6th Sense" portrayed this attitude pretty well.

A French tradition, I believe, is to stop all clocks in the house when a person dies, as well as to cover all mirrors.

The American south used to put a black wreath on the front door on the house of a person who died. In a warm climate, where disease from dead bodies was an issue. The black wreath had an important warnng as well.

Talking with people from traditional cultures, they will tell you that these traditions, when they were universally practiced, helped a ghost figure out that they were dead. The actions are like semaphore, announcing that you've passed on.

If you wake up one morning, and everyone ignores you, and goes around stopping the clocks and covering the mirrors, you start to realize pretty quick that you've kicked over. If you step outside the house and there's a black wreath on your own door, it makes it fairly obvious that you've entered a new existence.

The image of backwards feet definitely sends a message of being un-natural, and a creature that you cannot follow, like a leprachaun or a unicorn.

A person with "backwards feet" obviously should be walking away from you, which is what you hope for, that the dead will go away. The dead approaching the living is unnatural and against the order of the world, it is as out of place as a living person walking around backwards. And that is exactly what I think the symbolism represents.

Originally posted by lemMuppet
well my dad is from India, and he him and my grandparents used to tell my brother and me stories about creatures that roamed around at nite, they called them "chiralles" (pronounced, 'ch-ray-lees')
They were actually really spooky stories. It was said they looked just like normal people, but they're feet were backwards, they only came out at nite, and i remember something about the trees too, but its slipped my mind.

"Namaskar" to your family!
I think they pronounce it "Chudels" (witches) in the state I used to live (gujarat). Since there are so many languages, prounounciation might differ from place to place! Also they say those "chudels" have long hair and "shagdi" on their head, which I don't even know what it is!

About the trees, they say that if you go out in the middle of night near a "neem" tree, you'll find a "white" ghost/creature lurking around in the tree. Also some people in the villages say that when a person dies, his/her ghost resides inside that "neem" tree!

Originally posted by lost lake pilsner
Aside from ghosts,I think its fairly obvious that becuase of the lack of sightings(this being that they actually exist) would mean that the backwards feet thing was a genetic screw up(like a 2 headed frog) they would have flourished like forward footed animals..Thus survival of the fitist.In this world backwards feet dont help anything out so obviously they will be rare and become extinct.
We all seen multi headed animals,extra legs,less legs ect ect...I wouldnt be suprised in the least if i saw a animal or person with backwards feet because birth defects are a normal part of life

You might be right about the birth defects, but these creatures with backwards feet that people I heard describe as evil, and seem to come from nowhere, which is the scary part! They live in forests may be, but they always scare people and harm them.

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
The image of backwards feet definitely sends a message of being un-natural, and a creature that you cannot follow, like a leprachaun or a unicorn.

A person with "backwards feet" obviously should be walking away from you, which is what you hope for, that the dead will go away. The dead approaching the living is unnatural and against the order of the world, it is as out of place as a living person walking around backwards. And that is exactly what I think the symbolism represents.

Great job explaining the symbolism of backwards feet. That was thoughtful.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
The churail from what i know is a form of a vampire

That's what i think it is.
Here's one other story from my grandmother if anyone's interested. Once it was this old guy in her village who was very mean to other people, used to curse them and was an alcoholic. One night, these chudels carried him to a jungle, danced around him, and beat him! I guess they are doing some social work here! I think that guy improved in his behavior later.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
btw it's nice to see others from our culture on this site, and don't worry JP1111, Kareena will be back

It is nice!
I guess you're cycling your different avatars. I am thinking of putting up one of her pictures too, but I think my "aum" is fine!

[edit on 8/4/2004 by jp1111]

[edit on 8/4/2004 by jp1111]

Sorry to bring back an older thread, but the great Irish hero, Cu Cuchulain (the hound of Ulster) was said to enter a battle rage that dramatically altered his appearance, among other things, turning his feet backwards. Cu Cuchulain is a really interesting character.

Indeed. My favorite versions of the stories are the ones where he explodes peoples' hearts with the special spurred spear that only he is able to wield.

There are some other great tales of Irish heros, none as fantastic (or with backwards feet, as far as I know). I like the ones of Brian Boru and his son fighting agains the occupying vikings.

When my mum lived in Doncaster, Yorkshire she often saw a man standing outside his garden gate across the street. One day she came in on his side of the street and he started a conversation about the weather or some other pleasantries. As she spoke to him she found herself telling him things you wouldn't normally reveal to a stranger. He found out she was looking for a part time job and he said he was looking for a cleaner. When he suggested that she come in and look at his house she saw nothing unusual although alarm bells would usually have been ringing. Just as he opened his little wooden gate she looked down and realised that his feet were on back to front. When she looked up at him he was smiling mischievously as if to say nearly got you. Also my dad who was from a very large family says that when he was younger he would walk backwards into the cinema just as the first house was coming out to avoid paying.

In different folklore and stories of Mythological creatures you will see different species just as in humans and animals. My family is from Pakistan and we have many of the same stories as mentioned above. For those who are not familiar with India and Pakistan, villages are in very remote areas and very far from each other. The way to these villages is nothing but endless dusty land with no living person for miles. It is in these areas that people have reported most sightings!

The woman with the backward feet is a type of Witch. Witches in Urdu (Pakistani language) are known as Churails. There are different types of witches. You have the human kind which is simply women who practice witch craft and then a lot of people call certain type of female demons witches as well. The woman with the backward feet is known as Pitchell Perry. She appears mostly around these villages and in more modern times, has been seen on long endless highways. She mostly appears in wedding clothes. Wedding clothes in India and Pakistan are very colorful and with lots of bead work and intricate designs which seem very attractive. Also, brides in India and Pakistan wear a lot of Gold as well. Now here is another thing, prostitutes in India and Pakistan also wear bridal attire a lot of times as well!!! Another thing... these Pitchell Perrys are mostly known to prey on men.

So basically the majority of incidents that have been reported have been of men traveling between villages or returning back to villages from the city and most modern day stories have been reported by inter-state truck drivers making deliveries and shipments. A woman appears on the side of the road in full bridal attire. Many of these men think they are prostitutes and stop for a good time. In a few other cases, the men themselves admitted that they thought it was a runaway bride (common case back in the day when arrange marriages were much more common in India and Pakistan) and they stopped to steal all the gold. The Pitchell Perry can appear in any form but according to the myth, she cannot disguise her feet which is why she usually wears very long garments. Many men were lucky enough to notice the feet before they actually offered her a ride, many others were not fortunate enough and noticed her feet afterwards. The main purpose of Pitchell Perry is to scare men beyond their wits. They slowly start taking a incredibly hideous form which starts from their smile.

Most men who have been through such an incident have reported passing out and woke up with high fever which remained for 5 days or more. Many suffered through heart attack as well. It is these incidents which sometimes makes it hard to ignore them a simply stories or lies etc etc.

Other creatures in the South East Asian area include dwarfs and elves (cases reported report both good and bad experiences), "Challawas": a creature which is said to have only one leg in the middle of its torso. It has been reported to be mischievous and likes to scare people in a way that someone does to have fun. In other cases (most commonly reported) it appears in the form of an animal or lost child. You pick it up hoping to return it to whomever it belongs to and as you walk you notice it is getting heavier and heavier. When you look at it (animal or child) its feet will still be where you picked it up from and its legs will have stretched all the way to the body you are carrying in your arms. Once your drop it out of fear it is said to communicate with you telepathically issuing a warning that it will do something to you.