Kichkandi (Nepal)

Kichkandi, also known as kichkanya, are vengeful spirits of women who died untimely and painful deaths. They were victims of abuse who endured various forms of torment and mistreatment, mostly at the hands of men.

In death, these women transform into kichkandi—vengeful ghosts that target only men to seek vengeance. Their true forms are ghastly, with pale, skeletal and corpse-like appearances, but they can disguise themselves as beautiful women, often with long, flowing hair and dressed in red bridal gowns. Regardless of their appearance, kichkandi can be identified by their unnaturally backward feet—a characteristic they either cannot or choose not to change. Once a kichkandi ensnares a man, he either dies quickly or wastes away as his life force is slowly drained.