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Demons and Ghosts in Indian Folklore - Wayne Mcclintock, 1990
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First published January 1990
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Demons and Ghosts in Indian Folklore

Wayne McclintockView all authors and affiliations
Volume 18, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1177/009182969001800104

Abstract

Among the rural peasantry of South Asia there is a tendency to attribute the misfortunes of life to the attacks of demons and ghosts. Serious attempts to incarnate the gospel message in this context must, therefore, seek to understand this cosmos of malignant spirits and its relevance to the everyday life of the villager. Within Indian folklore, the term bhut represents a large amorphous category of spirit beings with common distinctive characteristics. Twenty-nine demon/ghosts are identified in the nomenclature presented here. Other beliefs and practices associated with bhut are also examined, and several recent field studies indicating the persistence of traditional beliefs concerning these beings are briefly summarized.

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Biographies

Wayne McClintock, a New Zealand sociologist, works with Interserve (formerly Bible Medical Missionary Fellowship International). Since 1984 he has been seconded to the Association for Community Training Services in Lahore, Pakistan, where he is currently engaged in field research among the nomadic tribal peoples of the Punjab.
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