Research source

One particularly dreaded form of witch is the Jigar Khor or liver-eater, of whom Abul Fazl gives a description:…

Date of account: Second edition published 1896
Source: The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Reference: The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, Vol. 2 (of 2) · selected passage 137
Rights: public_domain
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-25

Record summary

One particularly dreaded form of witch is the Jigar Khor or liver-eater, of whom Abul Fazl gives a description: "One of this class can steal away the liver of another by looks and incantations

Published source text

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Source passage

Source text · mention only

One particularly dreaded form of witch is the Jigar Khor or liver-eater, of whom Abul Fazl gives a description: "One of this class can steal away the liver of another by looks and incantations. Other accounts say that by looking at a person he deprives him of his senses, and then steals from him something resembling the seed of a pomegranate, which he hides in the calf of his leg; after being swelled by the fire, he distributes it among his fellows to be eaten, which ceremony concludes the life of the fascinated person. A Jigar Khor is able to communicate his art to another by teaching him incantations, and by making him eat a bit of the liver cake. These Jigar Khors are mostly women. It is said they can bring intelligence from a long distance in a short space of time, and if they are thrown into a river with a stone tied to them, they nevertheless will not sink.

Historical context

Contextual commentary · mention only

This material belongs to a folklore tradition. Story type, collector, community, transmission and literary editing matter when comparing it with other sources.

Modern context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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