Research source

(7) Girha is the ghost of a person who dies by drowning, or of a murdered person

Date of account: Published 1915
Source: Folk Lore Notes. Vol. II—Konkan
Reference: Folk Lore Notes. Vol. II—Konkan · selected passage 34
Rights: public_domain
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-25

Record summary

Published source text

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Source passage

Source text · mention only

(7) Girha is the ghost of a person who dies by drowning, or of a murdered person. [559] Girha is not very powerful, and obeys the orders of the exorcists. It only frightens and troubles people. [560] It lives by the water side, and deceives persons at night by calling them by their names and leading them into false paths. It often troubles people while crossing rivers or creeks at night, and leads them to places where the water is very deep. It is said that the spirit Girha becomes the regular slave of a person who takes possession of the hair of its head, and gives him anything that he requires. It requests the person to return its hair, but this should not be given under any circumstances. For, if the Girha gets back its hair all sorts of misfortunes will befall the man.

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

Lattice compares motifs and reported features without assuming that a traditional being is a biological species or that similar stories document one external cause.

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