Question
Worshippers of a god who shares his name with these creatures offer him leather sandals as he protects villages throughout Goa while on his nightly travels. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name these malevolent, vampire-like creatures that, like the pishācha and bhūta, are known to terrorize charnel grounds using reanimated corpses. In a set of 25 tales, King Vikramāditya is questioned by one of these creatures.
ANSWER: vetāla [or vethāla; accept Betāl, Betaal, Baitāl, or Vetāl; accept Vetoba; accept Betāl Pachīsi or Vetāla Panchavimshati or Vetāla Tales; accept Vikram-Vetāla or Vikram-Betāl; prompt on ghost; reject “Vithōbā” or “Vitthala”]
[10h] In the Vetāla Tales, the gazes of various figures are likened to the chakora, a partridge known to feast on this stuff. The Romanian iele (“YAY-leh”) danced while immersed in this stuff, frequent exposure to which could cause blindness.
ANSWER: moonbeams [accept moonlight or rays of the moon; prompt on moon]
[10e] A vetāla acted as the mount of this goddess’s “Bhadra” form after she emerged from Shiva’s third eye to engage Darika in battle. A garland of heads adorns the neck of this goddess who emerged from Durgā’s forehead.
ANSWER: Kālī [or Kālikā; accept Bhadrakālī; accept Mahākālī]
<Kevin Thomas, Beliefs>