An artist's depiction of a Baital.
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The Baital was a half-man, half-bat creature from Hindu folklore that hung by its toes from the branch of a mimosa tree.
Description[]
Like other vampires, the Baital had no blood in its body. Rather than drinking the blood of its victims, though, it took over the corpses of people who had died and were buried beneath its tree. The Baital is best known as the storyteller who matched wits with the legendary King Vikram.
Folklore[]
The Baital escaping.
According to legend, a holy man asked King Vikram to fetch a corpse from a nearby tree. When Vikram reached the tree, he found that the body had been taken over by a Baital. On the trip back to see the holy man, the Baital told the king stories that ended in a riddle. Each time the king answered, the baital returned to its tree. After the 25th story, Vikram wisely remained silent. The Baital rewarded him by revealing that the holy man's quest was really a trick. He planned to kill Vikram once he returned with the Baital. Since he was forewarned, the king was able to turn the table on the holy man by chopping his head off.