Chiang-Shih

It is a Chinese belief that everyone possesses two souls, a superior or rational soul an an inferior irrational soul. The superior soul can leave a sleeping body and roams about as the body's double. It can also possess and speak through the body of another. An inferior soul can inhabit the body of a fetus and linger in the bodies of the dead. It is believed that the mythology of the Chiang-Shih or hopping corpse came from the folklore practice of "Traveling a Corpse over a Thousand Li". A traveling companion or family members who could not afford a wagon or had very little money would hire a Tao priests to transport the corpses of friends/family members who died far from home over long distances by teaching to hop on their own feet back to their hometown for a proper burial. Other think they were smugglers in disguise who wanted to scare off law enforcement.

A Chiang-Shih is said to be created when a person's soul fails to leave the decease's body, usually after a violent death. It could also be the result of an improper burial. Their transformation taken place before the burial. Some appear as a normal human while others have a hideous green phosphorescent glow with serrated teeth, glowing red eyes, foul breath and long talons. They hop because of the pain and stiffness from death makes it difficult to walk. They are far more pale and have very dark circles under their eyes.

The Chiang-Shih were nocturnal creatures and couldn't cross running water. They ripped the head and limbs off their victims and attacked and raped women. After growing stronger, they gained the ability to fly, grow long white hair and sometimes change into wolves. It was also known to leap out of graves and attack people traveling at night. So, how do you protect yourself from such vicious creatures?

You are advised to hold your breath as they are blind and can only detect your breathing (they are known to steal the breath from their victims). You can also protect yourself by using garlic or salt. Other methods includes driving them away with noise (thunder could kill them), sweeping the creature back with a broom and use iron filings, rice and red peas as barriers, and kill them with bullets (if they reached the white haired stage). If the creature is killed, it must be cremated. Tao priests could also be recruited to perform a type of "exorcism". A piece of wood approximately six inches high is installed along the width of the door to prevent a hopping corpse from entering the household according to conventional wisdom of feng shui Chinese architecture.

This is a vampire you definitely want to stay far away from.


Sources:

Monstropedia

VampGirl.com

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