Understanding the Kichkini

Death, Female Ghosts, Gender, and Sexuality in Nepal

Abstract

The kichkini is a young, beautiful, female ghost featured in Nepalese legends, instantly recognizable by her back-turned feet. She is believed to travel through the night in search of men to seduce, and those who encounter her may fall ill or even die. This article explores the kichkini narrative through four in-depth interviews with Nepali nationals—three based in the UK (n=3) and one in Nepal (n=1)—supported by published stories, online blogs, and YouTube video clips. Ghost stories are found throughout the world, and many features of the kichkini legend are transcultural. For example, “hitchhiking ghosts” and “back-footed beings” appear in other folklore traditions. At the same time, ghost stories may also act as “cultural objects,” reflecting specific cultural ideas and concerns. In the Nepali context, ghosts arise due to “bad deaths” or incorrect death rituals. They can be malign, and shamans are tasked with protecting the living from these entities. Kichkini may represent the perceived threat posed by female sexuality to patrilineal structures and be used to justify restrictions on women and even violence against them. As the social climate of Nepal shifts under the influence of modernity and the drive for development, the position of women is changing, and the kichkini story appears to be evolving to reflect this. There is little research-based literature on the kichkini, and analyzing such legends could provide deeper understanding of death, gender, female sexuality, and social change in Nepal.