Uploaded November 2018 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
Like werewolves, female were-animals are shape-changers whose appearance alternates between that of a human woman—often identified as a witch—and that of one or another bird or mammal, including a hyena, a jackal, a wolf, a fox, and most intriguingly, a bat. Myths of these fearsome, predatory creatures are embedded in the mythological and demonological canons of several cultures and religions, and attested across some three thousand years of history. While the richest sources for these traditions are the Tantras of medieval South, Inner, and East Asia, the earliest accounts of these creatures are found in Roman literature from the beginning of the Common Era, where they are known as striga. They next appear in Hindu India (where they are most often called yoginis) and Buddhist Asia—India, Nepal, Tibet, China, and Japan—where they are most often called dakinis. Finally, they are described in Arabic-and Persian-language encyclopedias and travel accounts dating from the fourteenth century. In this richly illustrated talk, Dr. White will discuss the salient features of their mythology, including their female gender; their identifications with nocturnal animals; their predatory habits; and their transformation into divinely appointed agents of human salvation.
Like werewolves, female were-animals are shape-changers whose appearance alternates between that of a human woman—often identified as a witch—and that of one or another bird or mammal, including a hyena, a jackal, a wolf, a fox, and most intriguingly, a bat. Myths of these fearsome, predatory creatures are embedded in the mythological and demonological canons of several cultures and religions, and attested across some three thousand years of history. While the richest sources for these traditions are the Tantras of medieval South, Inner, and East Asia, the earliest accounts of these creatures are found in Roman literature from the beginning of the Common Era, where they are known as striga. They next appear in Hindu India (where they are most often called yoginis) and Buddhist Asia—India, Nepal, Tibet, China, and Japan—where they are most often called dakinis. Finally, they are described in Arabic-and Persian-language encyclopedias and travel accounts dating from the fourteenth century. In this richly illustrated talk, Dr. White will discuss the salient features of their mythology, including their female gender; their identifications with nocturnal animals; their predatory habits; and their transformation into divinely appointed agents of human salvation.
