Vikram and the Vampire

Name: Vikram and the Vampire
Price: 67.90 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9783752398519

✍️ Richard F Burton

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$67.90

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A reproduction of Richard F. Burton's retelling of Indian vampire folklore.

The narrative focuses on the tense interactions between King Vikramāditya and the vetala spirit. Each encounter involves a story told by the captive entity, followed by a moral or logical puzzle. The king’s knowledge forces him to answer correctly, which triggers the spirit’s release. This pattern repeats until the cycle concludes. The text preserves the original dialogue structure and the specific conditions of the bet between the monarch and the tantric sorcerer. It highlights the intellectual duel rather than physical combat. The work captures the essence of the vetala as a trickster figure who uses wisdom to evade capture. Readers will encounter the same structural loop throughout the pages, emphasizing the persistence of the king and the cunning of the spirit.

Key Themes

tantric sorcery celestial spirits dead body animation

Literary Context

The story draws on Indian mythology involving the vetala, a celestial spirit Pishacha. It reflects Victorian era interpretations of Eastern folklore through Richard F. Burton’s translation work, bridging ancient legends with Western literary sensibilities.

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Bram Stoker · M.R. James · Edgar Allan Poe · The Panchatantra

🦇

Vampires

🏛 Outlook Verlag 📅 2020 🌐 English 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9783752398519

📝 Description: Vikram and the Vampire

This volume presents a reproduction of Richard F. Burton’s Vikram and the Vampire, published by Outlook Verlag in August 2020. The text recounts the legendary king Vikramāditya’s agreement with a tantric sorcerer to capture a vetala, a celestial spirit analogous to Western vampires that inhabits dead bodies while hanging from trees. The narrative structure relies on a repetitive cycle where the king attempts to seize the creature, only for it to interrupt with tales ending in riddles. Burton details how Vikrama must answer these questions correctly to prevent his head from bursting into pieces, yet answering allows the vampire to escape back to its perch. This dynamic repeats twenty-four times throughout the work. The book appeals to readers interested in gothic folklore and supernatural fiction traditions originating from Indian mythology. It suits those who appreciate classical literary retellings of ancient myths. The text does not offer modern analysis or contemporary horror tropes. Readers seeking fast-paced action or scientific explanations for the supernatural may find the repetitive structure tedious. The work remains a direct translation of Burton’s 19th-century interpretation, preserving the original dialogue and narrative cadence without alteration. It stands as a specific artifact of Victorian engagement with Eastern legends rather than a new creation.

💎 Our verdict on Vikram and the Vampire

“

🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

This text successfully preserves the essence of the vetala as a trickster figure who uses wisdom to evade capture, highlighting an intellectual duel rather than physical combat. Burton’s reproduction maintains the original dialogue structure and specific conditions of the bet between the monarch and the tantric sorcerer with remarkable fidelity. The narrative’s repetitive cycle, where stories end in riddles leading to escape, emphasizes the cunning of the spirit effectively. It suits readers who appreciate classical literary retellings and gothic folklore traditions. While it lacks contemporary horror tropes or modern analysis, its value lies in being a direct artifact of Victorian engagement with Eastern legends. The work stands as a significant, unaltered translation for those interested in the historical intersection of Western gothic sensibilities and Indian mythology.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This volume appeals to readers deeply interested in gothic folklore and supernatural fiction traditions originating from Indian mythology, as well as those who appreciate classical literary retellings of ancient myths. It serves as a unique resource for understanding Victorian perspectives on Eastern legends, offering a direct translation of Burton’s work without alteration. The text is ideal for scholars or enthusiasts examining the intellectual duel between King Vikramāditya and the trickster vetala spirit. However, it may prove tedious for those seeking fast-paced action or scientific explanations for the supernatural. Readers must engage with its repetitive structural loop to fully appreciate the persistence of the monarch and the cunning of the spirit in this preservation of 19th-century textual cadence.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

This text successfully preserves the essence of the vetala as a trickster figure who uses wisdom to evade capture, highlighting an intellectual duel rather than physical combat. Burton’s reproduction maintains the original dialogue structure and specific conditions of the bet between the monarch and the tantric sorcerer with remarkable fidelity. The narrative’s repetitive cycle, where stories end in riddles leading to escape, emphasizes the cunning of the spirit effectively. It suits readers who appreciate classical literary retellings and gothic folklore traditions. While it lacks contemporary horror tropes or modern analysis, its value lies in being a direct artifact of Victorian engagement with Eastern legends. The work stands as a significant, unaltered translation for those interested in the historical intersection of Western gothic sensibilities and Indian mythology.