ABSTRACT
Among the many cults of ancient India there was one that has provoked fear – or even terror – among the people of rural India. 1 Stories about it have been in circulation since medieval times, and in Indian folklore, such as in the stories collected in the Kathāsaritsāgara, the yoginīs figure prominently and in various capacities. Usually, they are seen as ominous females who present a picture that mixes magic with violence. Yoginīs are depicted as able to fly. Usually they meet in significant numbers on a cremation ground, where they dance around a man who will then be killed and devoured by them. However, reliable information about the yoginīs and their cult has remained meagre, and apprehension is widespread even today.
