Writer and illustrator Anupam Arunachalam revisits Tamil bogeyman Poochandi and the cow-eating tree, among many others, in a new spook-book for kids
Bhootbilli, the mysterious pigeon-devouring creature sighted in Pune in 2010
Remember that time as a kid, when you were up to some mischief, and the elders would try and terrify you with stories of the 'bogeyman' — how he'd come and take you away if you didn't mend your ways. Then, the stories seemed believable enough to deter us from not becoming the monsters that we most feared. Delhi-based writer and illustrator Anupam Arunachalam's new children's book Tooth and Nail, Fur and Scale (Penguin Random House) will take you back to where these hauntings first began. Fifteen eerie stories and illustrations revisit the fantastic beasts and monsters from ancient Indian myths and legends like never before.
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Yali, the guardian of sacred spaces
From Pishacha, the shape-shifting demon, to Naale Baa Bhootam, the ghostly apparition dressed in rags, and Yali, the hybrid elephant-lion monster, Arunachalam brings to life the creatures that have painted the imagination of Indian storytelling for time immemorial. "There were primarily four main sources for these characters," says the 28-year-old writer. "First, was the vast, epic Indian mythology; then there are the folktales, which come mainly from our rich, oral traditions. The third was the urban legends and I got a lot of these stories from newspaper archives," adds the writer.
Airavata, Lord Indra's war elephant. Illustrations/Anupam Arunachalam
Another interesting source for Arunachalam's work was old Greek, Persian and Roman histories, which portrayed India as a 'here be dragons' place. He mentions the works of Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder and Greek historians Herodotus and Megasthenes. "They invented some fascinating monsters to live in our forests and mountains," says the writer. The fierce-looking bloodthirsty crocotta, which tears princes' apart in Arunachalam's story Lost Words, is one such creature. Then there is Megasthenes' Astomi, a hairy humanoid, who had no mouth and survived from the smell of roots, flowers and wild apples. The creatures only get more ghoulish with each story. The relief comes from the child-like curiosity with which Arunachalam treats his subjects. While the stories are meant for kids, who would lap up the spook as if it were real, Arunachalam's orange and black digital drawings, which reimagine these monsters for us, will have any adult captivated. "My own inspiration for these creatures comes from my childhood. My grandmother and father were influencers in my reading. They both introduced me to ancient Indian mythology," says Arunachalam, who also draws for Tinkle and Amar Chitra Comics.
Anupam Arunachalam
For the book, however, the writer deliberately chose to talk about the lesser-known creatures. His most interesting tryst with a local myth came during a work trip to Kandhamal in Odisha in 2014. "When I was talking to the locals there, I learnt that the Kandha people strongly believe that some among them have been blessed with the power to transform into tigers at will to wreak vengeance upon their enemies," recalls Arunachalam. The Weretiger motif in the book has been inspired from this tale. Just like village folklore, urban legends of the Bhootbilli, a strange cat-like monster that was seen roaming in Sanjay Park, Pune, in October 2010, also fascinated the writer to build a story around it. "I don't think I believe in these creatures," says the writer. "But, I like to scare myself with the idea and yes, I would definitely love to see some evidence of their existence."
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