Rantas

Rantas (Kashmiri pronunciation: [rãːʈas]) is a mythical creature from Kashmiri folklore[1] - a female with long hair, pointed teeth, long nails, and inverted feet[2] who ventures out during heavily snowy nights. She is invoked to frighten children into staying safely at home during winter.[3][4][5][6][7]

Not to be confused with Rântaș.

Rantas is said to abduct men, keeping them prisoner and later marrying them, due to sorrow over the loss of her lover. In stories, she wanders and wails on moonless nights, walking on feet which are turned backward. She only ventures out during heavily snowing nights and kidnaps young men who she gets infatuated with.[8][9][3][10]

A famous story of Love-Lone and Rantas is quite popular in Kashmir urban legend which usually revolves around a man named Love Lone who was kidnapped by the creature Rantas disguised as a beautiful woman in the Nallah Ferozpora which some people doubt in the plot-location. Some sources however argue the story originated in the forests of Anantnag (Islamabad) while some others differ the location.

In January 2021, a clip was broadcast by a local news channel which had the audio of a female screaming and which were rumoured to be of a Rantas.[10]

See also

References
  1. Kalla, Krishan Lal (1985). The Literary Heritage of Kashmir. Mittal Publications.
  2. Bhat, Hilal Ahmad. "'RANTAS' (A Mysterious Creature): Myth or Reality". The Kashmir Horizon. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  3. "The Magical Reality of Rantas". Kashmir Observer. 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  4. RANTAS. "RANTAS( Ancient Kashmiri Mythical Figure) by Naik Sualeha". allpoetry.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  5. "Fake ghost voices played on loudspeaker in many parts of Kashmir at night to create panic in society - The RealKashmir News Fact Check". The RealKashmir News. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  6. Hussain, Aadil (2020-05-15). "Negative Female Portrayals in the Folktales of the Raantas, the Kikimora and the Banshee — by Aadil Hussain". INVERSE JOURNAL. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  7. "Why Raantas Is A Prejudiced Patriarchal Folktale?". Kashmir Life. 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  8. Desk, K. M. (2021-01-09). "J&K Wildlife dept calls sighting of Yethi (Rantas) in South Kashmir hoax". Kashmir Mirror. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  9. Manzoor, Fazil (2021-01-09). "Rantas in Kashmir | Videos circulated on social media: Fake or Real". JK Chrome. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  10. "In snow-quiet Kashmir, rumors of a witch tease mental health question". The Kashmir Walla. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
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