Persian lore: Palis · Liberty Politics Discussion

Persian lore: Palis

The Palis is a vampiric, desert-dwelling demon from Persian folklore known as a "foot-licker". It stalks sleeping travelers and feeds by licking the soles of their feet to drain their blood, often serving as a cautionary tale to avoid sleeping unprotected in the desert

Key Details About the Palis:

Name Origin: Derived from Persian words "Pa" (foot) and "lis" (to lick).

Appearance: Often depicted as a thin, shadowy, or strange creature, sometimes featured in old manuscripts such as one from Isfahan, Iran (circa 1921).

Folklore Function: These stories were told as warnings to travelers to protect themselves when sleeping in the open

A Book Of Creatures:

Most means of thwarting a palis revolve around concealing one’s feet. The palis is thankfully rather stupid, and can be easily convinced to give and go elsewhere. The best-known method of dealing with a palis was pioneered by two muleteers from Isfahan, who went to sleep in the desert with the soles of their feet touching, blanketing themselves so that only their heads were visible. When a palis arrived, it circled for hours, searching vainly for their feet all night long. By daybreak it slunk away, lamenting its bad luck. “I have wandered through a thousand and thirty-three valleys, but I have never seen a man with two heads!”

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Persian lore: Palis