Assassins of the Dark

Hello there guys! How are y’all doing? Today I’ve decided to tell you about some very sinister stuff from the very depth of the intense history of one of the southern states of India, Kerala. This little state located along the western coast of India has a lot of crazy, mind-boggling stories to tell. I don’t know them all, but I do know that like many other cultures around the world, superstition served as a base for a lot of their beliefs back in the day. But of course, Kerala has come far beyond all that now.

 It was one day while watching television with my parents that I came across the advertising for a movie called ‘Odiyan’. Although I’m ethnically a Keralite and speak Malayalam at home, I never had heard this word before. But it caught my interest immediately, all thanks to the immense efforts of the movie makers to make the movie popular. And I did see the movie after it was released but to be honest, it was a little disappointing. It seemed more like an extremely long and dramatic ad film rather than a fantasical thriller it could’ve, should’ve been. Anyway, I really wanted to know what it was and of course, my first instinct was to ask my parents and I did exactly that. My dad described the term as an adjective used for someone who creates an obstacle for another’s endeavors. Yeah that failed to satisfy me. So off I went to trusty old Google and woah, it was a bit more than what I expected.

And before going any further, I would like to include a little disclaimer : the content of this post can be a little disturbing for a lot of people as it includes a lot of gory and frankly, horrifying details. It may even be potentially nightmarish. If you feel like you really don’t have the appetite for that, then I advise you to refrain from reading it. If not, then get ready to read some thrilling stuff.

I have never encountered one in real life nor do I know anyone who had real experiences with them. Whatever I’m writing here is purely based on the information obtained from the net and of course, the movie.

It is not an unknown fact that caste systems were rigid in ancient India, even more so in Kerala. That, along with feuds over land and money encouraged the emergence of the odiyans, assassins of the dark believed to have possessed magical powers and more importantly, do the dirty work for the upper-class men without leaving any trace.

Theses assassins usually belonged to the lower strata of the caste system, tribal people who dwelt deep within the forests and worshiped strange deities which in turn is believed to have given them some super powers, the most prominent among them being the ability to shape-shift. This was aided by the drops of a special oil, meticulously prepared by themselves with horrifying ingredients. I’ll get back to that later.

So how exactly do they execute such perfectly timed and aimed attacks? Legend has it that with the help of the special oil, they wait for their pray, hiding behind bushes in dark of the night, luring the prey towards them by shape-shifting into the form of an animal, often an injured one, to earn the sympathy of the unsuspecting traveler. Once the poor fellow nears the animal, it springs forward and finishes the job neatly. It could have happened in a million different ways, in a million different contexts, but I wasn’t there, so I don’t really know the exact details. But it is a no-brainer that these expert hit-men were greatly feared by the common people.

Now let’s get back to that oil. Brace yourself! According to sources, this very precious oil is made from a human foetus. Wait, WHAT? Yep! That’s where it comes from. It is said that an odiyan would spot a pregnant woman, wait till it’s midnight and lure her out of her chamber, her home. She would be taken to a secluded place where the assassin would perform the necessary procedures and extract the underdeveloped foetus. The woman would be found in her chamber the next day, spotless and undisturbed except for the fact that her child would be missing from her womb. The oil is extracted in a long and tedious process. It is believed that this oil is applied to the area behind the ears of the odiyans, which enabled them to create an illusion to allure the victims towards them.

It’s bizarre really, and a lot of it could be speculations conjured by the frightened minds of common people ages back. As I said, I wasn’t there. But it’s part of a very interesting culture, a bit of their rusted beliefs, something a little disturbing yet interesting. And that’s precisely why I thought I would share it with you. I’m simultaneously repulsed and intrigued by it.

But why would people go such extreme ends just to get rid of a feud? Well, it could be because in the ancient days of Kerala, the commoners were really strong and healthy, a lot of them trained in martial arts. Perhaps this was a way for the upper-class to get rid of their enemies without getting harmed and also without staining their hands with their blood. Something that would keep others at bay in case they had any ideas of retaliation. This way, their work was done meticulously, without any trace or evidence.

What do you think about all this? I’d be thrilled to know your opinions in the comment section below.

Until next time,

Rain.