One day our Chemistry teacher in College, Mr. Raghu Nath Panda was tutoring us how Phosphorus reacts after coming in contact with Oxygen, produces Phosphorous Pentoxide (P2O5), a glowing compound which emits illumination.
I instantly remembered, how folks in our village were in awe at the sight of the unexplained faraway moving lights in the night, ascribing it to the local DAHANI (in Odia meaning witch) who walked upside down, using her hands as feet.
We were fed on this shit of the DAHANI eating shit left by the villagers defecating on open fields. More shit - no one ever survived to see the face of a DAHANI, for a glance by the witch would result in the demise of the onlooker, caused by instant RAKTA BANTI (Blood Vomit).
But our teacher explained the myth behind this superstition. Jackals who roamed villages aplenty, would eat bones from carcasses which contains the element Phosphorus. It gets stuck to their teeth and so no sooner it comes in contact with atmospheric oxygen, than it forms the glowing P2O5. Every Jackal has his day, so also there used to be Night of the Jackal.
But the saga of superstitions doesn't end there. The moving crawlies ruling the nights are not just limited to faece eating faces. Everybody was advised to stay indoors, safe from the legendary rolling ball of fire (called MAADALA), which loves to chase their victims to death.
No one has ever succeeded in out running a MAADALA. The best way to avoid death while being chased by this marauding juggernaut of fireball is not to allow it pass between your legs, failing which one is destined to vomit blood and die.
There was nothing to confirm my skepticism, as I haven't encountered a single case case of someone dying from their wrath of DAHANI or MAADALA, accompanied by spasms of RAKTA BANTI (blood vomit). Or may be, dead men tell no tale.
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