Shakchunni

Shakchunni (Bengali: শাকচুন্নি ; sometimes dem dey spell am Shankhachunni) be female ghost for Bengali folklore. People commonly describe am for mythological traditions from Bangladesh and de Indian state of West Bengal. De term dey refer to de spirit of one married Hindu woman wey die while she still dey married (dat be, she die before ein husbie).

 Etymology 
De word Shakchunni come from de Sanskrit term Shankhachurni. For Bengali Hindu tradition, married women dey traditionally wear conch-shell bangles (shankha) and red vermilion (sindoor) as symbols of marriage. People believe say even after death, Shakchunni still keep dese marriage symbols, wey show say she still strongly attached to married life.

 Origin den folklore 
According to folklore, Shakchunni be de spirit of married woman whose desires and emotional attachment to domestic life no fulfil before she die. Dem usually portray am as spirit wey dey long for married happiness and household life. People believe say she fit possess or influence married women — especially women from wealthy households — so she go fit experience married life again.  

Stories about Shakchunni appear for traditional Bengali folktales, wey dey include collections like Thakurmar Jhuli. For chaw narratives, one exorcist (ojha) finally defeat am anaa drive ein spirit comot.

 Physical description 
People typically describe Shakchunnis say dem get greenish skin, similar to leafy vegetables (shaak). Like many spirits for Bengali folklore, dem dey portray dem as thin and emaciated. Dem dey wear traditional red-and-white sari wey married Bengali women dey wear, together with conch bangles and red vermilion for de forehead. Even though dem be ghosts, dem often dey describe dem as conscious of dem appearance and adornment.

 Characteristics 
Shakchunnis dey often describe as spirits wey like fish very much, since fish be culturally important food for married women for Bengal. For traditional belief, dem encourage married women make dem eat fish as symbol of dem husband ein wellbeing and long life. Shakchunni ein craving for fish therefore symbolize ein desire to return to married life. Folklore differ on de type of fish she prefer — raw, fried, burnt, or even rotten fish.  

People also believe say dem dey sprinkle cow-dung water for places wey dem dey stay, and dem dey inhabit certain trees, especially Streblus asper (sheora) and mango trees.

 References 
Category:Bengali folklore
Category:Ghosts
Category:Female legendary creatures
Category:Bangladeshi folklore
Category:Indian folklore
Category:Folklore