Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance
Go deeper: the whole of Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance
About 5 h 10 min to read.Für wen es gedacht ist
This book suits readers who love folktales told with a grin, riddles that start arguments, and tales within tales.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
Picture a king walking through a burning ground at midnight, in a thunderstorm, with a corpse slung over his back. The corpse laughs, slips free, and flies back to its tree.
That is the frame of Vikram and the Vampire, a Hindu collection drawn from the old Sanskrit Baital-Pachisi. Sir Richard Burton, the explorer and linguist, gave it to English readers in 1870, with his own wry asides.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1Vikram wins his throne and learns from a cakeFree
- 2A defeated giant warns the king of a plot
- 3A generous merchant leads the king to a cemetery
- 4Seven falls win a captive with a price
- 5The first tale shows love beating a clever princess
- 6A parrot and a jay quarrel over men and women
- 7Loyal servants and a promise-keeping bride test the king
- 8Thieves, three lovers and a tiger test the wise
- 9Magic pills, swapped heads and a prophecy close the tales
- 10The riddles test kings, fathers and ideas about women
- 11A frame story ties the tales into a single night
Punkt 1 von 11
Vikram wins his throne and learns from a cake
The book begins with a prince whose name is so long that even Sanskrit speakers shorten it to Vikram. He takes the throne by killing his elder brother, and that deed earns him the title Bir, the Brave.
His wars go badly until a village mother scolds her boy for eating only the middle of a cake and leaving the rim. She says Vikram does the same with his conquests. He begins at the frontiers and works inward, and in time he rules the whole earth.
Meanwhile his brother Bhartari, ruling as regent, loves his youngest queen. He gives her a fruit that grants eternal life. She passes it to her lover, who gives it to a maid, who brings it back to Bhartari. He understands everything and goes into the jungle as a holy beggar. Power and love both depend on seeing people as they are.
That’s 1 of 11 key points.
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Go deeper: the whole of Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance
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Questions about Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance
What is Vikram and the Vampire about?
It follows King Vikram as he carries a talking corpse through a night cemetery. The corpse tells stories that end in riddles, and the king must stay silent to complete his task.
Who is the Baital in Vikram and the Vampire?
The Baital is a vampire, a spirit that lives in a dead body and hangs from a tree. He is clever, mocking and talkative, and he tests the king with stories.
Is Vikram and the Vampire based on a real king?
Vikramaditya is a semi-legendary Indian king, said to have founded an era in 56 B.C. The tales come from the old Sanskrit Baital-Pachisi, and Burton published his version in 1870.
Is Vikram and the Vampire easy to read?
Each story is short and self-contained, with a clear riddle at the end. The frame of a king, a prince and a talking corpse keeps the pace lively, so you can read one tale at a time.
What is the main message of Vikram and the Vampire?
Judgment is hard, and pride gets in the way. The riddles show that duty, loyalty, love and cleverness can pull in different directions, and that a wise person holds back before answering.
Cite this edition
Burton, Richard Francis. Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/vikram-and-the-vampire-classic-hindu-tales-of-adventure-magi.
Burton, R. F. (2026). Vikram and the vampire: Classic Hindu tales of adventure, magic, and romance. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/vikram-and-the-vampire-classic-hindu-tales-of-adventure-magi (Original work published 1870)
Burton, Richard Francis. Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/vikram-and-the-vampire-classic-hindu-tales-of-adventure-magi.
@book{burton2026vikram,
author = {Burton, Richard Francis},
title = {Vikram and the Vampire: Classic Hindu Tales of Adventure, Magic, and Romance},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/vikram-and-the-vampire-classic-hindu-tales-of-adventure-magi},
note = {First published 1870}
}
