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For those who never heard of them, pretas are spirits from hindu and buddhist-majority regions (south asia, southeast asia and east asia).
They are a class of spirits, who look like skinny but starving humans, and who suffer from temperature issues, hunger, thirst, and/or obsession (often for a disgusting or strange element). They used to be humans, who commited serious sins, and as punishment, they are reincarnated into the creatures they are now; however, they should be pitied and being given a second chance (by giving them food) so they can reincarnate again but as humans instead. Despite being souls of the dead, they both dwell in nerakas (the buddhist analogues to Hell and Purgatory in christianity) and the world of humans, and are seen as sources of annoyance by them.
Speaking of the Thai version of the creatures, they are relatively unique compared to their counterparts from other regions: while pretas in other parts of eastern Asia are the ones found in hindu and buddhist legends, the thai pretas, on the other hand, can be distinguished by being tall, having large hands, long tongues, tiny mouths and love human flesh, though they are skinny like the other versions of the creatures.
However, the very first time I've heard of them was thanks to this video, though the video itself refers to them as "gakis" (the japanese names of pretas) or "hungry ghosts (a westernised translation of their name) instead.
I don't really have anything to add, but smt (like many of my eastern mythology interest) introduced me to these guys. If you are in this sub and haven't played smt (or persona) you absolutely should it's just a mythology based jrpg. And it's great
I had to look it up but I actually have heard of these spirits before but under a different name. And a much less pleasant presentation.
Kusaregedo from Samurai Showdown. He's an insane Gaki (which it seems is a Japanese name for Preta) who was punished for his cannibalism and fights using the exposed bones of his forearm. That said he is portrayed as a tragic villain, missing his daughter and having been forced to eat human flesh to survive the Great Tenmei Famine. But he's still an insane, disgusting, murderous cannibal who's reunion with his daughter did NOT end well.
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