Bori Baba From The Winchesters Season 1, Episode 3 Was Inspired By Northern Indian Mythology
There's a scene in "The Winchesters'" third episode, "You're Lost Little Girl," in which Mary (Meg Donnelly) acknowledges the "wayward" nature of the monsters the gang has faced so far in Season 1. For example, Episode 2 brought in South America's La Tundra, a shape-shifting witch who preyed on people who were mad at their parents. Prior to that, the hunters were pitted against a Lougarou, a werewolf that originates from Haitian folklore.
Episode 3 continues that trend. Furthermore, Mary's words suggest that the decision to bring an unpredictable international flavor to "The Winchesters" is more complex than the creators simply having fun with different types of monsters. In this one, Mary and John (Drake Rodger) go up against Bori Babi, a bogeyman lifted straight from Northern Indian mythology.
That said, there are variations of this legend throughout the world, so be careful the next time you see an unsuspecting sack lying on the ground and think nothing of it. With that in mind, let's find out why stories about this bogeyman have been terrifying people for generations.
Children should be scared of Bori Baba
Bori Baba is an old-school bogeyman whose sole purpose in life is to frighten children. Also known as Sack Man and Father Sack, he is depicted as a hideous creature who carries misbehaved children away in a sack. The Bori Baba legend is synonymous with India, but other cultures have their own epithets for the sack-carrying, child-snatching ghoul.
In Spanish folklore, he is known as El Hombre del Costa and El Hombre del Saco. Sri Lankan mythology refers to him as Goni Billa, while Quebecois Canadian folktales know him as Bonhomme Sept-Heures or the Seven O'clock Man. These are just a few examples of the Sack Man legend, but his influence is vast and always terrifying, according to Eric Edwards' Collected Works.
Regardless of where he resides, the Sack Man is focused on kidnapping children, with a special emphasis on the little rascals who misbehave. And if he catches the brats, he'll take them to his lair and have them for supper.