Ghostly (re)visions: Embodying the Indian Caribbean churile

In Indian Caribbean folklore, a churile is the spirit of a woman who has died while pregnant or during childbirth. She is a ‘jumbie’ in limbo between the natural and supernatural realms. This article traces the migration of churile folklore from South Asia to the Caribbean and examines its relevance in Indian Caribbean culture today. I highlight how embodiments and evocations of the churile have been reinterpreted to navigate intergenerational trauma and reimagine Indian Caribbean femininity. Using four key examples — Vanessa Godden’s performance film Churile (2016), Sabiyha Rasheed’s song ‘Choorile’ (2020), Kevin Jared Hosein’s short story ‘Maiden of the Mud’ (2016) and Ryan Persadie’s drag persona Tifa Wine in his ongoing Coolieween project — I discuss how the churile becomes a potent symbol for confronting the legacies of indenture. These works transform the horrifying symbolism of the churile, using her to address historical and personal wounds, while expressing resilience and reclaiming agency, underscoring the enduring relevance of embodied experiences in shaping complex identities.