In the folklore of the Indian subcontinent, pishach are malignant beings who haunt burning grounds and crematoria. They feed on human flesh and often lead people astray in order to trap them and eat them. They are regarded as the vilest and most malignant of all malevolent beings.

There are various stories regarding their origin. The Mahabharata says that they were created from the stray drops of water which fell apart from the drops of water from which gods, men, and beings such as the Gandharvas had been created. In the Puranas they are said to be the offspring of the rishi Kashyap and his wife Pishacha.