The Odiyan
In rural Kerala, Odiyans were people said to shapeshift into animals at night and to scare people to death.
Wikipedia says Odiyan was the name used in the rural Malappuram, Thrissur and Palakkad areas of Kerala for people who claimed to be able to scare others to death with a skill called Odividya. It calls Odiyan a legendary character, said to look like half-man, half-beast creatures lurking in alleyways at night. By rubbing herbs on particular parts of the body and chanting spells, they are said to turn into a bull, buffalo, wild cat, jackal or any form they choose. Devotees believed the working would be fully effective if it was done naked.
India Art Review carries a writer's recollection from the Valluvanadan area. As a child the writer heard from a maternal grandfather tales of transformation and treachery. They also heard tales of shapeshifters and the cries of hyenas, and of an area where people would stay away even in daylight. The writer leaves open whether it is folklore or superstition.
"Odiyan (IPA: [oɖijɐn]) or Odian, Peony was once used in the Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad rural areas of Kerala to describe a group of people who claimed to be capable of scaring people to death using Odividya (ഒടിവിദ്യ, oṭividya) .[1][2] Odiyan is a legendary character who existed in Kerala.[3] Peony appear as half-man, half-beast like creatures lurking in alleyways at night. By applying certain herbs to specific parts of the body and chanting spells, the peonies are said to shape shift themselves to a bull, buffalo, felid, jackal or whatever form they desire. The devotees believed that this work would be fully effective if performed in a naked state.[4][5]"
- Odiyan: dark knights that dwarf Halloween, India Art Review