Nareepol Fruit Maidens

Nareepol (or Nareephon - literally "fruit women") fruit maidens are mythical creatures described in Thailand's Triphum Phra Ruang (Three Worlds Cosmology) scripture and other local religious texts. According to the Triphum scripture:

"Beyond this [area of jambolan trees in Himavanta] is a forest of trees that have women as their fruit; the fruits of these trees are very beautiful - they are like maidens who have just reached sixteen years of age. When men see them, they fall in love with them, and when they drop, the birds flock around to eat them like bears eating honey."

However, nareepol play an important part in other local tales. One of many exotic creatures in the legendary Himavanta (Himapan, Himmapan, or Himaphan in Thai), they emerge feet-first as fruit of a tree where they remain attached at the head for only seven days. Various temple murals and carved panels, such as those at Nakhon Phanom's Wat Okat Si Bua Ban, depict ardent young men climbing the trees, sword in hand, ready to cut down the nubile but impassive maidens. These lusty hermits are said to carry off the young women into the forest for their own pleasure.

Sources: Triphum Phra Ruang, Royal Institute Dictionary.