SWAMI RIHVASWAMI RIHVA
Real Name: Swami Rihva
Identity/Class: Human, magic user;
possibly a citizen of India
Occupation: Chiromancer, seer, mystic
Group Membership: Calliope's Carnival and Circus
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Buck Cowen, Lissa Russell, Werewolf (Jack Russell)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Swami the Great, The Respectable Rihva
Base of Operations: Mobile through the world
First Appearance: Werewolf by Night I#6 (July, 1973)
Powers/Abilities: Rihva has a number of mental powers, including telepathy, hypnosis, and precognition. He also uses stunning vapors, and he has unspecified other mystical abilities. He used a knife.
History:
(Werewolf by Night I#7 (fb)) - Swami Rihva was
probably born in India. He was a pariah or an untouchable. One day he heard the story of
the Blood Stone, key to a fabulous treasure.
Swami Rihva started his search for the Stone through the world, until he arrived
to a Temple on the Himalaya. Using his telepathy he suddenly knew of the Blood
Stone kept there. He obliged the monks to give the Blood Stone to him.
He tried to read the map drawn on the Stone, he soaked the Stone in his own blood
but it had no effect. So he started to wander around the world and try with the
blood of other exiles and
freaks, promising them a part
of the treasure. Eventually, they joined to the Calliope's Carnival and Circus continuing
their research.
(Werewolf by Night I#6) - During a night of full moon,
using his crystal globe, Swami the Great saw Jack Russell in his Werewolf form.
He ordered to move the Circus to Los Angeles, where Jack Russell was.
26 days later, Jack Russell, his sister Lissa and Buck visited
the Circus. Jack entered in Swami's tent, attracted by something unspecified.
Swami, using strange vapors and his power, hypnotized Jack. Jack was hidden and the Circus moved for two days. Swami
announced to his followers that at the third full moon they would have had
known the secrets of the Blood Stone. He entrusted the cures of Mige and Elmo with Jack.
That night, Swami threatened Mige, because the tamer didn't
want Jack in the Circus. Hours later Swami had to
intervene to tranquilize the lions that Mige had sent to attack the Werewolf.
Swami read in Mige's mind (and probably in the others') why
this happened and
slapped the tamer. Werewolf was left in the cage.
(Werewolf by Night I#7) - The day after, Lissa and Buck
went to Rihva seeking information about Jack. While talking with Rihva, Lissa
saw Jack in a cage, but Rihva used his powers and hypnotized them. They were
placed in costume and used in the Circus show as Chicken Man and Serpent Girl.
That night, Swami had the Circus close before the normal time.
He prepared the rite for midnight. During the preparation he told the story of
Kaman-Ru and the Blood Stone that had to be soaked in the blood of a
supernatural being to reveal the map of the treasure of Kaman-Ru. At midnight
Swami Rihva tried to kill Werewolf, but Elmo, being moved to pity, stopped him. A fight
sprung between Elmo and Mige that set fire to the tent. Werewolf freed himself
and attacked Rihva. The mystic fled. The artists of the Circus tried but
couldn't stopped the
Werewolf so Rihva took Lissa as hostage. However, she escaped his grasp, and
when Rhiva read in
the Werewolf's mind what the man-beast wanted to do to him, his heart couldn't
stand the horror. The mystic died.
His Blood Stone remained in the flames of the Circus.
Comments: Created by Len Wein, Mike Ploog and Frank Bolle.
Swami Rihva is clearly a play on the song
lyrics, "...way down upon the Suwanee River, far, far from home."
--Snood
Clarifications:
Swami Rihva has no known connections to
Kaman-Ru has no known connections to
The Blood Stone has no known connections to
(Werewolf by Night I#7 (fb)) - Centuries ago, Kaman-Ru was a Sorcerer King who gathered the greatest treasure in history. He sat on a jade throne, and demons stood at his feet. In his sanctuary he created the Blood Stone.
Kaman-Ru had no heirs. When he felt that death was near, he had his treasure buried in a secret place, and had all the people who knew its location executed. Then he draw the map on the Blood Stone. But the map would have been visible only if it was soaked in the blood of a supernatural being.
Kaman-Ru died.
(Werewolf by Night I#6 (fb)) - The Blood Stone was lost. It ended in a Temple on the Himalayas, kept by monks, until Rihva found it.
The Blood Stone was soaked in Rihva's blood, and in the blood of many other people, but nobody had the right blood.
(Werewolf by Night I#7) - Nothing is known about the location of the Blood Stone, probably lost in the ashes of the fire of the Circus' tent.
Comments: Kaman-Ru was created by Len Wein, Mike Ploog and Jim Mooney.
For further information about other Bloodstones/fragments and "special" stones see the Exomind profile.
Images:
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 5, panel 1 (Swami
Rihva)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 6, panel 2 (Swami
Rihva - head shot)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 18, panel 4 (Swami and
Lissa as the Serpent Woman OR Girl?)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 15, panel 1 (the
Sanctuary of Kaman-Ru)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 15, panel 1 (Kaman-Ru
and the Blood
Stone)
Other appearances: Werewolf by Night I#7 (August, 1973)
Last updated: 04/09/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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