Bestiary |
Erlik
God of the underworld, as known to the Siberian Turkic peoples. Eternal adversary of the Creator Ülgen. He was one of the first among the first, but he fell out with Ülgen and ended up in opposition; connections between early Christianity and the South Siberian faith, sometimes referred to in layman's terms as Turkic (Old Turkic) dualism, have been sought but not confirmed. As such, he is invoked by black shamans and adepts of this craft. Magic does not have to be harmful or damaging in his cult, as he also demands payment for warding off diseases. These are spread by his helpers, along with death itself and bad luck in life, in short, all the unpleasantness that can befall a person.
Erlik takes badly buried dead people to the underworld and makes them his slaves. According to the Dolgans, a small Turkic people, he also took mammoths underground, which is why we no longer find hairy elephants in nature. Only those who managed to escape from captivity (or simply wandered to the surface) are caught by an icy curse and freeze.
In that underworld, shrouded in eternal darkness (which some nations believe to be Erlik's prison), he lives in an iron palace, sitting on a silver throne. Shamans in ecstasy see him with pig-like features, otherwise he is said to be a well-built man with a mustache, a prominent chin, and armed with a large sword. The Evil, dangerous since the beginning of human existence, when we, living on the World Pine Tree, from which we were allowed to visit four of the nine branches, tempted us to travel to the remaining four forbidden worlds. The punishment for the first sin also affected the instigator, whom the Creator banished to the Underworld and officially declared the Official Evil.
The Official Evil Erlik has nine sons, collectively known as Karaoghlanlar (black boys). Their names and occupations are: Karash Han, god of darkness; Matyr Han, patron of courage and heroism; Shyngay Han, lord of Chaos; Komur Han, the Evil One; Badysh Han, Destruction Itself; Yabash Han, the deity of defeat; Temir Han, the steward of iron, iron ore, and mining; Uchar Han, the informant; and Kerey Han, the personification of strife. Most of them, but not all, have followed in their father's footsteps. The professions of those who appear more respectable at first glance also reveal a connection to the underground (metal ore deposits) or to the struggle that is inherent to the Lord of the Dead and which gives him his soul.
The nine daughters, black girls, or Karakızlar, are usually referred to only as a group of evil maidens who seduce believers. They focus particularly on shamans in order to distract their minds from contact with Ülgen. If they are named, then usually only two. Erke Hanım (sometimes transcribed as Irke Hanim or called Erke Soltan) and Kiştey; the latter can transform into a black fox, has eight eyes, and specializes in adultery and breaking long-term marriages.
Erlik's illustration comes from the book Illustration du Dictionnaire infernal de Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy par Louis Le Breton, 6eme édition, 1863. Author Louis Le Breton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
8.4.2026 (4.8.2019)
Umai
Her name means "placenta" in the language of the Siberian Yakuts, which makes it easy to recognize which areas of human existence this goddess, dressed in a cloak sewn with sixty golden threads, represents. Yes, she is in charge of life force and takes care of births – in such cases, she watches over the mother and child for the first three days, then leaves the supervision in the hands of other deities. In a figurative sense of the word fertility, Umai, also known as Ajysyt, also takes care of wealth and the multiplication of property. She also ensures compliance with laws and customary law.
She came into the world at its creation, when the earth separated from the sky, and from that moment on she has lived either by human hearths or by the divine fire in the heavens, which in no way prevents her from guarding the souls awaiting reincarnation in the underworld.
8.4.2026 (27.5.2007)
Pu'gu or Yeloye
The Yukaghirs are another of the Siberian peoples covered today, and Yeloye, sometimes and in some places also called Pu'gu, is their sun god, a friendly guardian of morality and justice, with a rainbow instead of a tongue.
8.4.2026 (27.5.2007)
Yer Sib
Chief of seventeen protective gods and countless elemental demons, ruler of the earth and waters. Siberians (Evenks, Nivkhs, and other tribes) do not address him directly, but rather make specific requests to his specific servants.
8.4.2026 (27.5.2007)
Itumban
Originally, he was one of the demons of the Sura´s army, against which the god Muguran set out. Itumban remained one of the survivors, which was not the case for most of his former comrades, who lost their bodies in battle, which meant defeat, but also the possibility of reaching heaven. Itumban tried to help them with his prayers.
During this pious activity, he was found by the sage Agastya, who had received the hills of Shivagiri and Shaktigiri from Shiva, on which he was to pray. The demon intrigued him, so the seer offered him both mountains. Itumban set out for them, and when he arrived, a carrying pole and eight snakes appeared, relieving the demon of his worries about transportation. Itumban loaded both mountains and set off south, where he was to carry them. The journey was long and tiring, so the carrier had to rest. However, when he tried to lift the mountains again, he failed.
So he climbed one of them and found a small child on it, claiming that the hill was his home and that if he wanted to, he could lift it. Which he immediately proved. Itumban did not want to give up the property entrusted to him, so he attacked the child. But—as is always the case in such situations—the child was actually the god Murugan. Itumban met the same fate as his companions, and the god killed him instantly.
The seer Agastya (and Itumban's wife, who turned to the god with a wish to revive the demon) entered the story once again. The seer achieved his goal through prayers to Murugan, but from that moment on, Itumban had to serve the god.
8.4.2026 (2.6.2007)
Raijin
Raijin (often transcribed as Raiden, sometimes also called Narukami or Kaminari-sama) and Fujin are popular Japanese Shinto deities. So popular, in fact, that they appear all over the world today, from musical compositions to roller coasters at Expoland amusement park to movies and computer games. But we'll leave that aside, at least for today.
The first one (pictured on the left, if you want details, check out the larger version on Wikipedia), Raijin, is the god of thunder, while the second, Fujin, is the god of wind. They are among the oldest Shinto gods, but one legend recalls that these two fellows were originally ordinary demons, whom Buddha had to send thirty-three gods to defeat after a difficult battle and then accept among themselves. However, this story originated in China, from where not only Buddhism arrived on the islands and blended quite well with the local religion, but also a whole range of supernatural beings.
Both gods are usually depicted as muscular men, Raijin with a circle of drums on which he plays the thunder of a storm, and Fujin with a large bag containing winds. If this reminds you of something, you are probably right. Fujin's appearance (or rather some of his attributes) has its origins in Greece, half a globe away. How did Boreas get from there to the Pacific coast? The answer is simple: thanks to Alexander the Great and his empire, which stretched from Europe to India. This was not without direct cultural and religious influences. It is not far from the subcontinent below the Himalayas to China, and the Middle East was connected to the empire behind the Great Wall by the famous Silk Road. And Japan is only a short distance away. Mystery solved.
Parents sometimes tell their children that Raijin steals belly buttons and swallows tummies (his helper Raiju, as we already know, sometimes makes his bed in human stomachs), so be careful and keep those tummies well hidden. But on to more serious matters.
Fujin assisted in the creation of the world when he blew the fog from his bag with his winds and allowed the first rays of sunlight to shine on the earth. Raijin's merits are more tangible, so to speak. It was he who saved Japan from Mongol invaders in 1274 when he sank the invasion fleet with a huge storm, from which only three men were saved.
8.4.2026 (24.6.2007)
Kobold
In later times, the German goblin moved underground into mines to look after miners (and later gave its name to cobalt). But from the depths of time, it emerged as an idol, a substitute symbol made of wax or wood, representing the protector of the house. He received food offerings, for which he was expected to do the same as the house spirits, brownies, or gardsvor in other cultures. His original function is also revealed by his name, which is derived from the words kobe, room, and walten, to control, or holt, decent, good. It is quite possible that the predecessors of wooden figures were early medieval idols made of flour or bread.
Only with the passage of time did the domestic helper become a mining dwarf in a pointed cap who liked to tease miners. He was also helpful, as is often the case in such situations. The change in profession can be explained, on the one hand, by the gradual merging of once different mythological creatures into more general models, taking place during their slow retreat from human minds, and, on the other hand, by a simple substitution in times when no one really believed in them and only a handful of superstitions remained from the former belief.
Which is actually the same thing.
8.4.2026 (1.7.2007)
Berndietrich
Or, as they call him in Varnsdorf, Banadietrich, is one of the Wild Hunters who lead the Hunt during the new moon. Originally, however, he was a man, a nobleman whose piety was, as is often the case in such stories, a thorn in the devil's side, and so Satan tried and tried until he succeeded in corrupting the knight's mind. There are several versions of the devil's approach, one of which speaks of simply persuading the hunting-loving lord to visit the forest even on Sundays. This was successful, but heavenly supervision never sleeps, and the sheep missing from the church pew was caught in nature, and when asked from above:
"Banadietrich, how long will you hunt?" he replied: "As long as God wants," he could not expect anything other than the usual answer: "Then until Judgment Day." And the following punishment.
Another version of the story presents a slightly more pious knight who never missed Sunday mass, so the devil had to use a different tactic. He transformed himself into a comical old man and made Banadietrich laugh. The disruption of the ceremony resulted in the revocation of the privilege that the nobleman had enjoyed until then, just like Father Scholasticus in Drda's famous fairy tale, angels brought food from heaven to the knight of Varnsdorf. The legend then continues in the usual manner, with Banadietrich deliberately carrying bread in his shoes, which usually ends in a curse.
Berndietrich's Hunt consisted mostly of wolves, but near Broumov, where he was called Lesní lovec (the Forest Hunter), he had four fiery dogs, in front of which ran equally flaming hens. Here, however, two legends probably merge.
8.4.2026 (8.7.2007)
Noční lovec (Night Hunter)
The neighbor of the previous knight haunts the Saxon-Bohemian border at night, riding a goat with a fiery head, accompanied by his two dogs. He rides out of Taubenberg Mountain, whistles to his dogs, and heads for Guttelsberg, all on dark, windy nights, at the same time as most of the Wild Hunters. Again, it is a cursed soul, in this case a hunter from the Taubenberg gamekeeper's lodge, who liked to eat excessively (again, the motif of food shortage, one of the greatest specters of the time), even in times of poverty in the region. And because he once drove away hungry beggars at Christmas, he disappeared during a hunt, along with his dog, and began to haunt the area.
8.4.2026 (8.7.2007)
Oni
Oni wa soto! Fuku wa oči!
Don’t worry, I don’t speak Japanese either; I just copied a chant used during local folk festivals called Setsubun. This festival is celebrated the day before the start of each season, but the most famous is Setsubun on February 3rd, which marks the Japanese New Year and the beginning of spring. Well, the opening phrase, meaning “Be gone, demon; come in, good fortune,” is chanted by people as they throw boiled soybeans from the doorway of the house at a family member (usually the father) wearing a demon mask.
Today’s demons have a human appearance, are taller, and have three eyes, sharp claws, and horns. Their skin is usually red, but they don’t shy away from other colors, nor from a large iron club. Like well-bred demons, they steal souls and carry them off to hell, terrify the inhabitants of remote regions, or pilot rain and storm clouds. And they eat people. Which in no way prevents their likeness on the roof from warding off other evil creatures from the house.
The original (or more precisely, one of the originals) was likely an invisible and shapeless demon blamed for all the misfortunes life brought—all the illnesses, tragedies, and catastrophes. He could take on all manner of forms, but in none was he a pleasant companion. Another root of today’s horned giant lies in the Chinese Demon Gate (kimon), but also in the Hindu and Buddhist yakshas and rakshasas—in short, in the common cultural melting pot into which, over the millennia of human existence, many beings have plunged to merge with the spirit of the times and emerge in a new form.
8.4.2026 (13.8.2007)
Rosmerta
Most of the time, when the topic of the Celts and their mythology comes up, the conversation automatically turns to Irish or Welsh legends. Their popularity is a logical reflection of the fact that the islanders’ tales survived the Iron Age, while what we know about the continental Celts comes mostly from the garbled records of their neighbors.
Rosmerta is one of the goddesses of Gaul, though she was also known in Britain; she is, in fact, noticeably influenced by Roman culture. Her cult was so strong that the conquerors adopted her into the expanding Roman pantheon and married her to Mercury (into whom they had transformed the god Esus). As a goddess of fertility, she presided over all related domains, namely death, healing, and even fire. From her Roman husband, she inherited the rod of Aesculapius; other attributes included the cornucopia or a basket of fruit. Also, a money pouch (since wealth was often associated with fertility) and a double-edged axe, which are likely her more original attributes.
8.4.2026 (29.7.2007)
Tarro-Ushtey
Although I recently promised to add several Japanese gods to this site, I haven’t really felt like doing it yet. It’s vacation time, and thus an opportunity for excusable laziness. That’s why I’m barely keeping the Bestiary alive with random selections from my notes, and I believe that once the nights grow longer, I’ll force myself to do more than just keep my promises.
Tarro-Ushtey is the Manx variant of the Scottish water bull named Tarbh Uisge, about whom I wrote almost nothing here years ago; since we can assume they are not too distantly related, the same will likely apply to him as well. Just as it does to Tarbh Eithre from the Hebridean island of Skye.
Farmers aren’t fond of this supernatural creature, which takes the form of a strange, large bull with big eyes and short ears. It likes to visit their herds and carry off the best animals. Moreover, even though it looks like a showpiece, the beast apparently refuses to let itself be caught. All stories about such attempts end with the creature leading its pursuers on a wild chase across the countryside before finally leaping into the waters of the lake. Unlike water horses, however, it is not dangerous in any way.
8.4.2026 (5.8.2007)
Kourêtes (The Curetes)
These mountain spirits from Crete enjoyed their five minutes of fame during the time when Zeus was born and hidden on their island. They stood guard outside the Cave of Dikteon and clanged their armor the moment the baby began to cry. Thus, the ravenous father Kronos could not hear the voice of his future conqueror. Later, they repeated their service when Zeus had them guard his secret son Zagreus (whose mother was Persephone). The Titans, who wanted to take revenge on the Supreme God, sniffed out Zagreus’s hiding place, and when the guardians took a break, they lured the toddler with toys and tried to eat him, which they almost succeeded in doing.
In a half-forgotten version of the myth of the Dactyls, this personification of the fingers is credited to a group of five men—Heracles (not the famous hero), Paionios, Epidémes, Iasios, and Akesidas—were in fact the Curetes, who, after being released from service, went to Elis and, just to be on the safe side, built a temple to Cronus there. I’ll leave the details for later, for the Dactyls themselves, whom I’m adding to my list of unfulfilled wishes.
It is said that the Curetes were the first people to spring from the earth after the rain (much like their relatives, the Corybantes); other versions of the myth attribute their origin to the mother Rhea. It is possible that they were a royal guard, whose name may conceal their faith; they may have been worshippers of the goddess Kár.
Several other groups called the Curetes appeared in Greek mythology and history, mostly with little or no connection to the Cretan demons. The people of the city of Pleuron and the Artemidini worshippers of Messene called themselves by this name. The original Curetes were played by the Cretan priests of Zeus. In the fall, they would bury the god with weeping, only to summon him back to life in the spring with a noisy dance; these are ancient mysteries, mostly associated with the Great Goddess, which reveal that the patriarchal Hellenes did not have an easy time imposing their faith.
Rhea, the Curetes, Amalthea, and the infant Zeus in the image:
By Numérisation Google (Galerie mythologique, tome 1 d'A.L. Millin) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
8.4.2026 (12.8.2007)
Daktyloi (The Dactyls)
The Greek personifications of the fingers—five men and five women—represent (in very broad terms) a very important field of human activity: metalworking. I admit this definition is vague and somewhat misleading, so I’ll add a few details.
The right hand, in the usual order from thumb to little finger, contains brothers named Heracles, Paionios, Epidémes, Iasios, and Akesidas. As for the fingers of the left hand, which belong to women and, in this context, to sorceresses—or, more profoundly, to the priestesses of the Triple Goddess—their exact names are unknown, as this was taboo for ritual reasons.
As is often the case, authorities—even ancient ones—do not agree on the question of their origin. A common version attributes the Dactyls’ existence to time immemorial and their dwelling on Mount Ida; other sources claim that their mother was the nymph Anchiale and their birthplace the Dictyus Cave near Oaxus. They may even have come into the world during Zeus’s birth, when Rhea, in her labor pains, pressed her fingers into the ground.
However and wherever they came into the world, most sources agree on one thing: while the five sisters on Samothrace enchanted passersby, the five brothers threw themselves into metallurgy. They were not only skilled blacksmiths; they also discovered iron ore in the Berekynthian Mountains. For lovers of more supernatural interventions, I have another version tucked away, according to which Kelmis, one of the three oldest Dactyls (the names, or rather epithets, of the other two are Akmon and Damnameneos), was turned into iron after he insulted Rheia, the mother of the gods. According to Graves, this story describes the gradual decline of the worshippers of the Great Goddess—whose priestesses controlled the working of metals (copper, gold, or silver, but not iron)—in the face of the patriarchal Dorians, who knew the technology of smelting iron ore.
As I mentioned in the story of the Curetes, there is also a version according to which it was precisely those five Dactyl men who became the protectors of the young Zeus. Although they served well and faithfully, they left nothing to chance and later built the Temple of Kronos in Elis. The coincidence of names between the eldest Dactyl and the famous hero also left its mark on the myths; according to the “Cretan” version, he contributed to the world’s cultural heritage by essentially founding the Olympic Games. He brought a wild olive tree to Olympia, organized running races for his brothers, and crowned the winner, Paion, with an olive wreath, thereby giving rise to a long-standing tradition; however, this achievement is usually attributed to the more famous Heracles.
8.4.2026 (6.9.2009)
Gluskap
There is some debate about how Gluskap was actually born. Many of the Algonquin tribes, Native Americans from the northeastern coast of America, have their own version of the story.
For example, the Abenaki believed both in self-creation from the dust left over after the creation of Adam—a narrative clearly influenced by Christianity—and that this dust remained on the hands of their own creator, Tabaldak, after he finished his work on humanity. Along with Gluskap, however, his evil twin, Malsumis, was also born.
The Mi'kmaq version speaks of three lightning bolts; the first struck the sand and left behind a mark in the shape of a human body, the second struck the same spot and brought the body to life. But it did not set it in motion, so Gluskab had to lie there for some time with his head facing east and his arms outstretched to the north and south. Only after some time did the reclining man ask the Sun for a favor, and the third lightning bolt set him on his feet.
Other Algonquin tribes—by the way, common words today such as tomahawk, moccasin, totem, and wigwam originate from the language of this Native American group—do not focus on Gluskap's creation; his deeds are more important.
He was a pioneer in the ecological view of the landscape when he explained to hunters that overhunting would disrupt the balance of nature. He vanquished the eagle, known in some places as Wučowsen, who unleashed storms upon the world from a high hill at the northern edge of the sky; he dealt with the giant frog that drank up all the water (there is a very similar myth from Australia, but there no one kills the frog, at least not directly— the crazy toad bursts with laughter). He created agates, originally for his grandmother, but there are still plenty of them left in Nova Scotia to this day.
And he accomplished many other things, such as inventing the canoe and bequeathing to humanity a controversial plant called tobacco.
8.4.2026 (19.8.2007)
Tzitzimitl
A specific Tzitzimitl was an Aztec goddess-grandmother—the very one who has already appeared here—in the story of Mayáhuel, over whom she exercised protective watch. And whom she failed to protect. That is why, together with her relatives of the same name, she set out to pursue and subsequently destroy her charge.
The unspecified tzitzimime (the plural of tzitzimitl) are invisible night demons who battle the Sun at dusk and dawn. Their invisibility is not eternal or perfect; when that astronomical phenomenon—now so attractive to tourists—occurs, namely a solar eclipse, they become visible as stars.
Illustration from the Codex Magliabechiano Unknown author / Public domain
8.4.2026 (1.9.2007)
Vucub Caquix
This is not merely a matter of myths and legends, but in them, at least, conceited fools meet their deserved ends. One such figure, following the Mayan flood, was the monstrous bird Vucub Caquix, who claimed to be the Sun, the Moon, and, naturally, the Lord of the World. The famous heroes Húnahpú and Ixbalanque tried to talk him out of it with their blowguns; in the first round, when they lay in wait for him under a fruit tree, they failed, and Húnahpú even lost an arm in the process. It was only two old men, whom the heroes asked for help, who managed to outwit the monster when, disguised as healers, they swapped Vucub’s eyes and teeth (yes, he’s still a bird) for grains of corn. Which ultimately led to his demise. As true healers, the old men then reattached Húnaphu’s amputated arm to his body.
Vucub Caquix had two sons, though not birds, but giants. The elder, Zipacná, became famous especially for the trick he used to get rid of his opponents—he pretended to be defeated and dead; when the four hundred of his conquerors then began to celebrate wildly, Zipacná rose and demolished the house in which they were rejoicing. Thus, he helped create the four hundred stars into which the warriors’ souls were transferred. But even he could not escape the aforementioned twins. They lured him into a cave with a tasty crab, and when he began to eat, they brought a mountain crashing down on him.
His brother Cabracán, the destroyer of mountains, also fell for Ixbalanque and Húnahpú’s trick involving food. When the brothers realized they could not match the giant’s strength, they slipped him poisoned food and, once he was weakened by the poison, they killed him.
8.4.2026 (1.9.2007)
Loco
Today, we’ll take a brief look at some of the lesser-known loa of Haitian Voodoo. It’s common to view this interesting religion—a blend of ancient African cults and Christianity—as something diabolical, which is, of course, not true.
But let’s turn to today’s guests. Loco is a vegetation deity, primarily associated with trees. He ensures that the leaves of certain species possess healing properties, which is why he is also the patron of doctors and healers. His favorite colors are white and red; he sometimes flits about in the form of the wind, though his most common (at least depicted) form is that of a butterfly.
8.4.2026 (1.10.2007)
Brise
A truly large and truly black loa from the hills is also a vegetation demon, the very Lord of the Forests. He loves children and has a sensitive nature. Although he dwells in trees, he occasionally appears in the form of an owl. In popular belief, speckled hens—well known to the general public—are sacrificed to him.
8.4.2026 (1.10.2007)
Sousson-Pannan
Unlike the previous one, this Haitian loa doesn’t look particularly appealing. He is quite ugly, covered in sores, and his habits aren’t much to speak of either; he drinks excessively, and besides alcohol, he also drinks blood.
8.4.2026 (1.10.2007)
