The Abaasy (Abaahy or Abasy,
[ , ''Abaası'' baːsɯ ]Dolgan
Dolgans (; ; ) are a Turkicized Tungusic ethnic group who mostly inhabit Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. They are descended from several groups, particularly Evenks, one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North. Dolgans are the most closely r ...
: Абааһы, ''Abaahı''; , ''Abaasi''; , ''Abasy''; cognate of the Turkic word ''Abası''; also ''Chebeldei'') are demons
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including
fiction, comics, film, t ...
in the mythology
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
of the Sakha (also known as the Yakuts
The Yakuts or Sakha (, ; , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to North Siberia, primarily the Republic of Sakha in the Russian Federation. They also inhabit some districts of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. They speak Yakut, which belongs to the Si ...
).Yakut shamanism Yakut shamanism is a folk religion traditionally practiced by the Yakuts. Accounts of the supernatural have been preserved in the olonkho, a musical folklore tradition. After the Russian conquest of the Yakut homeland in the 17th century some influ ...
divides the universe into upper and lower layers, with the earth being "a kind of indeterminate space or matter" in between.[ The abaasy occupy the lower level, referred to as the underworld or "kingdom of darkness."][
The abaasy are alleged to be the spirits of the long deceased, who dwell near graves or in deserted places, or who otherwise travel about causing destruction.][
The abaasy have been depicted as causing sexual manifestations and madness.][
]
Description
The abbasy are described as "one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged" monsters mounted on "two-headed, eight-legged, two-tailed dragons as steeds."[ In ]olonkho
Olonkho (, ; ; ) is a series of Yakut and Dolgan heroic epics. The term ''Olonkho'' is used to refer to the entire Yakut epic tradition as well as individual epic poems. An ancient oral tradition, it is thought that many of the poems predate the ...
they are ugly and horrible man-eating beings. Their chief Alyp Khara Aat Mogoidoon is a three-headed, six-armed and six-legged giant with a body made of iron.
Cultural significance
The concept of the abaasy is so ingrained into Sakha thought that the verb ''абааһы көр-'' (to see abaasy) is the everyday term for "to hate" or "to dislike".
References
External links
Sibirya Türklerinde Mitoloji, Naciye Yıldız
* ttp://www.mythologydictionary.com/siberian-mythology.html Siberian-Mythology
Агарес и Абасы
See also
* Aiy
Turkic demons
Sakha Republic
Yakut mythology
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