kazakh mythology: albasty
Albasty ( kazakh: албасты ) is a mythical female spirit in Kazakh legends. She is believed to be born of the dark places of the steppe and the stillness of night, appearing where a person is most vulnerable — by the cradle, near water, or at the head of a sleeping one.
Most often taking the form of a hideous old woman, Albasty dislikes fire and iron, and cannot endure loud words or prayers. She comes to women in childbirth and to infants, stealing their health and life, or sits upon the chest of a sleeper, pressing down and robbing them of breath. She may steal a child’s soul or bring grave illness — people believed that Albasty hides the stolen soul in a sack or carries it away to the river and the reeds.
Sometimes she appears to a traveler by the water — asking for help, moaning plaintively, pretending to be weak; but the moment one draws near, the old woman’s image vanishes, and her arms become strong as roots, her fingers clinging like hooks.
There is a belief that if a brave soul manages to tear out Albasty’s hair or take back what she has hidden, she will serve them until what was lost is returned. But once released, Albasty never forgives and remembers the scent of her offender until their death.
