Forest spirits

In the depths of dense forests reside mysterious creatures. We’ve already mentioned Şürəle before – possibly the most famous spirit of Tatar folklore. He is notorious for a tickling game that he starts after spotting someone, relentlessly tickling them to death.

But do you know him outside Ğabdulla Tuqay’s tale? 

He has a peculiar fondness for riding horses. Villagers, seeking to deter him from exhausting and tormenting the animals, smear resin on horses’ backs. When Şürəle rides a resin-coated horse, he gets trapped, allowing villagers to capture and punish him. However, by doing that to Şürəle, they bring curse on themselves, which leads them to poverty.

Another tale tells of villagers burning Şürəle to get rid of him. However, it also brought them misfortune – a village got plagued by constant fires and the horse Şürəle rode vanished.

But he is not just this character that terrorizes people – he is the guardian of the forest, its protector, and if you don’t bother him, he won’t bother you. These stories suggest you not to mess with Şürəle in the first place, as it’s not easy to get rid of him without having some really bad luck. Just don’t go alone to the forest or get distracted there.

However, if you cross his path, here is what you do to save yourself: Şürəle is believed to be afraid of water, and legends suggest that jumping over a stream or river can be a way of escaping his clutches. 

Another forest creature we’ve already introduced to you is Albastı – you can read a separate text about her here.

Ubır in Tatar folklore is an evil being believed to live within humans, a Tatar version of a vampire. When those with Ubır in them, known as ubırlı keşe, go to sleep, Ubır leaves the person and goes through the chimney as a fiery sphere, and takes the form of a pig, a black cat, or a dog. While not harmful to men, Ubır poses a significant threat to women. Villagers offer clever advice, such as keeping chimney flues closed.

Ubırlı keşe is often greedy and wicked, engaging in thefts at night. Ubır’s menace extends to livestock as well, causing illnesses and miscarriages. He can also inflict various ailments, such as making people ill or causing uncontrolled shouting. Catching him is challenging due to his ability to vanish quickly. 

Another creature inhabiting Tatar forests is Örək. He resides where violent deaths occurred, especially where human blood was shed. Unlike Albastı and Ubır, Örək only appears as a person and is associated with the deceased. Some Tatars believe everyone has their own Örək, suggesting a deep cultural connection to the concept of the soul.

Also, different from the malicious Albastı and Ubır, Örək doesn't inflict significant harm but causes intense fear. Stories depict it occasionally disorienting people, but mostly, only murderers have a reason to be scared of it: Örək harasses the ones who killed someone, driving them insane. Despite its less harmful nature, Tatars fear encountering Örək near graves of violently deceased individuals, avoiding them or averting the spirit with harsh words if necessary. 

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Based on "Tatar mifologiyəse" by F. Urmançe