Al Basty: A Turkish Folk Horror Figure

Al Basty, a figure frequently encountered in Turkish, Anatolian, and Altai mythologies, is a mysterious and frightening being that has been discussed among people since ancient times. So what exactly is this thing called Al Basty? Come on, let’s chase after this enigmatic legend.

The Origins and Significance of Al Basty

Al Basty is a being that emerged from the dark corners of ancient Turkish beliefs, believed to prey upon postpartum women and their babies. According to traditional stories, this creature comes to eat the livers of newly birthed mothers. Does that sound a bit disturbing? Yes, but trust me, this legendary malevolent being was far more disturbing to people generations ago.

The Description of Al Basty

Al Basty is known by various names in different regions; called albastı, alkarısı, al kızı (red girl), al anası (red mother), this being is generally depicted as tall, with long fingers and long/copper nails. Her face is believed to be very ugly and large, her hair black, long and disheveled, her teeth large and sparse like horse teeth, and her feet are believed to be reversed. Al Basty, who typically wears red, yellow, or black clothes, is rumored to feed by eating the livers of postpartum women or newborn children and to live near water sources and wooded areas.

The Transfer of Pre-Islamic Beliefs to Contemporary Depictions of Malevolent Beings

The part that probably caught your attention most in the paragraph above was that Al Basty’s feet are reversed. This actually shows the influence of pre-Islamic beliefs on the depiction of jinn, which is the first thing that comes to mind today when we say “malevolent being,” “horror story,” or “horror narrative” in Turkey.

In pre-Islamic Turkish belief systems, malevolent beings and supernatural forces were addressed across a wide spectrum. Among these beings, Al Basty stands out with her reversed feet. Some beings from pre-Islamic Turkish mythology were reshaped over time within the Islamic belief system with the spread of Islam to Anatolia, while maintaining some of their characteristics.

Jinn, in Islamic belief, are beings created by Allah, generally invisible, who can do both good and evil to humans. One of the indicators that the characteristics of malevolent beings from pre-Islamic periods were integrated into the belief in jinn in Islam is that Al Basty is frequently depicted as having reversed feet. Al Basty’s pre-Islamic origins, with reversed feet, became identified with jinn in Anatolia after the spread of Islam and were given meaning within this new belief system.

Turkish Mythology and Shamanism

Al Basty’s place in ancient Turkish religious belief systems like Tengrism and Shamanism is quite important. While shamans bridged the world of spirits and humans, they also struggled with such beings. According to beliefs, shamans would perform various rituals to ward off the evils brought by Al Basty.

It’s possible to find traces of Al Basty both in ancient Turkish communities and in stories told today. This legendary being has maintained its existence by changing its shape in people’s minds from past to present. Now come on, let’s dive deeper into the details of the Al Basty legend…

Details of the Al Basty Legend

There are many sources available for learning about the Al Basty Legend. The legend has been told among the people and the stories have reached the present day as an example of oral history by being passed down from generation to generation. This figure, which appears in Anatolian, Altai, and Turkish mythology, bears traces of shamanism.

The Most Well-Known Characteristics of Al Basty

If we look at the details of the Al Basty figure:

• Al Basty is generally depicted as a being that disturbs newly birthed women and horses.
• It’s believed to eat women’s livers.
• Protection methods include:
  • Someone constantly being with the new mother
  • Keeping lights constantly on
  • Placing the Quran close to the mother
  • Covering the mother’s face with a red cloth
  • Bringing an eagle to where the birth took place

The Changing Image of Al Basty

Have you ever thought about how legends evolve and change shape over time? Take Al Basty, for example. When you look at the depictions of this mythological figure from past to present, a change from an elegant being to a frightening appearance becomes apparent.

Through the Dust of Time

In the past, Al Basty was generally depicted with elegant, even sometimes seductive characteristics. You know how they say the devil is in the details; well, these details became more pronounced over time, revealing Al Basty’s dark side.

A Journey Between Darkness and Light

Today, Al Basty’s appearance has truly turned into a nightmare. So much so that when you look at illustrations of this legendary being, your hair might stand on end.

The Real-Life Origins of the Al Basty Figure

If we need to relate the Al Basty belief to real life, it can be said that it’s seen as a figure that disturbs postpartum women. This belief particularly brings to mind the postpartum depression that women experience during the period after childbirth. The transformation of postpartum depression into a being while women who lived generations ago struggled with it may have given rise to the Al Basty belief.

In many stories and memorates, it’s seen that women resorted to various rituals to protect themselves against Al Basty’s disturbing presence. Covering the postpartum woman’s face with a red cloth or constantly keeping lights on in the house occupy an important place among practices for fighting Al Basty.

Albastı, another version of Al Basty, also holds an important place in Shamanism. These names are generally used for protection from superstitions, and prayers are recited to ward off such evils.

All of this shows the impact of the Al Basty belief on women during the postpartum period.

Modern Reflections of the Al Basty Legend

Legends change over time with societal changes, and sometimes they lose their power. The current impact of Al Basty, which is such a legend, I think isn’t as strong as it used to be. So, why?

First of all, just as we’ve now gotten used to calling sleep paralysis instead of karabasan (nightmare demon), we now call Al Basty postpartum depression. We can say that modern medicine became the hunter of Al Basty, like many malevolent beings.

The secondary reason is the transformation of feared malevolent beings with the spread of Islam in Anatolia, as we mentioned in earlier parts of our article. Some characteristics of many malevolent beings believed to exist in the pre-Islamic period have largely gathered around the “jinn” narrative. Al Basty naturally got its share of this too.

Due to these reasons we mentioned, Al Basty, which has undergone transformation, appears before us more as a folkloric motif these days rather than a fear-inspiring figure from the past. In other words, you’ll understand, Al Basty has now just started to become a topic that sparks curiosity in casual conversations.