Call of the Cryptid: Abaasy, demon spirits of Yakuts Shamanism

The Abasy (or Abaasy) originate from Turkish folklore — specifically, they are demons in the Sakha (or Yakuts) culture. Emanating from the underworld, these beings seem strange yet bad-ass. Wikipedia sums them up as one-eyed, one-armed, and one-legged demons who ride dragons as their steeds. There are plenty of other wicked-sounding aspects to their mythology.

They cause untold destruction and human madness (Human Caterpillar perhaps?). Like so many other quality demons, you might be able to appease them through blood sacrifice (practice makes perfect).

If you wish to see the Abaasy in pop culture, you can find them as monsters in the video game Xenoblade Chronicles (you can get a sample of an Abaasy battle right here). The belief in the Abaasy is tied to other local myths, and beliefs, though it’s unclear how fervently modern Yakut people might believe in the demons. Interestingly, the legend is said to have origins with the Turkish-speaking tribes of the steppe and Altai Mountains of Mongolia (coincidentally, I wrote about another myth related specifically to that mountain region: The Almas).

The Abaasy and ideology

Myths are often related, in some sense, to ideologies. For the Yakut, the term “Abaasy” is linked to hatred in general, which suggests the idea has staying power. This likely means some people believe the story, to some extent, just as many Americans believe in God, Hell, demons, and the Devil. If you look into Mongolian mythology, you might find the example of Zaarin Tengri, whose story includes a vision of a cow mooing the words: “Heaven and Earth agree, let Temüjin [AKA Genghis Khan] be the nation’s master.” The Abaasy don’t appear to be as overtly political, but that might reflecr the relative lack of aggression displayed by the Yakut people.
(SOURCE: The Secret History of the Mongols: The Life and Times of Chinggis Khan by editor Urgunge Onon. Pg. 99, 1990.)

This is not to say the ancient Mongolians were necessarily intolerant of other religious beliefs, mind you. It’s widely held that they weren’t. In fact, Möngke Khan — a grandson to Ghengis Khan — once apparently stated: “We believe that there is only one God, by whom we live and by whom we die, and for whom we have an upright heart. But as God gives us the different fingers of the hand, so he gives to men diverse ways to approach Him.”

In other words, it seems you would have been free to believe in something other than Tengri (though one suspects thunderbolts might have been on standby). In modern Yakut culture, the Abaasy are still classified as beings of the “dead.” They are said to be called back to life at certain times, such as when a person’s life force is in distress. According to Gertrude Jones’ 1962 Dictionary of Mythology Folklore and Symbols, a blood sacrifice is believed to protect against the Abaasy.

Is there actual evidence for the Abaasy?

Part of me hates to insult others’ beliefs and values but let’s be honest:  There is no actual evidence supporting the existence of the Abaasy, or countless other demons and similar manifestations of evil.  That being said, I am personally open to seeing any actual evidence for such things.  In fact, as I feel compelled to write here, I have felt comfortable enough to actually confirm the existence of the so-called “Beast of Bodmin Moor.”  Granted, this isn’t some fantastical cryptid or a demon but sightings of at least one loose puma.  Still, if anyone accuses me of being too narrow-minded and too unfairly skeptical, I can always point to that article.

What are your thoughts on the Abaasy? Let us know in the comments!