SHAYTAN

SHAYTAN is an evil spirit in Bashkir mythology, relates to the jinn category. They can look like humans or other living creatures. According to certain beliefs, they live in yurts with their families, according to other beliefs – in caves in groups. They emit fire from their mouths while sleeping. They kidnap babies under 40 days old. In order to avoid this people put sharp objects near their babies, give the same names for boys and girls (Yunduz, Sulpan, Sarvar etc.); Koran prayers and amulets are also used to protect babies. Children are forbidden to swing their legs because S. can think that it is an invitation. It is possible to kill S. by ripping out his heart through the hole in his armpit. Often a person marries S. and their clan divides (the legend “Shaytan’s clan”). Sometimes people use euphemisms to name S. (Ketmer, Duburnush, Kapshaytaytush etc.) The sorcerers sell their souls to S. for their knowledge, warlocks can control S. by means of books written in hell. A warlock gives the book to another person before he dies so that the person can also control S. There were people who were able to cast out S. S. is a stupid, silly creature in fairytales (“Two devils and Aldar”, “Aldar and a devil”). The ideas about S. are preserved in toponyms Shaytanbaskantau (the mountain on which a shaytan stepped), Shaytanyilga (the S. river), Shaytan khyuy (S. water), urochishche Shaytan yurt (S. house) etc. The character is common for mythology of many peoples.