Al Ana [Turkish Folklore]

In the Turkish folklore, many demons and evil spirits have been prevalent and active who time and again have proved their presence by disturbing the mankind and punishing those who are not on the path of virtue and righteousness.

Al Ana is an evil spirit in the Turkish folklore who is believed to be the most fatal evil spirit famous for her wrath and anger. She used to live in the thickets near the rivers, lakes, and streams.

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Etymology of Al Ana

Etymology of Al Ana
Etymology of Al Ana

The word Al (or Hal; Azerbaijanese: Xal, Mongolian: Гал “Qal”, Oirat: Һал, Persian: آل, Russian: Алы) implies in Turkic dialects, red shading, fire or evil.  Ana is believed to contain the significance of her mother.

Traditions

Traditions
Traditions (Al Ana)

In Armenian custom, the also take the lung, liver, and heart of ladies in labor, pregnant ladies, and ladies who have recently conceived an offspring. They additionally pulverize undeveloped organisms in the belly, causing premature delivery, and can take children forty days after labor, supplanting them with imps.

They are male and female. They have mud noses and blazing eyes, and “show up with sharp teeth, tousled hair, copper hooks, iron teeth, the tusks of a wild hog and hanging bosoms, looking like a crone.”

After taking the organs of a lady, the al endeavors to get away and cross the main wellspring of water, after which the lady can’t be spared. Apotropaic wards also incorporate techniques utilized against different evil spirits and keeping the al from coming to water.

In Iran, the al is “a hard, slender elderly person, with an earthy nose, red face, and a straw or reedy crate dangling from its shoulder, in which the liver or lung of the youthful mother is placed.”

In Central Asia, the al is generally “a fat, revolting and shaggy hag with drooping bosoms, the one looming more than one shoulder, while looming over her other shoulder is a woolen sack in which she has set the heart and liver of her casualty.”

Read: Aka Manah [Zoroastrianism Mythology]

Detailed Description

Detailed Description
Detailed Description (Al Ana)

As indicated by some oral stories, she appeared as a terrible, elderly person with a bushy body, long straight hair, and bosoms so tremendous that she utilizes them to wash her clothes. On her head, she wore a red cap with a greenery twig joined to it.

Al Ana was said to seize human infants soon after they were conceived and supplant them with her kids, known as foundlings or changelings.

A changeling could be perceived by its extraordinary appearance – unbalanced body, regularly with some sort of inability – just as its underhandedness. It had a gigantic midsection, strangely little or huge head, a mound, meager arms and legs, a bushy body, and long paws; it likewise rashly cut its first teeth.

Its conduct was supposed to be set apart by a fit of incredible anger towards individuals around it, a dread of its mom, uproar, hesitance to rest, and extraordinarily greedy.

As a grown-up, it was impaired, gibbered rather than talked, and questioning individuals.

To ensure a kid against being abducted by Al Ana, a mother needed to tie a red lace around its hand (this custom is as yet saved in certain locales of Anatolia, even though without the first importance), put a red cap on its head and shield its face from the light of the moon.

By no means should she wash its nappies after dusk nor dismiss her head from the kid when it was sleeping.

Most in danger of getting one of these devils after death was believed to be birthing assistants, old house cleaners, unmarried moms, pregnant ladies who pass on before labor, just as relinquished youngsters resulting from wedlock.

Read More: Akuma [Japanese Folklore]

Conclusion

Turkish mythology has seen many dangerous demons and spirits who have been able to create chaos in mankind. Al Ana is a similar spirit who has been fatal by using her anger and wrath on the people.

She used to live in the thickets which were present in the ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams and use her magical powers for making problems and chaos for the people who used to pass from nearby.