Erkliğ Han is attested in Turkic and Altai cosmological accounts as a named celestial ruler — a Han — whose domain is space and the heavenly bodies. His name element Erk/Erkliğ is glossed as 'strong' and combined with the title Han (lord or ruler) to denote a powerful cosmic authority. In Tengrism he is specifically identified with the planet Venus, and in compiled lists of Turkic mythological figures he is presented as the figure responsible for stars, meteorites and other celestial objects. Some modern and comparative sources note that the similarity of his name to the underworld figure Erlik has produced scholarly confusion; the sources collected here treat Erkliğ Han as a distinct celestial lord rather than an underworld ruler (sources: Wikipedia; List of Turkic mythological figures).
The available source materials do not provide a consistent anthropomorphic or iconographic description of Erkliğ Han. He is primarily known through his agency over observable sky phenomena — the presence of Venus, falling stars described as 'fiery arrows,' and the disappearance of stars at sunrise — rather than through detailed physical depiction. Where his name or actions are recorded, emphasis falls on his titulary ('strong' + Han) and cosmic roles rather than bodily attributes (sources: Wikipedia; List of Turkic mythological figures).
Sources describe Erkliğ Han as responsible for stars, meteorites (falling stars), and celestial objects; falling stars associated with him are sometimes called 'fiery arrows.' In Tengrism he is identified with the planet Venus. He is also described in the sources as causing the disappearance of stars at sunrise — an action framed as him 'killing' the stars — and is linked in some lists with virility. The depiction of his sunrise action has been read in source lists as a symbolic emblem for warriors. The material stresses his rulership over visible stellar phenomena and planetary appearance rather than describing magical procedures or narrowly defined supernatural mechanics (sources: Wikipedia; List of Turkic mythological figures).
Abaasy
Abaasy (Abaahy, Abasy; Yakut: Абаасы, Abaası) are beings of the Sakha (Yakut) underworld, depicted in sources as destructive underworld spirits or demons associated with the long deceased. They inhabit the lower cosmic layer, serve an underworld ruler, are blamed for disease and madness, and may be appeased by blood sacrifice.
Abzar İyesi
A Turkic iyesi (possessive/guardian spirit) of the courtyard, outbuildings, and farmstead grounds; ambivalent in nature, it protects its domain but may harm livestock and cause mischief, often appearing in animal forms.
Aiy (Aiy-auk)
Aiy (also rendered Aiy-auk) is a name mentioned in relation to Siberian contexts in the queryer's sources, but the provided documents do not contain usable folkloric descriptions or ethnographic data about the entity. This entry records what the supplied materials do and do not establish and points to the research gap.
Ak Ana
Ak Ana (also Ağ Ana, Ak Ene) is the primordial water-mother of Turkic and some Siberian (Khanty, Mansi) traditions: a holy maternal creator principle associated with the pre-earth expanse of water, fertility of the land, and the threshold to the spirit world.
Al (Alı)
No folkloric or ethnographic evidence for a supernatural entity named "Al" or "Alı" is present in the supplied source set. The available materials are modern biographical, political, linguistic, and religious texts that do not describe a Turkish spirit, demon, or other supernatural being by this name.
Alaz
Alaz is the Turkic god of fire associated with hearths, flame, and the Great Fire (Ulugh Od). He is described as a powerful fire-being who sends protector-spirits (İye) to household hearths and can cause destructive fires when angered; fire under his authority is also a purifying force.
Alp Er Tunga
Alp Er Tunga is a legendary heroic ruler of Turan in early Turkic tradition, remembered as an ideal warrior-king and ancestral figure invoked in medieval dynastic genealogies. He also appears in Iranian epic tradition under the cognate name Afrosiyab/Afrasiab, where the figure is framed differently.
Ama (Mother of Waters)
No documentation for a Siberian supernatural figure called 'Ama' or 'Mother of Waters' was found in the supplied sources. The reviewed materials either list unrelated senses of the string 'Ama' or are unrelated recordings titled 'AMA.'
Amazons
A society of women-warriors in ancient Greek myth and legend, depicted as skilled horsemen and archers who inhabit the periphery of the Greek world and act as recurring opponents and counterparts to Greek heroes. Treated by ancient authors as a past people and by modern scholars as a mythic construct possibly inspired by Eurasian female warrior burials.
Amrak
Amrak is not attested in the provided sources as a supernatural being. The lexical string "Amrak" appears across unrelated secular contexts — as a historical regnal name (Amrak Khagan / Ashina Anluo), a Turkish place-name (Çamrak / amrak), titles in modern Arabic-language music, an institutional name/acronym (AMRAK Institute), and as a modern brand/typeface/project name. No folkloric, ritual, or mythological descriptions of an entity called "Amrak" are present in the cited material.
Antimachus
Antimachus is attested in the provided sources primarily as a classical Greek personal name borne by historical figures (notably Antimachus of Colophon, a poet and grammarian ca. 400 BC, and Antimachus I Theos, a Greco-Bactrian king). The name is also reused in modern contexts (a Wikidata taxon entry and small-press fictional/divinatory pages). The sources do not present Antimachus as a supernatural or folkloric entity.
Apa Qaghan
Apa Qaghan (阿波可汗, Ābō Kèhán) is an historical Ashina prince and mid-6th century claimant to the Göktürk khaganate. Sources portray him as a political and military actor involved in the succession disputes after Taspar Qaghan's death, ruling contested steppe territories and engaging with both western Turkic allies and Sui China.
Community Record
- [1]Erkliğ Han. Wikipedia: "Erkliğ Han is the deity of space in Turkic and Altai mythology. He is responsible for stars, meteorites and celestial objects, and also associated with virility. Erkliğ means 'strong'."; "In Tengrism, he is the lord of the planet Venus."; "According to the belief, Erkliğ Han is responsible for falling stars in the sky. These are called fiery arrows."; "He is also associated with the disappearing of stars during the rise of the sun by 'killing' them."; "Due to similarity to the name Erlik, some scholars confuse Erkliğ with Erlik, the lord of the underworld.", wikiwiki
- [2]List of Turkic mythological figures. Wikipedia list entry: "Erklig Han God of. space. controls the celestial bodies. He is said to kill the stars with the rise of the sun, thus became a symbol for warriors.", wikiwiki
- [3]Wikidata: Erkliğ Han. Wikidata entry for Erkliğ Han (record linked to Wikipedia and related dataset identifiers).other
- [4]Turfan-related excerpt referencing Erklig/Erlik. "The Lord of the Lower World, the Underworld, was Erklig, in Mongolian, Erlik kaghan" — cited among the collected excerpts to illustrate name overlap and scholarly confusion between Erkliğ/Erklig and Erlik.other