Deities
Major deities Kök Tengri – God of Sky, identified with kök "1. sky; blue; 2. stem, root, base; 3. full" (most probably used to describe the celestial character) and tengri "God" < tenger "sky; sea; God" OT > tenger "sea" Hungarian ~ teňiz "sea" Kypchak, tenger "sky" Mongolian and distant Tangaroa "God of sea and water" Maori, thus originally projected as the vast of the sky and the waters. Tengri is the single god in the Turkic pantheon, creator (or cause) and controller of universal order, warrant of universal harmony and balance. Among all deities only Tengri has no personification and objectification, and it never "appears" anywhere, never comes in contact with any living being. It is considered rather as supreme unifying power (comparable with the Islamic doctrine Wahdat al-wujūd) than a role designated character. Other than Zeus, Tengri is not characterized by an anthropomorphic physical or supernatural description and by location, rather perceived as the vastness of universe. Kayra (or Kaira) khan – neutral characterized supreme messenger of universal creation, a creative spirit of Tengri. Usually not depicted in anthropomorphic form. The name is probably derived from Turkic kayır- "to create; to make; to fix". Erlik or Erlik khan – masculine personified messenger of the dead and of the underworld. The name is most likely cognate with Old Turkic yir "earth; place". Ulgan (or Ülgen) khan – masculine personification of benevolence, planets, stars, and shamans. Son of Kaira. He is the Turkic creator of the land on Earth. Most probably the name is derived from ül- "to measure; to cut" > ülgüç "razor" > ölçü "measurement" (with ül- > öl- vocal shift; even öl- "to die" = "to end; to come to the end; to cut off"). Mergen khan – masculine personification of wisdom. Son of Kaira. He is a Turkic deity of abundance and knowledge. Perhaps an early Bulgarian *mir- variant of Common Turkic bil- "to know", but it is not attested. Kyzaghan khan – masculine personification of irrationality, malice. Kyzaghan is the son of Kayra and the brother of Ulgan. At least it is possible to suggest: kız- "to get angry" < "to get red or hot" ~ kızıl "red" Common Turkic. Kızağan might mean "angry tempered". Umay or Umai ana – feminine personification of fertility. She is supreme protector of mother and child including all creatures giving birth (or laying egg) to living being. The word umay is understood in modern Turkic and Mongolic cultures as "placenta; womb or uterus". At first glance it can be associated with Turkic um- "to want, to expect, to desire; hope; happiness", but Japanese 生まれ umare "birth" ~ 生まれる umareru "to be born" and 生む umu "to give birth" lead us to reflect on historical existence of proto-Altaic *(h)um-, *(kw)um- or *(k)uŋ- "to give birth" in north-eastern Asian geography. Kuara - masculine personification of thunder; soul of Tengri. He is comparable to Thor in Norse Mythology. Although "thunder" is yıldırım in Turkic languages, Kuara might be an early Bulgarian spoiled variant of Kayra and associated with Zeus through early contact with Eastern Rome, before both converting to Christianity. Kubai – feminine personification of birth and children. She protects women who give birth. She gives the children souls. This name seems to be a dialectal notion as Umay < Humay < Kumay. Koyash or Kuyash – neutral (depending on cultural area either masculine or feminine) personification of the Sun. Koyash is born from Tenger ata "father Sky" and Yir ana "mother Earth". The name is most probably derived from köñ- "to burn" (ñ > -y, -n or -yXn is typical in Turkic languages) >(?) kün "sun; day" and küneş "the Sun". Ak Ana – feminine personification of cultural emergence. Ak Ana is considered as the primordial messenger creating Turkic people. She is also known as the deity of the water. Ak can mean anything, but modern "white". Ay Ata – masculine personification of the Moon. According to the mythology, he is a messenger living on the sixth level of the sky with Gun Ana. The word ay "moon, month" is associated with ayaz "clear sky (during frost)", aydın "clear, precise, conscious" and ayıl- "to wake up, to become conscious, to perceive clearly", but ultimate etymology of ay- "clear (light)" is unknown. Gun Ana – feminine personification of the Sun. She is the common Turkic solar deity, treated as a supreme deity in the Kazakh and Kyrgyz mythologies. As some languages add -Aş (diminutive) substantive building suffix, the name is an analogue of Koyaş or Kuyaş < köñ-. Yel Ana – feminine personification of the wind, although it is unknown which wind is meant, as in various cultures winds with different characters (north wind, south wind, etc) are identified with different names. In Turkish folklore she is referred to as the "wind queen" too. Yel = wind. Yel Ata – masculine personification of the wind, unknown kind of wind. In Turkish folklore he is also referred to as the "wind king". Burkut – Eagle. The messenger Burkut symbolizes the sun and power. In modern Turkish bürküt, adopted in Russian as berkut. Öd Tengri (wikipage in Turkish) or Öd-Ögöd – supreme deity of time. Is seen as the neutral personification of time in Turkic mythology. Usually depicted as a dragon. Öd "time" survives in modern Turkish as öylen "midday" < öy- < öd- < öt- "to pass; past" (t > d > y is typical in Oghuz languages). Boz Tengri – deity mostly associated with the ground and steppes. It survives in Turkish as bozkır < boz "steppe; semi-desert; grey" + kır "mountain pick; grey, black". Aisyt – feminine personification of beauty. She is also the mother deity of the Yakut people from Siberia. Su Ana – feminine personification of water. Su Ana is said to appear as a naked young woman with a fairy-like face. Su Ata – masculine personification of water. He appears as an old man with a frog-like face, greenish beard, with his body covered in algae and muck. Od Ana – feminine personification of fire. Also referred to as messenger of marriage. In Mongolian folklore she is referred to as the "queen of fire". Od Ata – masculine personification of fire. In Mongolian folklore he is referred to as the Od Khan "king of fire". He is a fire spirit in the shamanistic traditions of Mongolia. Yer Tanrı – feminine personification of the Earth. As a supreme deity of fertile earth, she was recognized as the giver of crops and abundance. Etügen – the name originates from Ötüken, the holy mountain of the Earth and fertility deity of the ancient Turks.Enciclopèdia de l'Islam, VIII, 236, M. Th. Houtsma Ötüken is rather derived from öt- "to pass; past" and can be interpreted as a (land) merit of ancestors, than earth. HurmuzReligion and Politics in Russia: A Reader, Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer or Kurmez – masculine personification of soul. Also he is considered as a supreme deity in Mongolian mythology and shamanism, described as the chief of the 55 messengers. Jaiyk – masculine personification of rivers. He is a deity in Turkic pantheon, previously known as Dayık in Altai mythology. He lives at the junction of 17 rivers. The name seems to be cognate with Oghuzic çay- "river", but the etymology is unclear. Alaz – masculine personification of fire in Turkic mythology. Also known as Alas-Batyr or sometimes Alaz Khan. In Oghuz languages al-ış- "to inflame" and al-ov "flame", and al-tun "gold" and al[ıg] "red" implying al- "catch fire, burn, glow" in Common Turkic. Baianai – feminine personification of hunting. She is also the Yakut deity of forests and joy. Kailyn – messenger of Kings and Queens. Kış Han (or Dış Han) – masculine personification of winter. Yaz Han (or Yay Han) – masculine personification of summer.
Other gods Adaghan – Mountain God. He protects the mountains and the creatures that live there. His name means sacrifice acceptor. Akbugha – God of medicine. He is the god of health and healing in ancient Turkic tradition. He has a white serpent. Ai Toyon (Sakha: Айыы Тойон, Russian: Айы Тойон) is the Yakut god of light, usually depicted as an eagle perched atop the "world tree". Adzis Khanym (Nameless Lady). Goddess of evil. Erkliğ 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.User, Hatice Şirin. "Čolpan ‘The Planet Venus’ in Turkic." Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia (SEC) 19.3 (2014): 169-178. Shalyk – Hunting deity. God or goddess or of fluid gender. Patron of wild animals, the wilderness and protector of forests. Inehsit – Goddess of childbirth and labour pains. She was the divine helper of women in labour has an obvious origin in the human midwife. Qovaq – God of the sky. He brings up a new sun every day; for that reason, he is hunted by Yelbeghen to stop her and cause total darkness. Uren Han – God of Harvest. He presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. Zarlık – Goddess of Judgement. She was the goddess of justice, fair judgements and the rights. Zada – Wind God. He is the ruler of the winds, and owner of Yada Tashy (Wind Stone). Ukulan – Water God. He is the chief of the rivers, springs, streams and fountains. Izıh – God of wild animals. He is especially the god of freed animals. Chokqu – Goddess of good wishes. She fulfills wishes. Talai or Dalai – God of Oceans. He was the personification of the World Ocean, an enormous river encircling the world.
Creatures Genuine Äbädä – Spirit of forest. It is an innocent spirit in Tatar mythology, that looks like an old woman. Äbädä also is represented in mythologies of Siberian peoples. He protects the birds, trees, and animals of the forest. Alara – A famous water fairy (peri) from Lake Baikal in Central Asia who appears in the records and folklore of several Turkic peoples. She appears to those who need her to fix broken hearts and has powers similar to those of Cupid. Al Basty – Female daemon spirit. She is an ancient female spirit, the personification of guilt, found in folklore throughout the Caucasus mountains, with origins going as far back as Sumerian mythology. Archura – Forest monster. Archura usually appears as a man, but he is able to change his size from that of a blade of grass to a very tall tree. He protects the animals and birds in the forest. Arbogha – A creature like bull. Arboghas are half-man, half bull; having the torso of a man extending where the neck of a bull should be. They were said to be wild, savage, and lustful. Ardow (su iyesi) – Spirit of water. Ardows are spirits of human souls that died drowning, residing in the element of their own demise. They are responsible for sucking people into swamps and lakes as well as killing the animals standing near the still waters. Azmych – Road spirit. He is an evil-spirit that causes disorientation and leads a person aimlessly around and round. The term also refers to lose one's way. Basty – Spirit of nightmares. Basty is best known for its shapeshifting abilities and it is an evil spirit or goblin in Turkic folklore which rides on people's chests while they sleep, bringing on bad dreams (or "nightmares"). Bichura – A household spirit in Tatar / Turkic folklore. Traditionally, every house is said to have a Bichura. It has also been said that Bichura can take on the appearance of cats or dogs. It wears red dresses. Chak – A folk devil. He was specifically busy corrupting peasants. While sometimes shown in any rustic setting, he was usually pictured standing on or near a willow tree at the edge of a swamp. Chesma iyesi – cat-shaped spirit that lives in wells or fountains and tempts youths to drowning. Çor – A jinn-like creature, responsible for mental disorders. Chorabash - leader of jinn Elbis – a spirit of war and envy. Sometimes confused with Iblis.