Qarakorshaq

monster · Turkmenistan · Central Asia

Qarakorshaq is a monster of Turkic folklore said to lurk in dark hollows, abandoned houses and hidden pits, seizing and devouring anyone who draws near at night. It is driven off by light and noise. Some scholars read the creature as folk memory of large animals now extinct in Central Asia, which explains its shadowy presence in herding lore.

Open in the interactive archive →