Zhalmauyz

animal-spirit · Kazakhstan · Central Asia

Zhalmauyz (Zhalmauyz Kempir) is the ogress of Kazakh folklore, an ancient cannibal hag who hunts for children to devour. She has seven heads, a single eye and hoof-like feet, and she shifts her shape to deceive her victims. Her name, echoing the steppe word for a child-stealing bogey, is used to frighten the young.

Open in the interactive archive →