Tradition: Kazakh mythology
Alternative Names: Zheztyrnak, Jeztyrnak, Jez Tumshuk, Chulbus, Shulbus, Mu-shubun
Category: Demon
The Myth
Zheztyrnak is an evil demonic creature that usually appears as a beautiful young woman, although she can sometimes take the form of a terrible old woman. Beneath her attractive appearance she hides monstrous copper claws. Her ten fingers end in sharp, razor-like copper claws, while blue-tinted blades grow along her palms, each sharp enough to cut through stone. She usually hides these claws beneath long sleeves.
Zheztyrnak has tremendous supernatural power and possesses a loud, piercing voice. Her scream is deadly to birds and small animals. She is a frightening forest woman, especially dangerous to anyone who encounters her alone.
Zheztyrnak is sometimes compared to a vampire. She can hypnotize a person with her cold, unblinking gaze. Once her victim falls asleep, she attacks with her claws and sucks out all of their blood.
She is also fiercely vindictive. If a Zheztyrnak is killed, her husband seeks revenge for her death, and after his death, the victim may be pursued by their orphaned children.
One Kazakh tale tells of a hunter who encountered Zheztyrnak late in the evening. A young woman appeared at his hunting fire, and the hunter invited her to share his meal. He noticed that she constantly covered her nose with her sleeve, even while eating, and realized that she was no ordinary woman but a Zheztyrnak.
After she left, the hunter placed a log beside the fire and covered it with his clothes. He then climbed into a tree with his gun and waited. During the night, Zheztyrnak returned and threw herself onto the disguised log, believing the hunter was sleeping there. From his hiding place, the hunter fired and killed the demon with a well-aimed shot.
Sources
“Жезтырнак (Zheztyrnak).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/zheztyrnak
