Tradition: Turkic Mythology, Kyrgyzstan Mythology
Alternative Names: Bulan
Category: Deer

The Myth

The Bulan is a strange animal described in Turkic folklore as a large creature hunted in the lands of the Kipchaks. It possesses a single horn shaped like a cup. The horn is carved and raised toward the sky, allowing the creature to collect snow and water in it.

The Bulan uses this unusual horn in connection with its partner. The female bends her horn toward the male, while the male bends down toward the water that the female carries in hers. In this way, the two animals are described as sharing the water collected in their extraordinary horns.

The exact identity of the animal described as the Bulan is uncertain. The word appears in the eleventh-century dictionary of Turkic dialects, where it is difficult to determine precisely which animal the name referred to. In Turkic languages, the word can refer to animals such as a moose, deer, onager, or wild horse. It has also been suggested that the word may have originated from the ancient Chinese bai, referring to a type of deer, and lin, associated with the unicorn.

Sources

“Bulan.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 5, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Bulan

The Myth

Mystan Kempir is a demonic old woman from Central Asian folklore. She is feared as a witch who steals and replaces children, poisons food, and places curses upon people. Some legends also describe her keeping captives in the underworld, where she devours them alive.

Although she appears as an elderly woman, Mystan Kempir is said to possess unnatural speed and strength, capable of outrunning or even catching a galloping horse. She is known more for deception than direct violence, often defeating people through tricks, manipulation, and cunning rather than force.

Stories describe Mystan Kempir disguising herself as an ordinary old woman in order to enter homes unnoticed. Once welcomed inside, she brings misfortune, danger, or death. In heroic tales, even powerful batyrs can struggle against her schemes and magical tricks.