In Turkic mythology, Hortdan (

Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...

: ''Xortdan'', Turkish: ''Hortlak'', Tuvan: ''Хортан'') is the troubled soul of the dead rising from the grave. Some Hortdan can be living people with certain magical properties. Some of the properties of the Hortdan include: the ability to transform into an animal, invisibility, and the propensity to drain the vitality of victims via blood loss. Hortdans are also known as immortal

vampires A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths ...

Origin

The Hortdans (Khortdan) are creatures of

mythology, as a representation of evil spirits, the spirits of the dead. As these stories were transmitted only by oral tradition, legend has lost its original substance, and

Azerbaijani people Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numer ...

have transformed Xortdan into bloodthirsty creatures. Hortdans are fictional undead creatures regularly encountered in horror and fantasy themed narratives. They are typically depicted as mindless, reanimated corpses with a hunger for human flesh.

Etymology

The name Hortdan (or Hortlak) is related to the Turkic verb ''hortlamak'',Türk Mitolojisi Ansiklopedik Sözlük, Celal Beydili, Yurt Yayınevi (Page - 243) which in Turkish means ''get out'' and especially ''get out of the grave''. In Azerbaijani language, the word 'khortlamaq" means get out of the bed or of the grave.

Different types of Hortdan

* Hortlak is the name of this creature in Turkish culture. And refers to a Zombie-like entity. * Xortdan is in Azerbaijani folklore same of vampire. * Hortan (sometimes Аза-Хортан "Aza-Hortan") is a

poltergeist In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descr ...

like an evil spirit in Tuva tradition.

References

{{reflist

External links

Türk Mitoloji Sözlüğü, Pınar Karaca
(Hortlak)
Tatar Mitolojisinde Varlıklar, Çulpan Zaripova
(Hortlak)
Rize ve Yöresinde Eski Türk İnançları, Yaşar Kalafat

Dinan-ı Lügat-it Türk'te Yer Alan Efsaneler, Behiye Köksel
Ghosts Turkic demons Mythological hematophages Vampires Undead