Dzhidzha Araeva, About Shulmus

Abstract

Dzhidzha relays stories about people encountering shulmus spirits. This is her story: It is believed that shulmus (evil spirits) live in the steppe and make people go astray. My mother told me a story about my grandfather who one day was riding his cart, when shulmus spirits jumped on it and had a ride for some time. When my grandfather turned around, they jumped off and disappeared. There is another story that happened to my father. One day my father was riding a horse when shulmus tied its legs. To untie, one has to take a knife and cut the invisible hobble on the horse’s legs. According to another story, one man set out on a journey at night. In the steppe his saddle fell off, caused by shulmus. On a bare horse back, the man reached a pastureland and lit a fire only to see the shulmus spirits gather around it and sit down. They looked hairy like monkeys. The man picked up his belongings on his way home the next morning.