23.09.2025 15:30
One of the most well-known horror legends of Anatolia, Albastı (Al Karısı), is described as an evil spirit believed to haunt postpartum women. Albastı is depicted as a woman in a red dress, and various protective traditions are practiced in Anatolia against her.
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One of the oldest folk beliefs in Anatolia, Albastı, is also known among the people as "Al Karısı" (the Red Woman). This fear legend, which has been told for centuries, is particularly associated with women who have just given birth and newborn babies.
IT IS BELIEVED TO HAUNT POSTPARTUM WOMEN According to the legend, Albastı is an evil spirit that haunts postpartum women. It is said that it enters the room of a woman who gives birth at midnight, suffocating her, harming her health, or causing her death. For this reason, it is believed that postpartum women should not be left alone in many villages of Anatolia, and protective traditions such as placing a red ribbon, scissors, or the Quran by their bedside are practiced.
It is believed to braid the manes of horses DEPICTED IN RED Albastı is mostly described in folk tales as a woman with long hair dressed in red. In some accounts, it is depicted as an invisible shadow that descends upon a person. The color "red" is considered a distinctive feature of this figure as it is associated with birth and blood.
The Al Karısı legend has also been reflected in various paintings FROM FOLK BELIEF TO CULTURAL MEMORY According to experts, the belief in Albastı is actually a reflection of the supernatural explanation of medical conditions such as postpartum fever and depression experienced in the postpartum period. Nevertheless, the legend continues to thrive as an important part of Anatolian culture.
TOLD FOR GENERATIONS Even today, in some villages, precautions are taken against Albastı to protect postpartum women. The Albastı legend, while being a frightening folk belief, continues to exist as one of the most striking examples of Anatolia's oral cultural treasure.
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