Iran!
Theres a country we havent covered yet - in fact, theres a whole bunch of middle eastern
countries with amazing mythology and scary stories that weve barely touched on.
Once I had a look, it was actually tough to decide which country to start with but I had
to choose one - and I went with Iran.
Youre about to find out why.
My name is Danny Burke and this is the Top 10 Scary Iranian Urban Legends.
Just a quick reminder as well guys that we have a new channel - Top 10 Hindi, you can
find the link up there, in the description box and maybe even in the comments.
Its just like Most Amazing Top 10 except we do videos in Hindi and English.
I say we, its not me Rebecca or Landon - its our new host Ayman, shes great, the videos
are great, go and have a look right after this video.
For now though, lets get into our number 10 which is Al[a].
In Persian folklore, Al is said to be a demon of childbirth.
Their sole purpose in this world is to interfere with human reproduction.
Usually, they take the form of a scrawny old woman with a clay nose and bright red face.
She also has sharp fans, disheveled hair, copper claws, iron teeth and the tusks of
a wild boar.
The old woman attacks pregnant women but like the evil being it is - it only strikes when
they are alone and at their most vulnerable.
She wants their organs and will attempt to take the womans liver or lung, afterwards
she will put them in a basket which she carries at all times.
If she is successful, the demon will attempt to escape and cross the first source of water
- at that point, the woman can not be saved.
Believers use special wards or charms to prevent the demon from reaching water, thereby saving
the pregnant woman and the baby she is carrying.
Next up at number 9 we have the Manticore.
This is an ancient persian creature of legend that has been both feared and revered over
the millenia.
Its said to have the the head of a human, the body of a lion and a tail made up of venomous
spines similar to porcupine quills or perhaps even the tail of a scorpion.
Its appearance has been compared to the sphinx of ancient Egypt.
The manticores name literally translates to man eater - which kind of gives you a clue
as to what its all about.
Ancient descriptions talk of its 3 rows of sharp teeth and the fact that it would hurl
its poisonous spikes at enemies like arrows.
Essentially, this creature was like all the scary things in the animal packed into one
animal whos name is literally man eater - I don't think they would have made the best
pets.
Moving on to number 8 we have The Peri[b].
These are winged spirits originating from Persian and Armenian mythologies.
On a scale of morality, they are often described as being somewhere between angels and evil
spirits of the world.
Generally speaking though, they were seen as beautiful female spirits created by God
after the vicious divs - theyre a different type of creature together and very much seen
as evil.
Evil Peris are often grouped in with them.
In some folklore they appear to humans - there have been tales of them punishing hunters
in the mountains who are disrespectful or who waste resources or even abducting young
humans for their social events.
To summarise, generally seen as beautiful - but perhaps theres more to them than meets
the eye … bit like me.
Just kidding.
No.
No Im kidding.
Coming in at number 7 now we have The Patient Stone[c].
This a well known and popular Persian folktale.
The story says that the patient stone listens - thats what it does, it is an empathic listener
- it absorbs the sorrows and pains of the person who confides in it.
One story talks of a mistreated girl who achieved her true destiny by talking to the Patient
Stone - but its also known for its explosive tendencies.
Its said that when the stone can no longer contain the pain it harbors, it bursts into
pieces.
This is seen as a sacrifice, a way of destroying the main that would otherwise crush the one
who bears the burden of sorrow.
Next up at number 6 we have The Ghoul.
With a name like that, how could it not be on the list?
A ghoul is actually an old Arabic that didnt even enter the English language until the
late 18th century.
In Persian culture, Ghouls are demons or monsters associated with graveyards and consuming flesh.
Some accounts state that a ghoul lives in the desert and shapeshifts into animals in
order to hunt humans - one of its favourite forms is that of a hyena.
The ghoul lures unwary people into the desert.
Once they are alone and out of sight of other people - the ghoul kills and devours them
on the spot.
The creature also preys on young children, drinks blood, steals coin and eats the dead.
An all round baddy, you might say.
Perhaps even more scary though is its ability to take the form of the person it most recently
ate.
Imagine how scary it would be realising that your friend was really a ghoul.
Perhaps you should check in the near future, better safe than sorry.
Moving on to number 5 now we have The Night Hag.
This is a great one.
Its a concept that exists in a number of different cultures but in Iran its known as the Baxtak.
Its said to be an evil ghost or creature that causes sleep paralysis.
In Iran though, theres a slight twist on this well known legend.
The Baxtak is a sort of guardian of treasures.
It is believed that the creature somehow knows about hidden treasures - however, its always
a closely kept secret - especially to mortals like us.
Humans are not supposed to even know about the hidden treasures existene and especially
not where it is located - there is a way to find out though.
Legend says that if you grab the creatures nose, it will be forced to tell you where
the hidden treasure is.
If you cant manage that because of the paralysis, wiggling your fingers can release you from
its clutches, at least for now …
Next up at number 4 we have the Zar[d].
In Persia and across the middle east, people used to speak in hushed tones of the Zar - a
demon or spirit that possess people.
It would mainly target women, causing them great discomfort or illness.
Of course, the concept of possession exists in a lot of cultures across the planet.
It doesnt matter what the religion is, what the evil spirit is called - many cultures
resort to the same thing - exorcism - the practice of expelling a demon from the person
it has possessed.
If you think of a Christian exorcism, youre probably picturing a very serious looking
priest in a dark room and a scary looking girl with crazy eyes just growling in the
corner.
Maybe thats just me.
When it came to the Zar though, it was a very different affair.
There have been some accounts of Zar exorcisms being akin to a night of entertainment - they
would involve food, musical performances and dancing.
The Exorcist would have been a very different movie if they were expelling a Zar, let me
tell you that …
Moving on to number 3 now we have Daval Pay[e].
This is an evil creature with flexible legs that resemble leather straps which he uses
as tentacles to ensnare and then enslave human beings.
The slaves are then forced to carry him on their shoulders or backs.
When theyre not carrying them, they are made to do hard labor.
This goes on forever until the human slaves die of fatigue.
In some stories he takes the form of an old man who sits by the side of road, imploring
passersby to carry him across a nearby stream.
Once he is on the victims back, a long leg comes out from his belly and twists around
the victims waise.
Once the grasp is firm, he orders them to work for him.
In all accounts of this evil being, there is said to be only one way to be released
from his grip and be rid of him - alcohol - not for human, but for the Daval Pay - once
he is intoxicated, he is said to release his grip just enough for a slave to wriggle free.
Presumably they then run for their life and never look back.
Im guessing thats the final part.
Moving on to number 2 we have the Jinn[f].
I guarantee youve already heard of this before - you just don't know it.
Jinn is the arabic name, in English these creatures are known as Genies.
See, I told you youd know what they are.
However, Jinns are a far cry from the bubbly blue genie from Aladdin.
In ancient Persian culture, a Jinn was a spirit or demon - a supernatural creature, sometimes
worshipped and sometimes seen as malevolent.
Many people feared Jinn and thought they were responsible for causing various disease or
mental illnesses.
Because of human hostility and how outnumbered by humans they are, Jinn were thought to inhabit
desolate places, often dingy and dark - places where they were unable to harm humans, unless
one wandered too close.
And finally at number 1 we have the Evil Eye[g].
This is a belief that is not exclusive to Iran - but it has existed there for a long
time.
The evil eye is said to be a curse or legend cast by a malevolent glare.
Most of the time, its given to a person when they are unaware, it could even have happened
to you today!
The belief is that receiving this curse will lead to deep misfortune or even physical injury.
As a form of defence, many cultures create talismans in an effort to ward off the curse.
In Iran, as a legacy of the Ottoman Empire, it is not uncommon to see Nazars - blue coloured
glass in the shape of an eye that are said to keep the curse at bay and the tragedies
that will follow it …
Well that was really interesting, do we have any viewers from Iran?
Other than my terrible pronunciations, I hop you enjoyed the video!
Im thinking we do Iraq or Lebanon next, I had a little look at their legends and they
look great - its up to you though so let me know - don't forget to check out top 10 hindi
- thanks for watching, my name is Danny Burke and Ill see you all in the next video!