Al Karisi (Scarlet Woman)

Al is rumored to be a terrifying creature that pesters women who newly gave birth. 

Let's jump into more details. Al (red, scarlet) karisi (woman, lady), she generally pesters newly mothers and babies, they were said to be afraid of men, and they rumored to steal newborn babies after attacking their mother.

 Al Karisi is rumoured to be a shapeshifter, she generally appears like large, elderly woman dressed in red. 

She may also appear like someone the new mother knows, mother, aunt, etc. 

 Al is a class of demon in the folklore of the Middle East & Central Asia. Als are demons of childbirth, interfering with human reproduction.

 The al is known by various other names. Als steal the intestines and heart of the women who have just gave birth, pregnant women, women at childbirth. They also cause miscarriage, they stole babies 40 days after the birth. ( I suppose the tradition of keeping the newly mother & baby at home for 40 days comes from the Al) We know there are many demons interested in stealing babies or harm babies,

 But Al Karisi said to be interested in primarily in newly mothers. She waits until the mother falls asleep before entering the room and cutting out their liver.

 It's said to be they might be fully conscious but at hypnotic stage, sort of sleep paralysis, some are unconscious. She said to leave the scene pretty much clean, no blood, no bruises, it appears like the mother died in her sleep.

  While Al Karisi is a thread to newly mothers. she is only doing it to feed her own own children. 

 To stop the attack from Al Karisi, women who recently gave birth sleep with a metal object, knife, pin, dagger, or a pair scissors

 Al Karisi is not only unique to Turkic Mythology, it exists as Changelings in European Mythology. Changelings said to replace their kids faes with human babies, but Changelings mostly interested in boys.

  According to numerous Near Eastern traditions, Al was created for Adam's first consort, but Adam couldn't adapt to Al. It created enmity between Eve, her daughters and Al.

 The al is first documented in European literature in the middle of the 19th century.

*image source: wikimedia commons