In Turkic mythology, Hortdan (Azerbaijanese: 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.
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Origin
The Hortdans are creatures of Azerbaijanese 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 Azeri people 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 in some depictions.
Etymology
The name Hortdan (or Hortlak) is related to the Turkic verb hortlamak, which in Turkish means get out and especially get out of the grave.