Erlik

Mud floated on the primordial waters, and Ulgen saw a human face reflected in the surface. He gave life to what he saw, and the first man, Erlik, was born. Erlik soon compared himself with Ulgen and boasted that he could create a man as well as Ulgen could. The boast challenged the power that had given him life. Ulgen answered by flinging his first creation to the ends of the earth. Erlik remained there and continued to reign as the Devil.

The banishment did not end Erlik's movement between the two realms. He returned to the upper world frequently, and each return brought evil with him. After Erlik's fall, God created the Earth and placed eight trees and eight men upon it. The eighth man, Maidere, stood with the eighth tree on a mountain of gold. At Ulgen's bidding Maidere created the first woman, but he could not give her life. Maidere left her in the care of a furless dog while he went to seek help from Ulgen. Erlik then came to the woman and offered the dog a fur coat in exchange for a look at her. The encounter follows Erlik's first challenge to Ulgen and shows him returning from banishment whenever he can bring harm to the upper world.