The Forest Demon Coin

Across the world there are folktales of Bogeymen. These mythical creatures are used to form allegories and stories to frighten and warn of danger. A coin from the country of Kazakhstan featuring one such creature, the Shurale, brings the creature to the world of numismatics.

From mythology in Tatar and Baskir groups, the Shurale is a shapeshifting creature, often depicted with long fingers, horns, and a woolly body. It can take form looking like a peasant with glowing eyes. The Shurale mythology includes leading people astray, making people sick and even tickling them to death. When a woodcutter’s axe disappears in the forest, it is usually a Shurale that has hidden it away.

Should you lose your way in the woods and cross paths with a Shurale, the way out is to turn your clothing inside out and wear your shoes on the opposite feet. Should you befriend a Shurale it can teach you secrets of magic including making pacts with other mythical spirits to protect their crops, animals, and land. Yet most folklore is that a Shurale lures their victims away and tickles them to death.

In 2013, Kazakhstan released a commemorative 50 tenge coin featuring a Shurale. This non-circulating coin was part of a series featuring fairy tales of the people of Kazakhstan. The coin depicts a poem written by Gabdulla Tuqay of the Shurale and the woodcutter.

The story is about a young woodcutter who cuts down a tree inserting a wedge in the log to split it when the Shurale appears. The Shurale invites him to a tickling game, which the woodcutter refuses. The Shurale insists and the woodcutter accepts on the condition that the Shurale helps him split the log. Having the Shurale place his fingers in the cracked area next to the wedge the woodcutter knocks the wedge out with his axe closing the log on the Shurale fingers and trapping him. Demanding the name of the woodcutter for it to take revenge, the woodcutter gives his name as “Biltir,” the word for “last year” in Tatar. When the other forest spirits come to ask the Shurale what happened he says his fingers were trapped by Biltir (Last Year) and the creatures scold him for something that happened last year. The commemorative coin featuring the Shurale has a mintage of 100,000 coins and can often be found for under $10.