In the oral tradition of the Khanty and Mansi peoples of western Siberia, menk are forest spirits. These beliefs lasted even after the two peoples became, or were made to become, Russian Orthodox Christians in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the Khanty epics menk are formidable foes who often come in sevens, such as seven menk born of one mother. Gods protect them from death, so a hero has to defeat one again and again. A menk cannot look down, so heroes attack from below, sometimes from a river. Some Khanty describe menk as being like people, only spirits of a parallel forest world.
Menk was pulled into the Dyatlov Pass story by a 2014 TV programme. Sceptic Benjamin Radford called that show a textbook example of cable-TV mystery-mongering. This page treats menk as a living tradition, not a cryptid.
What the stories say
- Told in epic songs, not sighting reports
- Often appear in groups of seven
- Their eyes cannot look downward
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