Šulak

In the Babylonian magico-medical tradition, Šulak is the Lurker of the bathroom or the demon of the privy. Šulak appears in the Babylonian Diagnostic Handbook (Tablet XXVII), in which various diseases are described and attributed to the "hand" of a god, goddess, or spirit. A "Lurker" is a type of demon who lies in wait in places where a potential victim is likely to be alone. When a man attends to excretory functions or elimination, he is exposed and hence vulnerable: "Šulak will hit him!" The "hit" may be a type of "stroke" (mišittu). The demon referred to as "The Hitter" or "Striker" elsewhere in the handbook may be Šulak identified by an epithet. A much earlier reference to this demon is found in a Hittite diagnostic text.

The "demon of the privy" (Sheid beit ha-Kisset) appears also in the Babylonian Talmud:

Stroke and epilepsy were closely related in ancient medicine. This law is not included in the Mishneh Torah. The lavatory demon takes the form of a goat in the Talmud (Shabbat 67a, Berachot 62a).

The Messenger (2008 film)

The Messenger (Turkish: Ulak) is a 2007 Turkish drama film, written and directed by Çağan Irmak, which follows a man who travels from village to village to tell children stories about a messenger named İbrahim. The film, which was selected for film festivals in Istanbul, Adana and Antalya, went on general release across Turkey on January 25, 2008 (2008-01-25) and is one of the highest grossing Turkish films of 2008.

Plot

A mysterious traveller Zekeriya arrives at a village. He captivates much of the village's people by telling tales of a messenger on horseback named İbrahim. The village becomes divided on him, each one taking on various personalities from other stories.

Cast

Release

Festival screenings

Severomorsk-1

Severomorsk-1 (ICAO: ULAK), formerly known as Vayenga-1, is a naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 4 km south of Severomorsk (formerly called Vayenga). It one of the largest airfields on the Kola Peninsula, second only to Olenya. It can accommodate over 40 bombers and a small number of fighters.

The main operating unit was 967 MRAP (967th Naval Air Reconnaissance Regiment) operating Tu-22M and Tu-16 aircraft, and 24 OPLAPDD (24th Independent Long Range Anti-Submarine Aviation Regiment) operating Il-38 aircraft.

References