What is "jaiyk"

Jaiyk ( Turkish: Yayık, Azerbaijani: Yayıx, Kazakh: Жайық, Kyrgyz: Жайык, Russian: Дьайык), also known as Cayık or sometimes Jayık Khan, is the god of rivers in Turkic mythology. He is an important deity in folk beliefs.

Jaiyk was previously known as Dayık in Altai mythology. He was originally the patron god of humanity and son of Kayra, but later the influence of his cult spread throughout Central Asia and to the Kyrgyz and Kazakh cultures. He was the deity of rivers, water, and lake water.

Jaiyk is depicted as a young man with a scourge in his hand. He lives at the junction of 17 rivers. Jaiyk has all the power of water and can make storms on the water. If he becomes angry, he makes and causes by floods on the Earth. All of the rivers and lakes are in the command of Jaiyk Khan. He send spirits to all rivers. Every river or creek has an İye (protector spirit or deity). The Turkic concept of the god seems to associate him both to the destructive and the purifier powers of water.