İye

Accounts in the sources present two related frames: scholarly descriptions place İyeler as created by God (Tengri) and assigned dominion over particular realms as part of a proprietorial animism. In one collected mythic account cited by Verbitsky, celestial/servant beings associated with a fallen figure became İyeler when they fell into elemental realms, transforming into od-iyeler (fire), su-iyeler (water), and similar element-specific spirits. These accounts are presented as regional/mythic explanations rather than a single canonical origin.

No uniform physical description is given across sources; İyeler are primarily characterized by their domain rather than a fixed corporal form. Some collected Turkish myths describe them in one account as resembling fallen angels, while in everyday practice they are experienced as non-corporeal proprietors localized to houses, graves, springs, forests, or other sites and may be associated with shrines or graves where they are venerated.

İyeler embody and govern their specific domains and thereby influence outcomes tied to those domains (household well-being, harvest, hunting success, health, fertility of land, safety around waters, etc.). Their behavior is relational: respectful treatment, offerings, and proper conduct toward the domain invite protection and blessing; neglect or harm provokes misfortune or retribution. They are ambivalent rather than intrinsically benevolent or malevolent, and regional practices sometimes recast particular İyeler as saint-like or, conversely, demonize them in memory.