Al-Abstergo is a cryptid or shadow person who is known to be either adverse to light or cannot exist within it. Known by other names such as Kolegiri Adam, Ke Kenaka Aka, or even just "the Shadow Man", he is a creature or person who occurs across many civilizations which had no contact with each other.
Description[]
The Shadow Man is not a ghost or a demon. Some say he might even be from another universe, that he comes into our world or dimension as if he was a beam or plasma.
Al-Abstergo, meaning 'the Shadow' in Pascenda (a Middle Eastern language) and within Palestinian culture is said to be a fallen Angel, locked out of Paradise in search of the perfect person to be let back. In Turkic culture, such as Koligiri Adam in Turkmenistan, or Kolegeli Adam in Turkiye, he is more of an observant figure, choosing to stay away from light rather than being unable to exist within it. In Albanian legend the Abstergo (Njerlu I Hijes) is said to be someone who died in a famine, and who stalks those who are gluttonous.
Every culture has their version of the Abstergo. Whether it is Ke Kanaka Aka, Al-Abstergo or Kolegiri Adam, he occurs across all borders. He has even been recorded in completely isolated cultures, such as Easter Island and Hawaii. Furthermore, there are unconfirmed reports that the North Sentinelese have a version of the Abstergo. As counted, the legend occurs roughly 4,900 times across different cultures.
Unconfirmed Sightings: (Post 1945)[]
- In July of 1947, a doctor in Al-Khalil, Palestine came into work claiming sleep deprivation. When questioned, he claimed he hadn't slept in 3 days, which was their weekend at the time. He would carry a flashlight everywhere until his death in 1972. His cause of death was unknown, but speculators claim it was either a heart attack or the Abstergo at work.
- On April 3rd, 2007, a physicist at the Islamic Center for the People's Welfare and Scientific Study of Gaza (Al-Akker) named Yasir Al-Wasin was found dead in his office after a "long night of work" according to the Gaza health ministry. However, in his final moments a phone call was made to his brother in which he felt he was "being followed" and that he "could see a shadow disappear at the beam of his flashlight". When questioned, his brother did say that Al-Wasin was not suffering any mental health issues.
- June 17th, 2015, near the city of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan a senior patrol officer at the Ashgabat Airport, Myratglezil Parilu, claimed to see the "shadow of a malevolent figure". Allegedly, at the strike of 4:15 in the morning he dropped dead and fell down an escalator according to an unnamed colleague.
Please note that the unconfirmed sightings are listed "post 1945" due to the lack of non-anecdotal evidence before that time.
How to defend yourself?[]
There are only two known ways to defend yourself from the Shadow Man. According to all the legends, light will keep him or it away. The other method is to wear either a golden or above 54% golden necklace. It cannot be understated that it cannot be fool's gold or gold-like material.