ERLIK The Siberian spirit of evil, Erlik was also the lord of the underworld in Lapp mythos. The Altaic Tartars speak of his birth thus:once Ulgan saw a piece of Mud with human features floating on the ocean. The high god gave a spirit to it, and named the creature Erlik. But the friendship of Ulgan and Erlik did not last long, for the pride of the latter obliged his banishment to the depths, where he became the lord of the dead.