The Recurring Motifs of Being Murdered in the Book of Dede Korkut

Abstract

This stady discusses the reasons and results of the emergence of recurring motifs of being murdered in the Dede Korkut Book, which has monumental importance in the Turkic culture. It is not clearly known how the inconsistencies seen in the stories have emerged and became widespread in both oral and written traditional literature. Based on Orhan Saik Gokyay's Dede Korkut Book, this study examines the simultaneous layers containing recurring motifs of being murdered within the context of the stories found in the book. Findings suggest that the act of killing has an invariable function. In the study, the archetype of the recurring motifs of being murdered examined by applying the structural-semiotic method was determined. In addition, this study found that the motifs in question, which were distributed throughout the stories, were accepted as normal events that took place in the epic by the Oghuz. Findings from this study suggest that the gradual emergence of the relationship between Oghuz Khan and the Oghuz occurred through cosmogonic rituals. In analyzing the nature of the motifs, it was found that the motifs reflect the gradual death and resurrection of these characters found in the stories.