Giants in Azerbaijani Folktales
Folktales are a type of narrative that mirrors the imagination, emotions, thoughts and beliefs of societies, has a connection with mythological periods and elements in terms of origin, and conveys the transformation and self realization process of individuals with heroes. Motifs leave deep traces on the reader-listener. Azerbaijani folktales, which have a rich corpus in the folktale tradition of the Turkic World, are important materials that preserve and transmit mythological motifs. In these folk products, which are treasures in this respect, giants occupy a large place in mythological motifs. In this study, the giant motif in 47 folktales selected from the five-volume Azerbaijan Nağılları was examined and analyzed in terms of physical, spatial characteristics, functions and end. As a result of the evaluation, it was seen that the giant motif in Azerbaijani folktales is used in accordance with its positive and negative meanings in Turkish and world mythologies and symbolized as one of the most common chaotic beings. According to the information obtained, the effects of the good- and bad-natured giants on the hero with their ordinary and extraordinary features were also interpreted. Thus, the widespread depiction of the giant in the collective memory of the Azerbaijani Turks was revealed.
Azerbaycan Masallarında Devler
Masallar toplumların hayal dünyalarına, duygu, düşünce ve inanç sistemlerine ayna tutan, köken itibarıyla mitolojik dönemlerle ve unsurlarla bağlantısı bulunan, bireyin dönüşümü ve kendini gerçekleştirme sürecini kahramanlar aracılığıyla aktaran anlatı türüdür. Kendisini meydana getiren ve her biri çeşitli anlamlara sahip olan motifler sayesinde okur-dinleyici üzerinde derin izler bırakmaktadır. Türk dünyası masal geleneği içerisinde zengin bir kül liyatı bulunan Azerbaycan masalları, bünyesinde mitolojik motifleri koruyup yaşatan ve günümüze aktaran önemli malzemelerdir. Bu yönüyle hazine niteliğindeki söz konusu halk ürünlerinde mitolojik motiflerin içerisinde devler geniş yer kaplamaktadır. Bu çalışmada Azerbaycan Nağılları adlı beş ciltlik eserden seçilen 47 masal üzerinde dev motifi metinler içerisindeki fiziksel, mekânsal özellikleri, işlevleri ve kahramanın erginlenmesindeki rolü ve sonu açısından ele alınıp çözümlenmiştir. Değerlendirme neticesinde Azerbaycan masallarında dev motifinin Türk ve dünya mitolojilerindeki olumlu ve olumsuz anlam karşılıklarına uygun tasvirde kullanıldığı ve kaotik varlıkların en yaygınlarından biri olarak kurgulanıp sembolleştirildiği görülmüştür. Elde edilen bilgilere göre iyi huylu ve kötü huylu olmak üzere iki şekilde örnekleri bulunan devlerin sahip olduğu olağan ve olağanüstü özellikleriyle kahraman üzerindeki tesirleri de yorumlanmıştır. Böylelikle Azerbaycan Türklerinin toplum hafızasındaki yaygın dev tasviri metinler üzerinden ortaya konmuştur.
Folktales, which mirror the imagination, emotions, thoughts and beliefs of societies, are linked to mythological periods and elements in terms of origin and are a type of narrative that conveys the transformation and self realization process of the individual through their heroes. Although the place of folktales in daily life has shrunk when the conditions of the past and today’s age are re-compared, it is always suitable for attracting attention and conducting various researches with the rich materials it offers for those who work on the genre and are interested in the genre. In this respect, folktales leave deep traces on readers and listeners through their motifs, each of which has various meanings. Azerbaijani folktales, which have a rich corpus within the folktale tradition of the Turkic world, are important products that preserve mythological motifs and transfer them to the present day. In these folk products, giants, one of the chaotic beings in mythological motifs, are commonly used as testing tools for the hero’s journey, and sometimes as the greatest helper. It is a common motif necessary for the protagonist to face his fears in the process of self-realization. In this study, the giant motif in 47 folktale texts selected from the five-volume work titled Azerbaijan Nağılları was analyzed in terms of its physical, spatial characteristics, functions, and role in the hero’s maturation and its end. There are many observations about the physical, mental, spatial and characteristic features and endings of giants. In Azerbaijani folktales, giants are physically seen in two forms: single-headed and multi headed (three, seven). Conceived as a form between a dragon and a human being, giants are generally large, strong, minaret-sized, spear-horned, long-eared, long-nailed, elephant-toothed, broad-nosed, long-tailed, hairy, and ugly. Their skin colors are white, yellow, and black. Mentally, contrary to their appearance, they have a very low intelligence and can be easily deceived by the hero. In terms of character, giants are divided into two groups: benign and malignant. In folktales, good-natured giants stand by the protagonist and play a positive role in shaping his journey. Malignant giants, on the other hand, are the most challenging and terrifying beings the hero encounters in his trials. The hero who defeats this giant matures and completes the developmental process. In addition to these giants in Azerbaijani folktales, it has been determined that there are giants that exhibit conditional good-naturedness and bad-naturedness. When the extraordinary features of the giants are evaluated, a great deal of material is encountered. Among these, it is common to hide the life of giants in an object or body outside. In the examined examples, it was observed that the life of the giants was usually hidden in glass bottles, pigeons, owls, or white fish. Other extraordinary features of giants are their ability to utilize the power of the talisman, their guardianship of talismanic places, and their ability to be used in various ways such as changing shape and disguise with the power of talisman. In addition, the folktales also show that giants marry humans, have established and settled orders similar to humans, have family and kinship ties, and have various characteristics similar to humans. In this regard, giants are considered the closest extraordinary beings to the human species. When the spatial characteristics of giants are evaluated, places such as caves, wells, and mountains, which are symbols of birth and rebirth, are common in Turkish culture. In addition to these, it occurs in various places: vineyards, forests, castles, cities of giants, the underworld, the sky, and the water’s edge, roadside, ruins, and talismanic chambers. It is observed that giants are used as guards in these places and that they appear in places where the protagonist is afraid to enter and where his transformation will occur. These beings, who play an important role in the narratives, are finally brought to an end by the hero. The hero defeats the giants by using physical force or iron tools, such as swords, maces, daggers, and arrows, which are known for their cleansing properties in Turkish culture. Giants can also be defeated with the help of a talismanic object and by killing the object or animal that harbors the external spirit. In Azerbaijani folktales, giants are treated in accordance with their meaning equivalents in Turkish and world mythologies and are one of the most widely used mythical beings. It is possible to say that giants are widely used as a symbol that plays an active role in the hero’s coming out of darkness into light, ending the chaos he is in and restoring order for himself and his surroundings, sometimes as a dark figure and sometimes as a light figure.
