Hatay legends in the context of cultural interaction and symbols

It is known that human communities have entered into social shares since the moment they started to live together. This process, which started with the aim of sharing living spaces and various tools and hunting; as the concern of life decreased and settlements developed, it gave rise to the phenomenon called "culture". The exchange of art that started with painting and music has come to the present with poems, myths and epics. In this context, oral culture products are important in terms of being the first literary works of societies. As their cultural sharing increased, people began the process of becoming a nation and formed their first literary products. One of the narrative types such as myth, epic and fairy tale are faith-based products named legend. Among the products of oral culture, legends are rich narratives that have preserved their existence from ancient times to the present. Within the legends there are extraordinary events, places, people and various elements that are fed by the concept of "faith". In the background of the subjects contained in the legends, there are symbolic meanings. Images and signs based on association, which represent concepts that cannot be expressed with senses with concrete entities, form symbols. Symbols are unconscious manifestations not only of man but also of time. Symbols; It has been included in oral culture products as a system of hidden signs that are used in all areas of life and reveal the imagination and creativity of man. One of these products is the legends that have been transmitted from language to language for centuries. The legends of the places whose cultural diversity is very rich are also quite numerous. Hatay, which has a deep-rooted history and cultural accumulation, is also very rich in terms of legends. Since the legends about the foundation of Hatay, the elements of nature, the areas such as Khidr, the prophets, saint, sheikh, grandfather, which are considered sacred and dedicated to these individuals, and many legends are told about them. The fact that three Abrahamic religions and people from different ethnic communities lived in the region with their subgroups also influenced this place in terms of legends that can be called religious narratives. In Hatay, which hosts rare examples of faith tourism, it is possible to trace the social, cultural and historical mythological interaction through legends. Approaching myths from a symbolic point of view is quite remarkable in terms of reflecting the collective consciousness of society and individuals. In this context, legends of Hatay contain very rich motifs in symbolic terms. Cities with cultural mosaics like Hatay have ancient memories. Trying to understand what is in this memory will show that there can be peace, love and tranquility in a world shaken by war, epidemic and dizzying technology.