An analysis of the animal motifs in the Marzuban-name

translated into Turkish for local people to understand them. These pieces were also translated at the request of Turkish governors. One of these texts is the Marzubân-nâme, which was written to teach the princes lessons in morals and proper governance. The text is close to a fable as the many animals in it have been personified in terms of their characters and interactions. Within the total of fifty-three stories, twenty-two have animals as main characters. In seventeen stories, animals appear in interactions with humans. The animals in this text can be divided into three groups: animals characterized as humans, animals talking with humans and animals that are natural and do not take on qualities of personification. The animals in all three groups have virtues and vices. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the positive and negative qualities that the animals symbolize, ascertain instances of exceptional qualities, and to recognize those changes made to enable the text to fit in Turkish culture. The main text consulted in the study is the Marzubân-nâme Tercümesi by Prof. Zeynep Korkmaz, in which the paleographic script has been rendered in Latin-based Turkish script. The text has forty-five animals and the method of analysis comprises the following: First, the characteristic features of each animal are identified, then, for each feature, example sentences from the text are given. There is a short summary of each story and the moral lessons of each are stated separately as Nasihat (moral advice). Finally, the motifs that the animals represent and whether these motifs have been adapted to Turkish culture is discussed and evaluated. Key Words: Marzubân-nâme, Feudal Anatolia, animal stories, motifs