Negative (Malicious) characters in Uzbek fairy tales

Fairy tales are prose creations that are diverse in their subject matter and have served as tools for cultural narratives for centuries. Fairy tales are also important in Turkish oral tradition, explaining the conflict of opposite concepts such as existence and non-existence, beautiful and ugly, rich and poor, smart and stupid. They often impart moral lessons and deal with the complexities of good and evil. The audience for Turkish tales, whose main function is to educate and entertain, consists mainly of women and children. Fairy tales, where time, place, and people meet in an extraordinary universe, offer listeners the life they want to live in their dream world. The basic principle of this universe, where conflicts of opposites exist, is that the good are rewarded while the bad are punished. The presence of evil in fairy tales is not only a means of expression but also a way to convey basic lessons to the audience. One of the main roles of evil characters in fairy tales is to hinder the heroes. Their malevolent actions and motivations create tension and conflict, driving the narrative forward. Through these confrontations, tales often illuminate the consequences of negative behavior, emphasizing virtues such as kindness, honesty, and courage. Evil in fairy tales acts as a catalyst for moral discovery. As listeners witness the challenges faced by the heroes, it encourages them to reflect on ethical choices and the broader consequences of one's actions. Beyond moral lessons, fairy tales featuring evil characters contribute to the emotional development of the audience. The emotional resonance of these stories allows individuals to empathize with the heroes and experience a range of emotions, from fear and sadness to joy and triumph. After all, the inclusion of fairy tales and villains serves an educational purpose; it plays a role in creating desired behaviors in the listener. They provide a platform for cultural exploration, moral reflection, and emotional development. When approached carefully and thoughtfully, fairy tales become powerful tools for conveying timeless lessons about the human condition. In this respect, the concept of evil is indispensable for the fairy tale world. Considering all this, the subject of our study will be: 'What is evil? What is its origin? What are its limits?' The answers to these questions are very important for understanding the world of fairy tales and defining social perception. Accompanied by this data, in this study, we turn to the field of Uzbekistan, one of the centers of Turkish oral and written culture. Our main reason here is the richness of fairy tale literature in this geography where cultural richness is clearest. This will allow us to examine many fairy tale texts in terms of evil elements. Within the scope and limitations of the thesis study, the evil and malicious elements in the tales in the Uzbekistan field will be examined. Firstly, information about the tale will be given, and then the tale studies in the Uzbekistan field will be mentioned. Then, we will classify the evil elements in these tales in the Uzbek oral tradition and ask the question 'What are the limits and functions of evil?' in the tales. We will seek answers to our questions. Keywords: Uzbek oral tradition, memory, fairy tales, evil, element of evil.