Adaptation of characters from Turkish mythology into Turkish cinema: Dede Korkut Stories films

Humanity has brought forth the concept of mythology in its quest to understand creativity and the creator. Mythology is a branch of science that investigates, examines, and interprets myths. Turkish mythology encompasses the existence, way of life, and legends of the Turks. Turkish mythology, expressed in the form of epics and stories, both before and after the spread of Islam, serves as a means to reflect the beliefs and culture of society. The Dede Korkut stories successfully depict the characteristics of Turkish culture both before and after the arrival of Islam. This study focuses on selected characters from the Dede Korkut stories that have survived from Turkish mythology to the present day, as well as their reflections in Turkish cinema. In light of the literature reviewed and the information obtained, an examination has been conducted on the characters, locations, motifs, and symbols in Turkish mythology. The reflections, analyses, and similarities of the selected characters from the Dede Korkut stories in Turkish cinema are discussed from the perspective of Turkish cinema. Characters such as Deli Dumrul, Salur Kazan, and Bamsı Beyrek from the Dede Korkut stories are analyzed with a character analysis, highlighting the similarities and differences between Turkish mythology and Turkish cinema. It is concluded that the characters in Turkish cinema reflect the characters from Turkish mythology.