Animal symbolism in Turkish folk dances of Turkey area

The relationship of man with animals dates back to prehistoric times. Because it has been possible for man to survive in difficult natural conditions only by taking advantage of the animals around him. The historical relationship of man with animals was also reflected in the world of thought, culture and art of human societies in the subsequent period. As a matter of fact, the Turks, who have a nomadic steppe tradition, have used the animals around them as symbols in many abstract and concrete folkloric practices, from oral narratives to written works, from religious rituals to handicrafts, at every stage of their lives. One of these folkloric practices is folk dancing, which is the main subject of our study. The main purpose of this study is to identify the animals in Turkish folk dances of the Turkey area in the light of written and visual data obtained from current sources and to examine the perceptions of these animals in the Turkish cultural world and how animals are symbolized in folk dances using scientific methods. Within the scope of this study, in which we aim to reveal the dances based on animal imitation in Turkish folk games with their visuals, 2263 dances obtained from current sources were examined and it was determined that 81 of these dances are animal imitation dances. Later, these dances were classified according to the types of dances seen in the Turkey area and tabulated in the light of the data obtained. As a result of the study, it has been determined that a large number and different types of animals are imitated in Turkish folk games. Keywords: Folklore, Folk Dances, Symbolism, Animal.