The identification and assessment of mythical elements in Alevi-Bektashi belief system

Mythology is defined as the products produced by the humans in order to understand and explain the universe in general. Involving imaginary elements, myths take power from their bond with the reality, have undertaken significant functions to allow the individuals attain national consciousness by forming the base for the cultural assets of the society they have arisen from. As social and cultural phenomena, myths influence the social and religious lives of the societies. Certainly owing to the fact that myths involve elements of belief and religion and they are deemed to be "sacred" and "real" in their era, they have been in interaction with another important element, "religion", in shaping the social life. Consequently, myths have been regarded as products reflecting their society's belief-related conceptions throughout the history. Therefore, they are accepted as one of the sources that help the revealing of the hidden information about the cultures, roots and lives of nations. The research subject, Alevi-Bektashism was observed to form a syncretic structure under the influence of several different belief systems and cultures. Mythical elements were found to have a significant effect in the formation of this multi-layered structure. The research consisted of three parts. In the first part, the concept of myth and mythology, the functions and types of myths and the historical development of mythology were discussed. In the second part, the formation and history of Alevi-Bektashism were explained. In the third part, the mythical elements in Alevi-Bektashi belief system were identified and these elements were assessed.