Folklore elements in Bekir Yıldız's novels and stories

The term "folk" refers to a group of people living in a specific geographical area who share common cultural characteristics. Folklore studies, on the other hand, is a field of study that examines the traditions, beliefs, music, architecture, literature, and other cultural elements created by this community through various methods. Additionally, folklore studies aim to understand the cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation by analyzing the folklore of the people.Within folklore studies, folk literature is considered a part of this cultural heritage and encompasses the realm where the emotions and thoughts of the people are reflected through oral or written works. This literary genre includes various forms of expression such as folk tales, epics, folk songs, proverbs, and sayings, often originating from anonymous sources and primarily transmitted through oral tradition.Elements of folklore studies and folk literature are frequently utilized in literary works such as novels and short stories. Artists enrich the societal and cultural fabric by integrating these cultural elements into their works. Thus, folklore studies and folk literature serve as important tools for understanding the depth and societal context of literary works. In this context, this study examines the elements of folklore studies and folk literature found in the works of Bekir Yıldız through document analysis technique. The identified elements are categorized under separate headings. In the section on folk literature, various products such as folk tales, proverbs, and sayings, as well as their textual examples, are identified. In the section on folklore studies, a wide range of elements, from transitional periods to aspects related to birth, death, clothing, etc., are discussed.The research findings indicate that Bekir Yıldız's examined works are rich in cultural elements.