An analysis of mythological elements in Gümüşhane fairy tales

This research aims to present an in-depth mythological analysis of folktales, which are one of the oral culture products of Turkish folk literature, through examples belonging to the Gümüşhane region. Utilizing the document analysis design, one of the qualitative research methods, forty-five folktale texts identified as belonging to the present-day provincial borders of Gümüşhane were selected as the sample from a total of seventy tales in the work titled Gümüşhane ve Bayburt Masalları (Folktales of Gümüşhane and Bayburt) compiled by Saim Sakaoğlu. In the analyzed texts, it was determined that folktales do not consist solely of fiction, but rather that the collective unconscious reflections of animic, shamanic, and totemic belief systems, as well as ancient beliefs, are carried to the present day through mythological symbols. According to the research findings; the entities, magical objects, shapeshifting, dreams, prophecies, and mythological spaces featured in the folktales are key functional elements that construct the structural framework of the narrative and advance the plot. Furthermore, these mythological elements serve as fundamental archetypes illustrating the individual's process of spiritual maturation. It has been determined that these patterns are utilized as powerful pedagogical tools in transmitting society's moral values, sense of justice, and philosophy of respect for nature to new generations. In conclusion, it has been scientifically demonstrated that Gümüşhane folktales constitute a rich cultural memory in which the strong bond established by the local people with the universe and divine powers is encoded.