A study on the transition of heroes to different worlds in fairy tales (Mediterranean Region-Türkiye)

A fairy tale is an oral narrative genre that reflects the way of life of a society. Societies have transformed their traditions, customs, beliefs, and dreams into fairy tales and passed them down orally from generation to generation as a cultural heritage. Therefore, fairy tales serve as carriers of cultural heritage. Our study is essentially a text-centered analysis conducted using qualitative research methods, including literature review, document analysis, and text analysis. The fairy tales examined were compiled from previously collected theses, printed books, and an electronic book. Our research consists of six chapters: Chapter one discusses the research problem, problem statement, purpose, limitations, and previous studies on the subject (doctoral dissertations, master's theses, and books). Chapter two explains the research method, population and sample, and how data were collected and analyzed. Chapter three provides information on the definition and sources of fairy tales, as well as common motifs in Turkish fairy tales. Chapter four examines the different worlds (parallel worlds, upper world, underworld, underwater world) visited by the heroes in fairy tales, followed by an analysis of the Mediterranean Region fairy tales in the context of our study. Chapter five gives an overview of mythology and evaluates the motif of fairy tale heroes traveling to different worlds from a mythological perspective, presenting the findings and interpretations from the analyzed tales. Chapter six presents the conclusions and evaluations derived from our study. The sources used and appendices are also included at the end of this section. As a result of our six-chapter study, it was determined that in the fairy tales told in the Mediterranean Region (Turkey), heroes often leave the real world for various reasons or purposes and transition to different worlds through multiple methods. Sometimes the heroes travel as they are, while other times they do so in disguise, often to find a loved one or fulfill a task given by a sultan. In all these transitions, it was observed that the hero embarks on a journey into the unconscious, with the purpose of maturation, coming of age, and acquiring a new identity. Keywords: Mediterranean Fairy Tales, transition to different worlds, transition to parallel worlds, transition to the upper world, transition to the underworld, transition to the underwater world.