The use of colors in Central Asian Turkic epics

This thesis aims to examine the symbolic, mythological, psychological, and socio-cultural dimensions of the colors featured in the epics—products of oral culture—of Turkic communities living in Central Asia. In the Turkish epic tradition, treating colors merely as aesthetic elements would overlook their functional significance within cultural memory. In this context, the study analyzes the roles of colors within the texts of twenty-one epics belonging to the Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Turkmen, and Uzbek people. Using the qualitative research method of textual analysis, the thesis evaluates the content, motifs, and contextual functions of the colors present in the epic texts. The findings reveal that colors occupy a wide range of meanings, from mythological and psychological interpretations to character portrayals and indicators of social status. Far beyond physical descriptions, colors also embody historical and cultural symbols, belief systems, value judgments, and emotional states. The analysis of these systems uncovers the inner worlds of the epic heroes, their relationships with nature, and the meanings attributed to both primary and secondary colors. Another objective of the thesis is to demonstrate how colors are embedded not only in individual characters but also in the collective consciousness of society. From this perspective, the thesis aims to contribute to the cultural and symbolic analysis of Central Asian Turkish epics, while also offering an interdisciplinary approach to folklore and historical studies through the lens of color symbolism.