An Analysis of the Shape-Shifting Motif in Turk-ish Tale Narratives from Macedonia

Абстракт

Turkish folk literature in Macedonia has taken shape since the Ottoman era, emerg-ing as a rich oral cultural heritage through the blending of narrative traditions brought from Anatolia with local elements. Tales, legends, folk stories, and anecdotes form the core components of this narrative tradition and stand out as significant elements reflecting the region’s cultural identity. These narratives exhibit parallels with the shared Turkish narrative heritage while also incorporating motifs specific to the region.
This study focuses on the shape-shifting motif as it appears in Turkish folk narratives collected in Macedonia. The motif involves the transformation of a being or object into another form – such as a human turning into a stone, animal, tree, or bird; or the reverse, where animals and objects take on human form. These transformations may be permanent or temporary and are often symbolic.
The study is based on Makedonya Türk Halk Edebiyatı Metinleri by Nimet-ullah Hafız. In this work, the shape-shifting motif was identified in twelve tale narratives. The findings indicate that shape-shifting typically serves a functional role within a reward-and-punishment framework, although it occasionally appears as a magical or supernatural phenomenon.
Overall, the motif deepens the symbolic dimension of the narratives and fa-cilitates the transmission of cultural values and collective beliefs. It also marks critical turning points in the stories, reflecting characters’ inner transformation or destiny. The study concludes that shape-shifting is a meaningful narrative element in Turkish folk literature in Macedonia, with both individual and cultural signifi-cance.