Abstract
HUNT ON THE VERGE OF BEING A MAN IN THE DEDE KORKUT STORİES
Masculinity is not only a congenital biological fact, but also an identity acquired through the fulfillment of various attitudes and behaviors in society. The innate inherent biological identity is intertwined into the gender identity within the socio-cultural structure. The identity of masculinity and femininity, which are called gender roles, are shaped by the knowledge and experiences acquired from the close environment and society. These roles, which are attributed to gender in women and men in socio-cultural structure, are gained from birth to the first social environment of the child in socialization environments such as family, school and work. In this context, the impact of social environment and place on the formation of male and female identity in terms of gender roles is important.
The Dede Korkut Stories, an ancient work in the Turkish narrative tradition, have strong cultural patterns in the context of gender roles. In the stories, hunting is the key point of the thresholds that allow men to discover their self and gain their manhood rather than being a place. Av is the first story of being a man in the Dede Korkut Stories. In this context, the aim of this study is to reveal the multifaceted structure of hunt and hunting in Dede Korkut Stories, which is the key point of men's growth and transformation. The study primarily focused on gender and masculinity, and then the relationship between hunting and masculinity in the Dede Korkut Stories was evaluated through the world of men.
Keywords
Dede Korkut, gender, masculinity, male identity, hunt