튀르크 설화 속에 나타난 사슴 모티브 연구

A Study of the Deer Motif in Turkic Folklores

&nbsp;&nbsp;In most traditional folklores and arts throughout the world, The character of the deer motif appears as one of the standard figures. The deer motif began to be expressed as a mythological figure from the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) period and came into common use as a mythical figure in the Mesolithic Age. And during the Paleolithic the early farmers used the character of the deer motif in their religious consciousness and also in their worldview.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;In many of the Turkic folklores the deer appears frequently as a common subject. This paper seeks to introduce and study some of the most representative Turkic folklores that contain the deer motif as its subject. Some of the most common themes in the use of the deer motif in Turkic folklores are:<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;① As an ancestral goddess in Turkic culture ② As an admired animal by Buddha, Allah, and other gods and deities ③ Transformation of man (Buddha) into a deer and vice versa ④ As a deity or as an animal that serves a deity acting as a guide that helps others who are lost on the road. ⑤ As one who possesses magical powers ⑥ Holy human or a shaman riding on a deer ⑦ That ascends to the heavens and turns into a star ⑧ In Turkic folklore figures named as "deer" often performing miracles<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;If all the data about Turkic folklores throughout Eurasia can be further studied then even a more detailed peculiarities about it can be discovered. Although the presence of the deer motif is prevalent in Turkic folklore, there is very little mention of the deer in Chinese folklore. At the most, the deer represents wealth and longevity in the Chinese culture. However, throughout the nomadic oral traditions within the Eurasian ethnic groups their identification of the deer is more intimate and fully detailed. And also, within the Islamic culture in Anatolia peninsula (Turkic Oghuz people group) we can continue find the sacredness of the deer motif in Turkic folklore.