Turkish Mythology; reflect original Turkish myths which had occurred in Central Asia, the historical and legendary homeland of Turks. One of the Turkish tribes in Central Asia, Oghuz Tribe, had migrated farther west than most of the Turkish Tribes to become eventually the backbone of Turks of today’s Turkey.

“The Book of Dede Korkut” is an epic of the Oghuz. Both Seljuks and the Ottomans were descendants of the Oghuz. Their epic, constitutes one of the most important literary and historical documents from the world of the Middle Ages. “The Book of Dede Korkut” comprises a Prologue and twelve legends. From beginning to end they sing the praises of the Oghuz people, their nomadic way of life, their customs, and their values. As with other heroic literature, these stories are action- centered, most of them revolving around hunting expeditions, battles with the infidels and among the Oghuz themselves, pursuit, captivity, escape, and revenge. The twelve units share the same cast of characters, one of whom is the author himself, Dede Korkut. Strange and incredible when we first
approach it, the world of this epic is thus so convincingly rendered that our disbelief is gradually suspended for a poetic faith in its reality.