Abstract
ANALYSIS OF "THE STORY OF EMREN, SON OF BEGIL" WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF JOSEPH CAMPBELL'S MONOMYTH STAGES
The Book of Dede Korkut, which is one of the fundamental texts of Turkish literature, is always favourable for pluralistic and specific readings from different perspectives. A reinterpretation and reassessment of these stories, which, by the accumulation of the oral culture tradition, depict the life of Oghuz Turks with its cultural dimensions, can further expand the semantic aspects of the text.
One's life is, in a way, one's adventure of self-realisation. An assessment, based on Joseph Campbell's monomyth stages, of "The Story of Emren, Son of Begil" as one of the Dede Korkut narratives will take us to the myth of human self-realisation in the adventure of life. The fulfilment of this myth differs in each person and it shows up as a completion with some auxiliary elements. Completing the journey of Begil, who begins an adventure upon an invitation of Dede Korkut, with sacred auxiliaries, the Story of Emren explains that a transcendental attitude can be achieved when a person's qualities and feelings are used with consciousness. This narration also tells that people must be in harmony with the moral and normative aspects of the societies to which they belong. Besides, moral compliance and the myth of self-realisation in their implicit dimensions of meaning are set forth almost with an attitude of establishing an identity.
The current study assesses from an analytic perspective the text entitled "The Story of Emren, Son of Begil", which is one of the Dede Korkut narratives, within the context of Joseph Campbell's monomyth stages. The assessment reveals that individuals must fulfil the myth of self-realisation in its belonging, moral and normative dimensions.
Keywords
Joseph Campbell, Monomyth, Dede Korkut Narratives, Story of Emren, Son of Begil.