THE MORAL AND AESTHETIC WORLD OF THE WISE DEDE KORKUT

Abstract

The article interprets the “Book of Dede Korkut” as a rare written record of an ancient Oghuz (Turkic) heroic epic that powerfully preserves national spirit-an uncommon feature in medieval literature largely shaped by Islamic ideology and standardized aesthetic models. It stresses the epic’s long formation across a broad geography, from the Syr Darya region to Azerbaijan and neighboring parts of Asia Minor. The author highlights the text’s value as a repository of historical-ethnographic, everyday, and customary evidence, making it important for studying patriarchal-tribal society in both pre-Islamic and later periods. The core of the study is the moral-aesthetic code voiced by Dede Korkut, portrayed as a wise, prophetic, and authoritative counselor. The article outlines key didactic motifs-divine providence, mortality, condemnation of pride, kinship and lineage, hospitality, and family ethics-expressed through concise, emotionally charged formulations. It also comments on the episode classifying women into types, suggesting it may be a later addition that nevertheless reflects social norms and ethical expectations within the Oghuz worldview.