UNTRADITIONAL FUNCTIONAL-SEMANTIC CONTEXT OF THE APPLE MOTIF IN THE TALE OF “MALIKMAHAMMAD”

Abstract

This research work was formed on the basis of a special methodology. Thus, since the general approach to folklore genres and examples of written literature has become traditional, research on the basis of such a specific folklore text as the tale “Malikmahammad” in this study is very important from a scientific-theoretical point of view. In the research work, after presenting the traditional-descriptive plot of the tale, the focus was on the study of semantic functional layers. Even up to this research work, the motif of “apple” is investigated on the basis of genres. However, the originality of the study is that until this work, such a functional and anachronistic structure of the motif “apple” has not been studied at this level. The study of the motif “apple” in an unconventional form further increased the value of this study, leaving no doubt that it would play an important role in the formation of a new complex of views in the scientific environment. In the semantic study of the tale, it was clarified that the motif “apple” appears as a structural unit that connects the events and concepts arising throughout the entire tale as a chain link. At the same time, the motif “apple”, which is even in semantic studies, is a traditional motif. In this research work, however, it is observed as the untraditional motif. Thus, narrative motifs such as the theft of apples by the demon, Malikmahammad’s wounding of the demon, his descent into the dark world to kill the demon and his eventual defeat of these creatures are not merely interpreted as representations of the hero’s alignment with the sacred versus the profane, or the cosmic versus the chaotic, rather, they are marked as instances in which the fairy-tale hero violates sacred order, is punished, and, as a result of this punishment, undergoes various transformative stages that culminate in a change of status. We hope that this research work will be evaluated in a wide range of scientific circles and will serve as a source of inspiration for future research.