THE CONCEPT OF HOMELAND AND HEROISM IN THE“BOOK OF DEDE GORGUD”

Abstract

The article analyzes the semantic and ideological essence of the concepts of homeland and heroism in the epic “Kitabi-Dade Gorgud”. This epic, which is one of the oldest epic monuments of the Turkic peoples, is both an artistic text and one of the important sources reflecting the worldview, social relations and statehood of the Oghuz society. The aim of the study is to deter-mine the mutual relationship between the concepts of homeland and heroism in the epic and their role in the formation of national identity.
The study shows that the concept of homeland in the epic is presented not only as a geo-graphical space, but also as a social and moral value with a broader meaning. The concept of homeland is closely related to concepts such as people, village, family, state and honor. For Oghuz heroes, homeland is not only a symbol of native land, but also a symbol of spiritual attachment, collective memory and social solidarity. For this reason, protecting the homeland is presented as the highest duty.
The article analyzes the motif of the struggle for the homeland based on different sections of the epic. In particular, in the section “The House of Salur Qazan Was Looted” and other sec-tions, the idea of defending the homeland, national unity and heroism comes to the fore. Heroism in the epic is not limited to physical strength and fighting skills; it is also complemented by such characteristics as moral integrity, loyalty and commitment to family values. The image of the hero is formed by going through trials, is accepted by the people and gains a name.
As a result, the concept of homeland in the epic is presented as the unity of land, people, state and spiritual values. Heroism acts as the main ideological mechanism serving to protect these values and plays an important role in the formation of national identity.