THE SYSTEM OF MOTIVES OF THE FAIRY TALE "ISKANDER ZULKARNEYN"

Abstract

The prototype of the image of Alexander in the fairy tale "Iskander Zulkarnein" is the famous Greek commander and ruler Alexander the Great. The plot of the story is divided into two parts. Part before the birth of Alexander and part after his birth. The first part tells about Alexander's father. However, the images of the king, the father of Alexander, and Philip II, who is a historical figure, differ from each other. The only thing they have in common is that they are both king.
The image of the father in the fairy tale reflects the features characteristic of the heroes of fairy tales and epics. In his face there are archetypes of father and hero.
So, in fairy tales, childless kings are usually blessed with an apple donated by a dervish. But here, through a dream, fate bestows a son on the kings. This is close to the buta motif in epics. In the fairy tale “Iskander Zulkarnein”, a girl sets a condition for a young man who wants to marry her - one of the popular motifs found in fairy tales. This motif can also be found in the epic "Dede Gorgud". The main difference is that Banucicek tests Beyrek for strength, while the girl in the fairy tale tests both the strength and the mind of the king. The fact that the girl in the fairy tale checks the kings mind and knowledge reminds of the girl from the fairy tale told by the Slavic prince Bahram Shah in Nizami Ganjavi's poem "Seven Beauties"(Yeddi Gozel). In this regard, the conditions for marrying the girl from the fairy tale "Iskander Zulkarnein" and the lady from the castle in "Seven Beauties" are the same: both test the strength and mind of the candidates who want to marry her.