Constructing National Identity Through The Translation of Folkloric Narratives

Authors : Muhammed Mustafa Saraç, Giray Fidan

Pages : 111-125

Doi:10.55179/dusbed.1823875

View : 117 | Download : 78

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Nationalist movements, which gained momentum following the French Revolution, contributed to the decline of multinational empires and paved the way for the emergence of nation-states. This led to a re-examination of the concepts of nation and nationalism by intellectuals. By combining modernist theories that argue that the concept of nation can be constructed, invented, and imagined with ethnosymbolist ideas that argue that the origins of the nation are rooted in shared values, myths, symbols, and memories, our study has presented a model that examines the process of national identity construction within the context of translation, history, and folklore. Our study aims to demonstrate that elite archetypes can utilize cultural elements derived from the translation of folkloric narratives in the construction of national identity. To test this idea, the examples of Bozkurt and Ergenekon are used within our five-stage model. Consequently, it is demonstrated that motifs such as Bozkurt (Greywolf) and Demirci (Forger), derived from these narratives that were transferred through translation from Chinese sources, were used by elite archetypes to construct national identity in the people\\\'s perception. Our study is qualitative research that includes a literature review, purposive sampling, and a case study on the Bozkurt epic.
Keywords : millet, milliyetçilik, modernite, bozkurt efsanesi, Ergenekon destanı, millî kimlik inşası, folklorik anlatı çevirisi

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