Structural Analysis of The Story of Boghach Khan, Son of Dirse Khan

Abstract

The Book of Dede Korkut is an important source for studying the traditional values and social norms of Turkish society. However, such a study requires the use of special methods, since the values and social norms in this epic are not yet conceptualized, but are expressed in the language of actions and exemplary deeds. This study aims to apply the method of myth analysis developed within the framework of structural theory to The Story of Boghach Khan, Son of Dirse Khan and thus contribute to the field literature, In the study, we first considered the correspondence between the method and the object of research, and then, in three stages, carried out the analysis of the characters, composition and events of the story. As a result, we compiled a table of actions that reflects the synchronic and diachronic sequences of the narrative. As our research shows, the characters in the story represent different layers of social organization and form a balanced system consisting of pairs of symmetrical characters. The composition of the story can be divided into three parts, which reflect various life processes. The first part tells about the physical birth of Bogach Khan, the second one describes his participation to public life after gaining a name, the third part tells about his obtaining a permanent place in the political hierarchy. There is also an interaction between intra-family, central and local levels of power in the story. Since these power planes are part of the same whole structure, the occurrence of a deficit or change in any plan leads to transformations in other types of relationships. Accordingly, the first part of the story describes the problem of the absence of a certain structural element, and the second tells about the excess of the element. The third part is characterized by synthesis, removal of contradictions and stabilization of the social status quo. Among the 16 actions indicated in the plot of the story, we identified four groups of actions with different motivations. Accordingly, the first group includes acts that cause a violation of the social balance for the sake of continuing life, the second group includes acts of murder in order to maintain public order, the third group includes acts of injustice to protect social status, and the fourth group includes acts of self-sacrifice for the same purpose. Based on this, it was concluded that the story mediates the comprehension and evaluation of such phenomena as continuity and stability, selfishness and self-sacrifice. The first pair of these binary oppositions refers to the basic ontological states of human existence, such as life and death, and the other pair points to the parameters of social life, such as individuality and society. However, the research has shown that in this story life is not an absolute positive value, and death is not described as an absolute evil. Both phenomena are evaluated only in terms of their contribution to the permanence of power relations. Analysis of The Story of Boghach Khan, Son of Dirse Khan n showed that the constancy of social organization is the highest value in the life and culture of the Oghuz Turks. To ensure this value, the story encourages the rejection of individualistic attitude in favor of the interests of society by demonstrating such patterns of behavior as devotion, loyalty and self-sacrifice.