Mythological elements in kyrgyz folktales [Kirgiz masallarinda mitolojik unsurlar]

Folktales are not dominant as much as Kyrgyz epic but they took a very respectful place in Kyrgyz folk narrations. Kyrgyz people call folktales "cöö comok". They separate folktales from legend by putting "cöö" infront of "comok". Folktales find themselves under the influence of legends from time to time, and especially folktales carry archaic and mythological characters. The animals that take place in Kyrgyz folktales carried their roles during animist era. Horse, deer, camel, senpent, fire bird (Zumrud anka) are the animals that are found in Kyrgyz folk tales. The horse, in Kyrgyz folktales, takes place not only as a transportation element but also as a close friend of the hero and company of the hero of the folktale. The horse talks with the hero of the folktale like human beings. Even the horse sacrifices itself behalf of the hero when the time comes. Also, deer has a very important place in Kyrgyz folktales. Even today, some Kyrgyz tribes believe that they have been created by deer and they come from the same blood. For this reason they name deer as "müyüzdüü ene" or "müyüdüü baybiçe" (Hornet mother). In this article mostly animals have been evaluated by their mythological features.