Mythological Themes of the Turkmen Koroghlu Epic

The Epic of Koroghlu belongs to the Turkmen people and is one of the works that have traces of ancient mythology in it. Epic works have an unbreakable link with mythology, so the analysis of mythological themes in these works helps to understand them better. At the heart of epics are myths, and this is due to the belief and culture of a people in a special ritual. In the present article, the mythological themes in the Turkmen Koroghlu epic are studied by using descriptive-analytical method. The findings of the research show that the reflection of ancient mythological themes, including the strange birth of the hero (coming out of the grave), the presence of a guide or wise old man, the battle with the dragon (dragon slaying), crossing water with a horse, the presence of a winged horse called Gyrat, and the presence of fairies and magic, in the epic is remarkable.