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Korkut

Korkut is a Turkish given name and surname used in Turkey and among Turkic-speaking communities. It is most closely associated with the legendary figure Dede Korkut, an archetypal bard and sage in Oghuz Turkic folklore.

In tradition, Dede Korkut (literally “Grandfather Korkut” or “Old Korkut”) is the storyteller who frames a cycle

The Book of Dede Korkut, or Kitab-i Dede Korkut, is a collection of twelve stories preserved in

Scholars treat Dede Korkut as a legendary rather than a strictly historical figure, but the epic is

of
tales
about
the
Oghuz
tribes,
emphasizing
hospitality,
courage,
honor,
and
the
social
responsibilities
of
leaders
and
warriors.
manuscript
form
from
the
16th
century
and
later.
Derived
from
earlier
oral
tradition,
the
episodes
recount
the
exploits
of
Oghuz
heroes,
the
complexities
of
clan
politics,
and
the
moral
economy
of
the
yurt.
The
tales
are
set
across
regions
of
the
Caucasus
and
surrounding
Turkic
lands
and
are
valued
for
their
language,
narrative
structure,
and
cultural
insights
into
medieval
Turkic
society.
widely
regarded
as
a
foundational
work
of
Turkic
epic
poetry
and
a
touchstone
for
later
literature
in
Azerbaijan,
Turkey,
and
Turkmenistan.
Today,
Korkut
remains
a
personal
name
in
Turkic-speaking
communities
and
a
symbol
of
traditional
storytelling.