asena

Asena is a legendary she-wolf in Turkic folklore, widely associated with the origins of the Turkish people. In traditional narratives, a she-wolf appears to a young founder or to those who would become the ancestors of the Turks, nurses the child, and guides the tribe. The tale emphasizes a bond between humans and wolves and frames the wolf as a guardian and progenitor of the Turkish nation. Variations of the myth place the founder in the Oghuz or Göktürk lineages, and the figure of Asena is sometimes linked to the Ashina clan, a historic ruling house of early Turkic states.

Symbolically, Asena represents traits such as resilience, protection, and unity. The motif of a noble wolf nursing a founder has been used to anchor national identity in Turkic cultures, and it has appeared in literature, art, and historical films as a motif of origin and continuity. The Asena story is one of several origin myths that have contributed to a sense of shared heritage among Turkic peoples, and it is frequently invoked in discussions of national symbolism and cultural memory.

In contemporary usage, Asena is also a female given name in Turkey and among Turkic-speaking communities. The name appears in modern literature, music, and media, where it is often chosen for its associations with myth, protection, and lineage. The figure remains a recognizable emblem in discussions of Turkic folklore and identity.