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 of tales about the Oghuz tribes, emphasizing hospitality, courage, honor, and the social responsibilities of leaders and warriors.

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

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