Gülhan ATNUR

Hunger, anthropophagy which is expressed that it emerged because ofmagic-religious and medical reasons, myth, tale, legend, epos, belief, etc. appear in the outcomes of folklore. Tales are folk narratives in which motifs on the subject are generally used. Motifs about the act of anthropophagy executed by human beings, ogres, witch, etc. are usually under the title of G. Ogres in S. Thompson’s catalogue “Motif Index of Folk Literature”. However, it is possible to come across with motifs about cannibalism under other titles as well. In this article, facts about anthropophagy in Turkish Folklore will be primarily touched upon. After that, taking Thompson’s catalogue “Motif Index of Folk-Literature” into consideration, anthropophagy and related motifs will be determined in some tales compiled from Turkey, Bashkortostan and Tartary.

Key Words: Folk tales, anthropophagy (cannibalism), motif, Anatolian Turks, Kazan Tatarian, Bashkurt Turks