MAGICAL REALISM IN THE EPIC OF OĞUZ KAĞAN

The epic of Oğuz Kağan is the most important one of ancient Turkish epics that we have today. There are two written sources in which it has two variants. First one of the only incomplete copy which is found in Paris National Library and written in Uighur alphabet. The second important variant of Oğuz Kağan epic is the text that ReĢidettin, doctor and historian, having important roles in the state of Ġlkhand in palace by transfering from different written and oral sources to the history of Persian, has produced. This variant is quite different from the variant produced in Uighur alphabet. Magical realism is an important way of expression importantly seen in a cooperation with the understanding of postmodern art in 20‟th century. With this manner the way of folkloric expression has been adopted today by being revived. In general meaning, magical realism appeared in different ways and was expressed with different words in 1950‟s and 1960‟s known as the most productive term of Latin America in the field of novel until those years. After that time, the term was used as a way of expression not a trend. The term only reached Turkey in 1980‟s. Magical realism is not an art trend or literary kind. Magical realism is a style of expression derived from different traditions and used in different branches of art. There is a close relationship between the magical realistic text and folk narrations. In magical realistic narrations reader or audiences regard the characters‟ extraordinary attitudes as ordinary as in folk narrations. In our study, the existence of magical realism style, found in Paris National Library, written in Uighur alphabet, published in Turkish by the name of The Epic of Oğuz Kağan by W. Bang and R. Rahmeti in 1936, is going to be studied.