From Central Asia to Anatolia in Turkish Tradition "Don Change"

Turks came from Central Asia to Anatolia during the spread of Islam. They lived their traditional Turkish religious beliefs under Islam in Anatolia. Even the traditional Turkish religious belief and Islamic belief were taken side by side. Some of those who are not suitable for Islam were removed and some of them were taken in Islamic guise. Some of them have been preserved as custom without being changed. In this context, some common beliefs and traditions have emerged between Turkish tribes who have traditional Turkish religious beliefs and Turks who adopt Islamic belief. One of these common understandings and beliefs is the motif of "don change". Don change is one of the most important motifs in Turks' stories, tales and legends. It manifests itself in four basic structures as death and soul, testing, superiority/miracle and creation. In this context, in our article, firstly, conceptual analysis of "don change" motif (without going into discussions) was made. Later, examples of death, soul, test (reward/ punishment), miracle, superiority and creation/derivation are given. In the conclusion, a general evaluation has been made.