Animal Representation in the Folktales of the Deer and the Dove: Empathy, Miracle and Conversion

Abstract

The folktales of the deer and the dove, which circulated in Anatolia in the 14th and15th centuries by meddahs, şeyyads and kıssahans, present one of the earliest examples of animal representation in pre-modern Turkish literature texts. Compared toother pre-modern texts, in which the animal is treated as a symbolic and allegoricalbeing by being defined beyond its own existence, these folktales are depicted in away that evoke “empathy” in the interlocutor both on intra- and extra-textual layers.In these narratives, Prophet Muhammad performs miracles on unbelievers and teststhem for their compassion towards animals. The miracles and the testing take placeon animals such as deer and doves, which are associated with a certain degree ofsacredness in the collective memories of the communities living in Anatolia. In thisrespect, this study argues that these epics, performed publicly by storytellers andfunctioned as rituals, invited audiences who were newly or could be converted toIslam to accept the prophetic miracle at a time when a dynamic conversion movement was taking place, and to recognize and empathize with the animal existence.