MORAL EDUCATION AT LITERATURE CLASSES IN K12 EDUCATION: CYPRIOT TURKISH FOLKLORE AND THE INTERVENTION OF “CREATOR” IN THE LEGENDS OF CYPRUS

The legends, which might be considered as cultural heritage, enlighten us regarding the history, values and beliefs of communities that they belong to. Until its current definition, the word of legend has been defined in various ways. Since 16th century, the word has been referred to “narratives”, “lies” and “empty words” etc. The legends do not only help us in understanding the imagination and cultural memory of their community but also the worldview of that community as well. This study analyses the fates in the Legends of Cyprus as the background of Turkish Cypriot Literature and the motif of Allah in order to comprehend the socio-cultural structure, world perception and value judgment of Turkish Cypriot community. The intervention of ‘Creator’ and motif of Allah in the Legends of Cyprus, which are given in the book called “Cypriot Turkish Folklore Oral Culture Values, Our Legends” as the main reference within the Cyprus Literature textbook, which is covered in the Secondary Education curricula of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and that the students encounter for the first time were analysed in this study. Within the scope of research, the most comprehensive resource was taken as a basis. The messages given in the legends were analysed with the semantic analysis method. Therefore, the meanings and beliefs towards Allah by the Turkish Cypriot community were aimed to be identified.