Literature and Mythology Seminar at Bilkent University by Buket Uzuner Buket Uzuner Meets Her Fans at the Seminar "The Relationship Between Mythology and the Climate Crisis with Literature and History" at Bilkent University

Duru Dölek

On November 6, 2024, Buket Uzuner, a prominent figure in the literary world, held a seminar titled "The Relationship Between Mythology, History, and the Climate Crisis" at Bilkent University's Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, C-Block Amphitheater, from 15:30 to 16:30. The event was jointly organized by Bilkent University's Department of Turkish Literature, Department of History, and the Oğuz Tansel Turkish Literature Research Center. The seminar drew significant interest from Bilkent University students and academics as Uzuner approached the climate crisis—a key issue in contemporary literature—from the perspectives of mythology and history. As an environmental engineer and an award-winning author, Uzuner discussed her works on climate change and environmental issues, and shared insights from her novels about Turkish mythology. Exploring the roots of the human-nature conflict through mythology and history, Uzuner emphasized that humanity's relationship with nature has been a recurring theme in art and literature for centuries. She explained the process of the emergence of language and words through mythology, highlighting that language forms the foundation of all sciences, arts, and culture, and discussed the critical role that storytelling and language play in the development of humanity. Throughout the seminar, Uzuner spoke about mythological tales and the value of oral culture, offering in-depth assessments of the role of language and speech in human history.

“Language is the Foundation of All Sciences”
Uzuner began her remarks by stating, “If we think about when language emerged, it’s the foundation underlying all sciences, art, literature, and history. Words and literature are the mothers of all arts. Even an artist working with visual media needs to first create images with words. We are the only beings who learn from stories, and if you look at the holy books of monotheistic religions, each one begins with a story.” She emphasized the importance of language. After quoting stories from mythology books, she pointed out that people learn something from these stories and often assume that the information is correct. She continued, saying, “It’s true that people learn something from sacred texts and the stories told by language. When we think about how language and speech emerged, history, anthropology, and biology come to mind.” Uzuner expressed her gratitude by saying, “Imagine a life where we can’t read stories, a life without language. We owe a lot to our ancestors.”
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“If Mythology Were Written, It Would Be Dead”
Uzuner stressed that most of the stories that make up what we call mythology were passed down orally from generation to generation. “If we consider storytelling, speech, and language as the mother of everything, mythology was born from them. I used to be frustrated that mythologies were oral, but I later realized that each generation has the chance to renew them, like a snowball growing with every addition. If they had been written, they would be dead. When you tell a story to your sibling or niece, that child will tell it to someone else with different additions, and that story will actually grow. The value of oral storytelling is truly high.” She also noted that in mythology, the first literary genre, storytelling was often done by women. “Women use the verbal part of the brain much more. The first herbalists and healers were all women. Knowledge about the snake’s association with youth, its venom being an antidote, and the protection of certain plants, trees, and fruits has been passed down by women from generation to generation. The symbol of medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry is the snake.” She shared how this symbolism influenced her own books, explaining why she frequently draws on the figure of Shahmaran, a central figure in Iranian mythology. In this seminar at Bilkent University, Buket Uzuner once again highlighted the significant role of language and oral storytelling in human culture. While emphasizing the importance of storytelling and its impact on mythology, Uzuner also illustrated how stories have shaped and influenced our society. Her insights prompted a renewed reflection on why oral storytelling has remained powerful and indispensable from past to present.