Animal symbolism reflects the cultural and aesthetic embodiment of the profound relationship between humans and nature. In Turkish folk culture, animal motifs function as significant symbols within mythological and social contexts. This study examines the animal figures present in Ardahan’s folk quatrains (manis) and analyzes the meanings these motifs acquire within folk literature. Animals such as the horse, wolf, sheep, ram, goat, fish, snake, stork, partridge, nightingale, eagle, and cat bear symbolic meanings in these quatrains. The horse symbolizes heroism and loyalty; the wolf, courage and independence; the sheep, abundance and prosperity; the ram, strength and sacrificial value; the goat, freedom and resilience; the fish, the cycle of life and fertility; the snake, transformation and hostility; the stork, migration and change; the black stork, misfortune; the partridge, grace and longing; the nightingale, love and fidelity; the eagle, heroism and divine connection; and the cat symbolizes mystical fears and supernatural beliefs. The geographical structure and cultural fabric of Ardahan, shaped by a livestock-based lifestyle, have contributed to the frequent appearance of these symbols in folk quatrains. In this context, animals are not merely physical beings in folk belief but are also regarded as powerful cultural codes that transmit collective memory.

By analyzing the symbolic use of animals in Ardahan’s quatrains, this study aims to reveal the aesthetic and philosophical dimensions of folk culture. It also offers new perspectives for mythology, anthropology, and folklore studies by approaching animal motifs in Turkish folk literature through an interdisciplinary lens.

Ardahan, mani, animal symbolism, symbolic expression, cultural code