There are characters reflecting the elements of belief in all Turkish folk narrations. These characters stand out with their real and irreel property. The concept of religion is important in determining the characters as real or irreel. Those who act according to the rules of the religion Islam are real characters, those who act according to a mentality that combines Islam and old Turkish beliefs are irreel characters. The real or irreel difference of the characters makes it difficult to evaluate them under a common type. Moreover, while determining the characters, it can be said that religion is an expression that expands the field as a concept and brings with it troubles. Thus, the problematic of what is meant by religion, the fact that many of the heroes in the narratives have religious characteristics and that the heroes that can be described as religious characters appear in different forms in each narrative show that it is difficult to talk about a common type. However, the fact that the heroes have a religious understanding of the period they belong to, have the authority to carry out religious activities and the source of their behavior is religion shows that these heroes can be considered as a common type. Therefore, it should be discussed whether it is possible to talk about a type that represents religious characters. If such a type is in question, the boundaries of the intended typology should be determined. In this context, there are many studies related to the subject. In these studies, mostly religious characters were evaluated as clergy type and it was determined that the type in question was examined in terms of Turkish folk narrative genres or on the form of the type that we encounter in any period. In this study, secondary characters representing the religious structure of Turkish society will be evaluated by looking at Turkish folk narratives from a holistic perspective. Religious characters in Turkish folk narratives have continued to be described by undergoing changes and transformations for centuries depending on the sociological changes of the periods. In order to determine the effects of this change and transformation on religious characters, epic- minstrel strories-tale genres were examined respectively in the study. As a result, different characteristics and functions two types with religious character were determined in Turkish folk narratives, first of these types “sacred helper” and the other “religious official” was determined.

Religious characters, typology, epic,minstrel strories, tale.