IMPORTANCE AND ROLE OF INSECTS IN FOLK BELIEFS IN ANATOLIA

Abstract

Beliefs that are outside the rules of a religion or doctrine known in societies, but are widely lived among the people and passed on to the next generation, are accepted as folk beliefs. A number of folkloric practices stem from these beliefs. Insects representing the most crowded animal group in terms of species diversity in the world are living things in our daily lives where we interact continuously for various reasons. In this study, the beliefs of people's communities living in different regions of Anatolia were examined in the literature and the beliefs about insects and how much they took place in daily life were investigated. As a result of the investigations, it is understood that many beliefs about insects have been carried out and practiced in different regions of Anatolia and that these beliefs have an important role in the conservation of some insect species.