At the II International Mythology Congress (II Uluslararası Mitoloji Kongresi), held in the city of Mardin, Zafar Farhadov, the employee of the Department of Folklore Collection and Systematization of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, participated online. The researcher delivered a presentation titled “Legend Performance”.

The author noted that the credibility of legends stemed not from their structure, but from the performer’s narrative skills. From this perspective, the legend is evaluated not as a fixed and closed structure, but as a performative act that acquires meaning within a specific communicative situation.

The researcher noted that the main issue in legends was not whether the event actually occurred, but whether its performance was successful. If a legend does not create a certain impact on the listener, its performance cannot be considered successful. In this sense, the “truthfulness” of the text is measured not by the objective reality of the events, but by the effect created through the performance. The purpose of the legend is to convince the listener of the authenticity of the story and to shape certain behavioral models in the audience.

In conclusion, the author noted that the analysis of performance elements demonstrates that the principal aim of legends was to persuade listeners of the truthfulness of the events being narrated. Through performativity, the legend transcends being an ordinary text and becomes a text of belief, turning into an important factor that ensures the continuity of the epic tradition.