Elchin Galiboglu, leading researcher at the Department of Mythology the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Doctor of Philosophy in Philology and Associate Professor, was a guest on the “Zaman Mashini” (“Time Machine”) program on Planet FM radio.

During the program, the discussion focused on the roots of Azerbaijani mythological thought, a comparison between the figure of Tepegoz in the epic “The Book of Dede Gorgud” and the Cyclops-Polyphemus of Greek mythology, the mechanisms underlying the formation of folk beliefs, the problem of folkloric memory among modern generations and the impact of artificial intelligence on mythological thinking and folklore in general.

The conversation also touched upon the spiritual and intellectual affinities between Sumerian and Turkic thought, as well as between Zoroastrian and Turkic thought. Speaking about the nature of folk beliefs, Elchin Galiboglu noted that beliefs emerged as expressions of both people’s normal states and their states of distress. In addition to innate faith and intuition, fear, hesitation and uncertainty also play an important role in the formation of beliefs. From this perspective, some beliefs can be characterized as forms of faith intertwined with fear. Phobia-based beliefs may be associated with situations in which a person’s self-confidence is weakened and hesitation and uncertainty increase.

At the heart of folklore lies a living and creative memory. In human mythological memory, mountains, seas, the sky, springs, trees and other elements are not merely concepts, but carriers of spiritual experience. In fairy tales, the reality of imagination can be felt, and this reality continues to live in the memory of both the storyteller and the receptive listener.

According to Elchin Galiboglu’s thought, the human need to marvel, to make sense of the world, to remember and to express one’s spiritual connection with the world will, in essence, always remain.