Research on beliefs about animals in Balıkesir folklore

In the research, it was aimed to contribute to folklore research by identifying various beliefs about animals among the people in Balıkesir region. For this purpose, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 50 resource persons living in the region between January 1 and February 1, 2023, through the “information collection form” prepared for this purpose. The data obtained from the sources was evaluated with the “content analysis” technique. The study identified 144 folk beliefs about animals among the people. The findings obtained from the study were classified under six headings, namely,”beliefs about good luck and abundance “, “beliefs about bad luck”, “beliefs about the evil eye”, “religious beliefs”, “beliefs about illness and treatment, “ and “other beliefs”. As a result, in this study carried out in the Balıkesir region, rich folkloric practices were identified, and when compared with the studies conducted in other regions, it was determined that they have both similarities and differences Furthermore, it was found that people interact with animals in cultural and social settings and have integrated their beliefs into their everyday lives.