KELT MİTLERİ VE SEMBOLLER: DİANA GABALDON’UN YABANCI’SINDA TARİHİ KURGU VE DRUİDİZM
CELTIC MYTHS AND SYMBOLS: HISTORICAL FICTION AND DRUIDISM IN DIANA GABALDON’S OUTLANDER

Summary/Abstract: The rich and compelling nature of Scottish mythology has served as a profound source of inspiration for numerous works of fiction within the literary world. American author Diana Gabaldon drew upon these myths to create her Outlander novel series. Blending elements of romance, fantasy, adventure, and historical fiction, the series intricately weaves together Celtic myths, Druidic beliefs, and various mythological motifs from other cultures. The narrative prominently features classic elements of Scottish culture such as witchcraft, healing, magic, fairies, selkies, and kelpies. Although time travel, one of the most striking aspects of the story’s fantastical and historical structure, is not directly rooted in Scottish or Celtic mythology, it nonetheless forms a central pillar of the narrative. The aim of this article is to examine and evaluate the mythological elements—particularly Celtic myths, Druidism, witchcraft, healing practices, and Scottish folklore—that enrich and embellish the historical fiction initiated through the journey of the so-called “Sassenach” in Gabaldon’s Outlander. Through a detailed analysis of the work’s mythological and symbolic layers, this study contributes to the article’s objectives and methodology by revealing how Gabaldon reinterprets Scottish mythology and integrates it into modern fiction. Specifically, this paper aims to analyze how Gabaldon incorporates Celtic mythology and Druidic rituals into the framework of historical fiction in Outlander, focusing on the themes of time travel, healing, and folkloric symbolism.

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