An Analysis of Mystical and Mythological Symbols in the Story "Who is the Sustainer?" from Afghan Folklore

This research aims to explore the mystical underpinnings of the Afghan folktale titled "Who is the Sustainer?" The research method is narrative analysis with a focus on mystical symbolism. The story, relying on an interconnected network of symbols, narrates concepts such as trust in God (tawakkul), spiritual journey (suluk), the discovery of truth, and the relationship between humans and the divine. In this article, key symbols of the story—including **water, marriage, return to homeland, king, spiritual guide (pir), well, wise maiden, demon (div), sustenance (rizq), woman, fate, and journey**—are analyzed based on frameworks of Islamic mysticism and comparative mythology. The findings indicate that this folktale, in the form of a simple narrative, possesses a high capacity for representing complex mystical-mythological concepts, and the symbols employed in it are rooted in mystical traditions, sacred texts, and the collective human unconscious. This research emphasizes the symbolic richness of Afghan oral literature as a medium for conveying spiritual concepts.The findings of this article reveal the presence of mystical foundations in the folktales of ordinary people.