Dumrul the Mad: From the Dede Korkut Stories: An Original Illustrated Retelling

Dumrul fears no warrior, no blade, and no challenge.

Across the Oghuz lands, his strength is known, his temper is feared, and his pride has grown even greater than his reputation. When he builds a bridge and forces travelers to obey his rules, Dumrul believes that power belongs to the man strong enough to impose his will.

Then a young warrior dies.

For the first time, Dumrul encounters an enemy he cannot see, strike, or defeat. When he learns that Azrael has taken the young man’s life, his pride drives him to issue an impossible challenge: let Azrael come and face him.

Azrael answers.

What follows is not merely a confrontation with death, but a journey that forces Dumrul to question everything he once believed about courage, strength, fear, love, sacrifice, and mercy. The warrior who once thought that others existed only to yield before him must discover whether true bravery lies in defeating an enemy—or in defeating the pride within himself.

Dumrul the Mad is an original illustrated retelling inspired by one of the most memorable tales of the Dede Korkut tradition. Richly illustrated and told in accessible modern English, it brings the world of the Oghuz steppe to life while preserving the timeless heart of the story: that strength without wisdom is fragile, and that even the proudest warrior can change.