BİR HALK HEKİMLİĞİ UYGULAMASI ÖRNEĞİ: “GELİNCİK KESME”
AN EXAMPLE OF FOLK MEDICINE PRACTICE: “GELİNCİK KESME”

Summary/Abstract: This study includes folk medicine and as an example of folk medicine practice “gelincik kesme treatment” which is applied in Balatllı Village in Akçakoca-Düzce and also evaluation of elements that attach importance to folklore in this treatment. Folk medicine methods and beliefs formed with thousands of years of experience have a great place in folklore studies. Mankind has been suffering from illness since its creation, he has acquired knowledge of folk medicine that has been increasing everyday by transferring his knowledge he has defeated in various ways to the next generations. There are factors such as the learning of the healing powers of the plants in time, the continued use of the beliefs of Shamanism which is the old belief of the Turks, the acceptance of Islam and the inclusion of Islamic elements in the treatment in the formation of this information. There are healers who are called “ocaklı” specializing in the application of this information to the public and who have a certain level of prestige. Healers specializing in the treatment of various diseases, have fought against diseases when people have no chance to benefit from the opportunities of modern medicine due to reasons such as limited opportunities, shame or in the metaphysical issues that modern medicine is not interested in. Evil eye which is widely known among the people and has many beliefs on it is one of the diseases which are not treated by the doctors. It is believed that the women who have wounds, boils, flushing, swelling in their body because of evil eye are "gelincik" and the belief which is necessity of “gelincik kesme” to cure evil eye is widely known in the surrounding area. There are some elements in the process of “gelincik kesme” treatment which have value for Turkish mythology and modern Turkish folklore, such as person performing the treatment is called “ocaklı” authorized from her master, evil eye is the cause of the illness, the usage of power of iron during the treatment, The taboo formed on the "left" is also seen in this practice and the repetition of number 3 which is one of the important numbers in the Turks.

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