A BRIEF EVALUATION ON WATER GOOD IN TURKISH CULTURE AND MYTHOLOGY Cover Image

TÜRK KÜLTÜRÜ ve MİTOLOJİSİNDE SU İYESİ ÜZERİNE KISA BİR DEĞERLENDİRME
A BRIEF EVALUATION ON WATER GOOD IN TURKISH CULTURE AND MYTHOLOGY

Author(s): Şeyda Büyükcan Sayilir
Subject(s): Cultural history, Customs / Folklore, Physical Geopgraphy
Published by: Sage Yayınları
Keywords: Turkish culture; Turkish mythology water cult; sky-khagan; Anatolia;

Summary/Abstract: Water, which is a part of the earth-water (yer-su), and the "water cult" shaped around it, were evaluated in the first place together with "earth" in the natural cults of the Turks. In the background of the perception of water as sacred, in cosmic and cosmogonic expressions, the fact that the cosmos starts with water and ends with water again plays a vital role. Therefore, water spirits are both the owner and the “lord” of the waters. Concordantly, the idea that everywhere was covered with water at the beginning of life brings to the fore the concept and motif of being the dominant power and being a part or representative of the celestial spirits. In the epics, water mostly appears in the form of the sky-khagan duality, the sanctity of water being a part of God, being a state and a helping power in keeping a homeland. In this context, the words, prayers, sayings, attitudes and behaviors related to the water cult in Anatolia are the reflected forms and manifestations of the earth-water beliefs that existed in the pre-Islamic ancient Turkish culture.

  • Issue Year: 12/2020
  • Issue No: 48
  • Page Range: 67-72
  • Page Count: 6
  • Language: Turkish
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