Abstract
AN INVESTIGATION ON PRACTICES AND BELIEFS REGARDING DEATH IN AND AROUND GÜLNAR
A great number of beliefs and practices come to existence around death, which is the ultimate transition period in one’s. Every religion assigns a different meaning to death as it is secretive. In some religions, the concept of life after death comes to the forefront whereas in some of them life is through with death. Religious and non-religious phenomena with regard to death underlie the practices and beliefs of societies in which they all possess feelings of fear and respect towards death.
Our study aims at revealing folk beliefs regarding death in and around Gülnar, which is a Central Asia Turkmen settlement. The beliefs regarding death in and around Gülnar are covered in three main headings: before death, during death and after death. The beliefs and rituals established via scientific methods about these main topics are examined with regard to the history of religions and Turkish folk beliefs. Incidents were observed through literal and field research. Especially reference people were interviewed thoroughly, findings were obtained and recorded
Certain changes occur in social life depending on today’s improving technology and as a result, some elements of folk beliefs that form our cultural values are gradually passing into oblivion. From this aspect, beliefs in oral tradition have to be written right away. The target of our study is to contribute to the presentation of beliefs regarding death in and around Gülnar, to expose the commonalities and to help transfer them to the next generations. At the end, it was found out that both pre Islamic and old Turkish beliefs blended together and constituted a whole with regard to the beliefs about death in and around Gülnar.
Keywords
Gülnar, Death, Folk beliefs, Practice.