User:AlpcanDogan/Pre-Islamic Turkish Literature

Pre-Islamic Turkish literature or Epic period Turkish literature is the name given to the literature created by the Turks in the periods before the acceptance of Islam. Pre-Islamic Turkish literature, starting from 4000 BC, continues until the 11th century when Turks has accepted the Islam. The literature of this period is generally composed of oral works, and written products are almost non-existent. While the period until the 6th century AD is called the period of oral literature in the pre-Islamic Turkish literature, the period of written literature begins after the first written works have begun to be given. The oldest written documents belonging to the ancient Turks are the Orkhon Inscriptions. These inscriptions are works written by the Göktürks by the Orkhon alphabet which is the first known alphabet of the Turks. In general, the period before the Orkhon Inscriptions is described as oral literature, and the period after the Orkhon Inscriptions is qualified as written literature.

Oral literature Works
The sources in the periods when there was no writing yet are called oral literature works. The formation of oral literature in Turkish literature is based on religious basics. The ancient Turks perform their first oral literature works in religious ceremonies and feasts, and they sustain those works by transferring them from generation to the next generation.

General characteristics of the ancient Turkish poetry
Poetry, which has an important place among literature types, was one of the first type in the oral literature. In the ancient Turks, religious leaders such as shaman, kam, baksı and ozan have shown the first examples of poetry by their instruments called kopuz. The first known Turkish poets are: Çuçu, Arpın Çor Tigin, Kül Tarkan, Pratyaya Şiri. Pre-Islamic Turkish poems were written in syllabic meter. In these poems, seven, eight, twelve, meters are often seen. Rhyme is very important in the ancient Turkish poems, the verses of the poems are in the form of quatrain, and the rhyme schemes are in the form of half rhymes. In this period, the number of words in the language is narrow because the impact of foreign languages ​​is low. Among the topics of poetry: concepts such as heroism, valor, death, war, equestrianism, horse love, military service and love are at the forefront. Poetry was performed in hunting feasts called cattle, mourning ceremonies called yuğ, and collective celebrations called feasts. These poems which are generally anonymous were sung with a plain Turkish.

Koshuk
In certain pre-Islamic periods, the Turks used to have fun in hunting ceremonies called "cattle ceremony", in sacrifice ceremonies called "Toy / Feast", and at the end of the victories by coming together with all men from all tribes. The poems sung in these entertainments, mostly about love, nature and bravery, and performed with the instrument whose name is "kopuz", are called "koshuk". These koshuk poems have given their place to "koshma" in folk literature, and gazel in divan literature after the Islam. Koshuk poems were written in quatrain form and sung in syllabic meter. The rhyme patterns are: aaab, cccb, dddb.

Sagu
Sagu is a kind of lamentation sung after the death of a person. It usually deals with the virtues and valor of the deceased. Literary arts are included. It is based on the quatrain form. It expresses heroics, achievements, virtues of the deceased; the pain and sadness of those who are left behind. Sagu is sung in verse. These poems are called lament in post-Islamic folk literature and elegies in divan literature. It is sung in death ceremonies called yug. Alp Er Tunga sagu (written by Saka Turks) in Divân-ı Lugati-t Türk is an important example of this type.

Sav
Sav; similarly proverbs, are the aphorisms that tell a lot with few words, have a density of meaning. There are many examples of sav in Kaşgarlı Mahmut's work called Divân-ı Lügati't-Türk. They are the equivalents of today's proverbs. It is said in the form of a sentence or two lines.

Destan (Epic)
Epics are long poetic works, decorated with imaginary elements, in which historical, social (such as war, migration, invasion) or natural (fire, epidemic, flood, earthquake) events that have had great repercussions in the lives of nations are told. The epics reflect the characteristics of the nations to which they belong. The events described in epics have left deep traces in societies. Characters in the epics are usually made up of the elite community. In epics, it is observed that God sometimes intervenes in events. In terms of their formation, epics are divided into two, as natural and artificial epics. Natural epics were formed spontaneously among the people as a result of events that deeply affected the society. These were later compiled and arranged by a poet. Epics are considered an important source to illuminate the pre-writing periods of nations. An example of natural epics in Turks: Alper Tunga Epic. On the other hand, artificial epics: an event that is important for a nation is written by an author years later, adhering to the characteristics of the epic. Examples of artificial epics in Turks: Young Osman Epic written by Kayıkçı Kul Mustafa and Three Martyrs Epic written by Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca.

Turkish epics before Islam
Since Turkish epics are products of oral literature, information about epics is very limited. Currently existing parts of Turkish epics have been compiled from the sources of other nations. While some of them have been compiled from Chinese, Arab, Iranian and Greek sources and turned into written works, others have been formed by compiling and writing the stories that were continuously told among the people. There are various similarities between the ancient Greek and Iranian epics, and the Turkish epics. [ citation needed ] Mythological elements in Turkish epics are generally light, dream, tree, iron, gold, bow, horse, wolf, deer, cave and magic. The bravery and heroism of Alp Er Tunga, who is the khan of the Saka Turks, in the war between Turks and Iranians is told In the epic of Alp Er Tunga, which belongs to the pre-Islamic Turks. The information about this epic is based on Firdevsî's work called Şehnâme. In Şehnâme, Alper Tunga is mentioned as Afrasyap. In the Shu Epic, which belongs to the Saka Turks, the struggles between Macedonian Alexander and the Saka Turks are described. In the Oguz Kagan Epic belonging to Hun Turks, the wars and life of Oguz Kagan are told. In the epic, Oguz Kagan is described as a naturally beautiful person. [ citation needed ] Other issues in the epic are the event of Oğuz Kağan's growth and development after forty days and killing the monster that tortured the people. It is thought that the character of Oguz Kagan in the epic is actually Metehan, the Asian Hun Emperor. [ citation needed ] The Bozkurt Epic and Ergenekon Epic belong to the Göktürk Khanate. In the Gray Wolf Epic, it is told that a Turk, who was injured in the war, was rescued by a female wolf, protected and that the Turks mount up and gain their former power. In Ergenekon Epic, on the other hand, it is told that the Turks retreated to Ergenekon after a defeat and by mounting up there, they melt an iron mountain and get rid of it. The Turkish epics of Türeyiş and Migration, on the other hand, belong to the Uyghur Turks. In the Türeyiş Epic, it is told that the Uyghur khan, not wanting to marry his three daughters to a human, begs God to marry his daughters. In the following periods, God married the daughters of the khan with the appearance of a wolf, and the Uyghur Turks continue their bloodline with this marriage. The subject of the Migration Epic is: The suffering of the Uyghurs and their migration from the lands they live in. It is also told in the epic that the Uyghur khan took a Chinese princess to his son and gave Kutul Mountain in return.

 Written literature  The number of known written works belonging to pre-Islamic Turkish literature is very few. The most important works of pre-Islamic Turkish literature are Orkhon Inscriptions and Uyghur Texts. Orkhon Inscriptions are works written by the Gokturks with the Göktürk alphabet, the first known alphabet of the Turks. A plain language was preferred, away from the influence of foreign languages. These inscriptions describe the Gokturks' struggle with the Chinese for their independence. In addition, it was advised that they should live in unity by calling out to the Turkish nation. The first of these inscriptions was written by the Bilge Tonyukuk, and the second and third by Yolluğ Tigin. While the writings of Bilge Tonyukuk showed a simpler structure, the writings of Yolluğ Tigin were in the style of speech. These inscriptions are present in Mongolia today. Uyghur texts were written using the Uyghur alphabet. These inscriptions describe the principles of Buddhism and Manichaeism. These inscriptions were unearthed as a result of excavations in Turfan, near the city of Kara Hocho in Turkestan. Irk Bitig, Sekiz Yukmek and Altun Yaruk can be counted as examples of works from the Uyghurs that have reached today.