Abstract
Belief; It has a function that shapes the cultural, social and psychological reactions and structures of societies. The fact that human beings, who see nature as a living structure, which directly concerns human beings and which they need to maintain their lives, associate their own rules with what nature offers, has brought with it the belief that there are good and bad spirits. The minds are occupied by how the evil spirits, which are generally called black possessors, are conceived in the human mind, how they shape social life, and the consciousness structure that creates the rituals of protection and avoidance from these evil spirits. In addition to undesirable behaviors, unacceptable words and actions, words and behaviors that have positive effects have created a kind of unwritten rules in the daily lives of societies. With the formation of certain taboos for a healthy, peaceful and fertile life order, behavioral patterns that should be done and avoided have been shaped and adopted. In addition to being protected from evil spirits, practices aimed at getting rid of the negative effects caused by evil spirits have transformed behaviors into a blessed state and become rituals. It is seen that folk beliefs are shaped around common functions in every society, where especially fear is at the base of it and it is preserved with this feeling and carried from the past to the present.
In this study, the psychosocial, sociocultural, socioeconomic, symbolic and ritual functions of folk beliefs and the intellectual foundations of folk beliefs are tried to be revealed with an interdisciplinary perspective by giving examples from traditional beliefs of different cultures within these functions.