TR
EN
The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış
Öz
The Turks, who regarded their natural environment as one of the
fundamental elements for sustaining life, believed that every entity
in nature possessed a soul and attributed sanctity to them. Human
efforts to make sense of nature led to the meaningful interpretation
of the four primary elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Among these,
water gave rise to various practices and rituals. As one of the oldest
fundamental cults in Turkish culture, water has been noteworthy
since creation myths, appearing in numerous rituals with diverse
forms. Water was ascribed different meanings in phenomena such
as blessing, punishment, healing, protection, and purification.
Consequently, feelings of reverence, fear, and hope toward water
emerged within Turkish society, shaping behaviors. Water, as a
shared symbol in Turkish communities, has been a vital element for
sustaining life. At times, water served different purposes for people,
symbolizing birth, death, or existence itself, leading to diverse forms
of interaction between individuals, communities, and water. Due
to its sacred nature, polluting water was forbidden, and those who
committed such acts were believed to be punished by water spirits.
Emerging as a common cultural motif in the Turkish world, water
evoked various impacts in daily life. The water cult stood out with
its qualities of abundance and prosperity, as well as its potential to
cause illness. Therefore, it was deemed essential to avoid angering
or displeasing the water spirit, as doing so was thought to have dire
consequences. This duality highlights water’s sacred characteristics
and its role in transitioning from chaos to cosmos, contributing to an
orderly structure. Different narratives have provided the foundation
for various beliefs related to water. Humans, seeking proximity to
God, attributed divinity to the water cult, which subsequently served
as a mediator between God and humankind. In these narratives, water
embodies both sacred and divine attributes as well as destructive and
punitive qualities. With both aspects, it has influenced societal life
and human behavior through various practices. As one of the most
significant elements in societal life, water frequently appears in
Turkish oral narratives. Traces of the water cult are notably present in
alkış and kargış, two such narratives. Sanctified water is used in the
performance of alkış and kargış rituals conducted by kams or shamans.
This study examines the role of water in kam alkış and kargış through
selected examples from the Tuva, Altai-Teleut, Altai-Sayan, Uyghur,
Kyrgyz-Kazakh, and Shor Turks. The study identifies the traits of
water as depicted in these selected ritual texts and investigates how
rituals associated with water have been reflected in alkış and kargış
from past to present, highlighting the qualities through which water
is emphasized.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
- Atdayev, SD. (2019). Rusalki i Vodyanıye Devı Suv-perisi v Traditsionnom Predstavlenii Turkmen. Narodı i Religii Yevrazii, 1(18), 61-72.
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- Baysal, Nagihan (2020). Türk Halk Kültüründe Su, Ankara: Gece Kitaplığı.
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- Burnakov, Venari Aleksey (2019). Voda v Traditsionnom Mirovozzrenii Hakasov: Obraz i Simvol (konets XIX - seredina XX V. ). Narodı i Religii Yevrazii, 3(20), s.86-100.
- Cooper, J. C. (1987). Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols. Londra: Thames and Hudson Publishing.
- Çobanoğlu, Sacide (2019). İdil-Ural Bölgesi Ve Bursa Folklorunda ‘Su Dünyası’ Bağlamında Değişen ve Dönüşen Olağanüstü Bir Varlık Olarak Peri Kızları, Motif Uluslararası Genç Halkbilimciler ve Türk Dünyası Kongresi, 15-16 Mayıs, Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi, s. 1040- 1066.
Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Çevre ve Kültür
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Yayımlanma Tarihi
20 Haziran 2025
Gönderilme Tarihi
14 Ekim 2024
Kabul Tarihi
10 Mart 2025
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2025 Sayı: 88
APA
Müçük Kotan, M. (2025). The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış. Erdem, 88, 101-125. https://doi.org/10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101
AMA
1.Müçük Kotan M. The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış. Erdem. 2025;(88):101-125. doi:10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101
Chicago
Müçük Kotan, Mehtap. 2025. “The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış”. Erdem, sy 88: 101-25. https://doi.org/10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101.
EndNote
Müçük Kotan M (01 Haziran 2025) The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış. Erdem 88 101–125.
IEEE
[1]M. Müçük Kotan, “The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış”, Erdem, sy 88, ss. 101–125, Haz. 2025, doi: 10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101.
ISNAD
Müçük Kotan, Mehtap. “The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış”. Erdem. 88 (01 Haziran 2025): 101-125. https://doi.org/10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101.
JAMA
1.Müçük Kotan M. The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış. Erdem. 2025;:101–125.
MLA
Müçük Kotan, Mehtap. “The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış”. Erdem, sy 88, Haziran 2025, ss. 101-25, doi:10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101.
Vancouver
1.Mehtap Müçük Kotan. The Characteristic of Water Cult in Kam Alkış and Kargış. Erdem. 01 Haziran 2025;(88):101-25. doi:10.32704/erdem.2025.88.101