Koroglu
Encyclopedia
A dance tune in a five-beat rhythm (2+3) that was well-known to the farming populations of Asia Minor and the Aydın
area in particular. In Turkish, “köroğlu
”means “the son of the blind man” and the reference is to a famous troubadour whosereputation spread from Asia Minor
as far as the Caucasus, Persia, and Central Asia. According to folk traditions and a famous epic narrative song also called “Kioroglu” (possibly dating from the sixteenth century), the hero was a kind of Robin Hood
figure who opposed the rich and the authorities and helped the poor. He thus assumed heroic proportions in the popular mind, although it is not possible to identify him with any specific historical personage. The legendary figure of Kioroglu took on flesh and blood (to some extent) in the twentieth century in the person of the zeïmbekis Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe
(1872-1912), better known as Çakıcı. The lengthy sung narrative of Kioroglou is particularly closely associated with the Ashik
, the itinerant singers of Asia Minor
. Apart from the instrumental form in which it is usually played, this tune also seems to have been used to set various words in a wide range of languages, and its narrative flow is often interrupted by interpolations of lyrical songs of the day.
Aydin
Aydın is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of Büyük Menderes River at a commanding position for the region extending from the uplands of the valley down to the seacoast...
area in particular. In Turkish, “köroğlu
Koroglu
A dance tune in a five-beat rhythm that was well-known to the farming populations of Asia Minor and the Aydın area in particular. In Turkish, “köroğlu”means “the son of the blind man” and the reference is to a famous troubadour whosereputation spread from Asia Minor as far as the Caucasus, Persia,...
”means “the son of the blind man” and the reference is to a famous troubadour whosereputation spread from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
as far as the Caucasus, Persia, and Central Asia. According to folk traditions and a famous epic narrative song also called “Kioroglu” (possibly dating from the sixteenth century), the hero was a kind of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
figure who opposed the rich and the authorities and helped the poor. He thus assumed heroic proportions in the popular mind, although it is not possible to identify him with any specific historical personage. The legendary figure of Kioroglu took on flesh and blood (to some extent) in the twentieth century in the person of the zeïmbekis Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe
Çakircali Mehmet Efe
Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe was a Zeybek, who was active as an outlaw in the region enclosing İzmir, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla and Antalya in modern western Turkey, from 1893 to 1910...
(1872-1912), better known as Çakıcı. The lengthy sung narrative of Kioroglou is particularly closely associated with the Ashik
Ashik
An Ashik is a mystic troubadour or traveling bard, in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran who sings and plays the saz, a form of lute. Ashiks' songs are semi-improvised around common bases....
, the itinerant singers of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. Apart from the instrumental form in which it is usually played, this tune also seems to have been used to set various words in a wide range of languages, and its narrative flow is often interrupted by interpolations of lyrical songs of the day.
See also
- KoroghluKoroghluKoroghlu, literally Turkish, Azerbaijani meaning "Son of a Blind Man" and Turkmen language meaning "Son of Grave," is the main hero of epic with the same name in Azerbaijani and Turkish as well as some other Turkic languages...
- Book of Dede KorkutBook of Dede KorkutThe Book of Dede Korkut, also spelled as Dada Gorgud, Dede Qorqut or Korkut-ata , is the most famous epic stories of the Oghuz Turks The stories carry morals and values significant to the social lifestyle of the nomadic Turks and their pre-Islamic beliefs...
- Epic tradition of Turkish literature
- Turkish folk musicTurkish folk musicTurkish folk music combines the distinct cultural values of all civilisations that have lived in Anatolia and the Ottoman territories in Europe and Asia...
- Turkish folkloreTurkish folkloreThe tradition of folklore—folktales, jokes, legends, and the like—in the Turkish language is very rich, and is incorporated into everyday life and events.-Nasreddin Hoca:...
- Azerbaijani literatureAzerbaijani literatureAzerbaijani literature refers to the literature written in Azerbaijani, which currently is the official state language of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is widely spoken in northwestern Iran and eastern Turkey...
- Opera of KorogluThe Opera of KorogluKoroğlu is an opera in five acts by Uzeyir Hajibeyov to a libretto in Azerbaijani by Habib Ismayilov, with poetry by Mammed Said Ordubadi. The libretto is based on episodes from the Epic of Köroğlu, a heroic legend prominent in the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples...