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12PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES
THE ARCHETYPE "BLOOD" IN THE EPIC CREATIVITY OF THE TURKIC NATION
Allahverdiyeva V.
Azerbaijan State University of Economics, Department of Azerbaijan Language Associate Professor Doctor, Baku, Azerbaijan DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7340823
Abstract
The epic creativity of the Turkic nation includes their values, traditions and worldview. The deep semantic layers of this information can be uncovered by the study of the archetypes. The archetypal symbol "blood" also reflects the Turkic thinking - birth, death, chaos, space and the power of the body, soul, genes, intellect, sense. Features of the archetype of "blood" used in ancient Turkic epics, Oghuz-namehs, all-Turkicsh eposes -"Ergenekon", "Oghuz Khagan", "Alp er Tunga", "The Book of Dede Korkut" and other epics are involved in the study. Their substratum, meaning and shades in the saga are analyzed on the basis of various studies. The blood, reflecting both good and evil allegories, symbolically is considered a sign of creation and death. The generational growth and the creation of a genus occur through the blood, and the death is caused by b loodshed. That is why "blood ties", "blood brother" means family and kinship ties, and "blood feud" means the murder and revenge of one from family or generation. The healing and miraculous functions of blood are also analyzed. In the epics, the archetype "blood" is at the root of motifs such as betrothed in the cradle (decision on the future marriage of a boy and a girl in the cradle), marriage, birth and etc.
Keywords: archetype, blood, epic, Turk, Oghuz-namehs.
Introduction
The Actuality of the Subject. The blood, that forms both the biological and spiritual being of the human, symbolizes the creation, death, love, hate, genetics and spirit. During the research, it is necessary to take into consideration and study the meaning of the red color of the blood, which plays an important role in socio-political, social and household life. The study of archetype "blood" reveals the deep layers of Turkish epic mentality. This increases the actuality of the topic.
Research Methodology. In the research there were used descriptive, historical-comparative methods. The problem of the research was studied on the basis of epics "Oghuz Khagan", "The Book o Dede Korkut", "Koroghlu" and other Turkish epics, Oghuz-namehs.
Sources of Research. The main sources of researches are Turkish epics. The researches of Azerbaijani and Turkish folklorists and scientists form the theoretical and methodological basis of the topic. Six-volume "Mythogenesis: reconstruction, structural poetics" by R.Gafarli, "History of Mythology" by F.Agasioglu, "Turkish mythology" by B.Ogel, "Ancient Turkish literature" by N.Jafarov, "Stamps, symbols...appropria-tions" by A.Gurbanov, "Epic laws of the Oghuz world and the biography of the hero" by F.Bayat, "Poetics of epos: "Dede Korkut" and "Koroghlu"" by K.Aliyev, "Oghuz-nameh creativity" by A.Asger and other scientific works played the role of source.
Functions of the Archetype "Blood" in the Epic Creativity
The archetype "blood" in the epic creativity, that reflects the spiritual-moral values, lifestyle, history, statehood traditions of Turkic nation and our national-ethnic history, includes various functions. Blood is interpreted as a symbol of creation, birth and death. The motifs, that reflect blood kinship, blood brotherhood, blood feud other functions, embody many values.
In the creation epics of Turkic peoples we also see that the human model and its yeast is kneaded from clay
and blood. That is, the human is of God's blood and God's gene. Both in creation and in later period epics the formula "God-human-forefather" is preserved. In all Oghuz-namehs the khagans are the mirror of the God and his image in the earth. The fact that the first forefather Oghouz Khagan in the epos "Oghuz Khagan" is of God origin is known from his birth [2]. Fuzuli Bayat writes about it: "In the epic, his birth from the tear of the Ay Khagan's eyes matches to the ancient miraculous birth motif (parthenogenesis) and Oghuz's birth from a virgin, the pure Moon, allows us to consider him a son of God." [4].
Red - the color of the blood also has many meanings. According to the Turkic people, the red color is a symbol of success, the color of power, nobility, the bride's clothes and veil, the color of the tent and throne of Oghuz beys. Red is the color of the Sun, that gives life to the world, and the color of the main element that gives soul to man. At the same time, red that is also a color of the death, has the same functions with blood. For example, in epos "The Book of Dede Korkut" Az-rael, who came to take the life of Deli Domrul, is a red winged. In ancient Turkic epics the red color appears in three names: red, vermilion and golden. In these epics we see such word combinations as red stallion, red veil, red wine, golden room, golden camel, golden kaftan, red room, red kaftan and so on.
The blood that reflects both the good and the evil symbolizes the creation. Since the continuation of the generation and the human creation is carried out through the blood, "blood", "blood ties", "blood brother" indicate relationship. In Turkic nations the genetic ties and code are also important. Father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandfather and other creatures that have a blood ties and family values passed down from generation to generation are sacred.
Realitions, Brotherhood, Birth, Death and Healing
Blood Realationship and Blood Brotherhood Function. In ancient Turks, blood was a symbol of holiness and devotion. For this reason, in ancient times Turks swore by blood, believed that they become relatives by cutting off their arms and rubbing their blood on each other. There is even an idiomatic sign of "swear by blood"among the ancient Turkic stamps. The sacred Turkish stamp called "oath and represented the sound "nt" as a ligature sign in the alphabet, contains the fraternization and the tradition of swearing by blood.
In ancient Turkish epics, the archetype of blood is at the root of the state, family management, motifs such as betrothing in the cradle, marriage and so on. Whether in ancient Turkish epics - "Oghuz Khagan", "Alp er Tunga", or in all-Turkic medieval and modern epoch epics, in "The Book of Dede Korkut", "Koroghlu" and others the blood ties is one of the major issues. In these epics, the role of heroes, who are blood relatives, in management of the society is important. For example, in the epos "The Book of Dede Korkut" on the right side of Ghazan Khan sat his brother Garaguna, and his paternal relative Garabudakh, on his left side sat his uncle Aruz Goja and his maternal relative Giyan Seljukh. Although Ghazan Khan's son Uruz was sixteen years old, he had never seen battle and did not get the name [4]. The fact that Ghazan Khan worried and cried about this and saw the son as the owner of his throne shows that empire was passed down from generation to generation. Oghuz heroes are ready to shed blood and give their lives for the honor and zeal of fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, sisters, women, and we see the phrase "let my head be sacrificed for you" in every story of the epos. In the regulation of family relations, in the formation of a new family, importance was attached to the values and main factors related to blood.
According to the Turkic customs, seven generations of ancestors within the same lineage are very important for Turks. However, according to Turkish tradition, intermarriage between relatives in seven generations is prohibited. According to modern science, the cause of certain diseases in children is marriage between blood relatives. So, thousands of years ago, the Turks, who knew this, forbade intermarriage in order to prevent the generation degenerate of clans. Due to this prohibition, the saying "You must know your seven generations of ancestors, you must know the names of your forefathers until the seventh grandfather" has become ingrained in the memory of the society, and has become a moral norm in the goddess religion [1]. For this reason, we do not find consanguineous marriages in the epics of the ancient Turkic peoples.
Blood brotherhood was also very important for the ancient Turks. Even in the solving of important issues, they cut off the palms of their hands with a sword and drank the blood mixed with cow's, horse's or camel's milk, so as not to violate the promises. In such rites, the brotherhood was strengthened by milk and blood. The concept of "swearing" is connected with these rites: the bowl full of blood and milk was called "oath", and the people who swear were called "anda" [5].
In "Koroghlu" epos we can see the motif of making a covenant as a blood brother in the chapter "Mahru Khanum's coming to the Chanlibel". ""On the fortieth
day of the meeting, everyone looked at Koroghlu and because he was wise, he realized that the daredevils wanted to talk to him. He turned his face to all the daredevils and said: "Hey, my daredevils! We were seven thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven daredevils. Now, Giziroglu Mustafa Bey's seven thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven daredevils become our dear brothers". And he pulled out his Misri (sharp, magical) sword from its scabbard. Giziroglu Mustafa Bey also pulled out his Giziri sword from its scabbard. They both injured their forefinger and squeezed each other's blood. On the other side Shamli bey and Deli Hasan, Gurd Jalil and Demirchioghlu, Babur Alay and Eyvaz Khan, Shir Veli and Koroghlu's brave son Hasan bey, Sanly Samad and Bally Ahmad, Yaghigiran and Tupdaghidan, Sirt Yusuf and Isabaly, Sherkhata Madat and Guijuogly, Deli Chovdar and Deli Mehder, Jinli Mehdi and Halaypozan, Ashig Kenger and Ashig Junun also injured their forefinger and mixed their blood. In short, brotherhood in Chanlibel turned into blood brotherhood." [6].
Blood Feud. In Turkic nations the archetype "blood" is also associated with enmity. "Blood feud", "blood enmity" is associated with the murder and revenge of a person with a blood ties. In ancient Turkic epics we can see this motif. In "Alp er Tunga" epos the hero fights against Iran to avenge his father and his people. Alp er Tunga killed own brother Alp Aruz for betraying his family.
"The Ergenakon" epos is also about the Gokturks, who who took revenge on the Tatars for their ancestors four hundred years later. In the story named "How Uruz bey son of Ghazan Bey was taken prisoner" in the conversation between Ghazan Bey and his son Uruz, we come across the explanation of the "blood feud". "Boy said: "Who do we call the enemy?" Ghazan said: "My son, the enemy is the one we will kill if we catch up. And the one who will kill us if he catches up. Uruz said: "Father, if the brave man is killed among them, will they demand blood feud?" Ghazan said: "My son, if you kill a thousand infidel, no one can pretend for blood rights" [11]. "Oglan aydir: "Yagi deyu nays derlar"? Qazan aydir: "Ogul, anungun yagi derlar ki, biz anlara yetsavuz, oldurariz. Anlar biza yetsa, oldurar" - dedi. Uruz aydir: "Baba, iginda bag yigitlar oldursalar, qan sorularmi, davilarlarmi?" Qazan aydir: "Ogul, bin kafir oldursan, kimsa sandan qan davilamaz [11].
While Ghazan Khan's son asked him: "Father, if the brave man is killed among them, will they demand blood feud?", he answered: "My son, if you kill a thousand infidel, no one can pretend for blood rights". It is clear from this dialogue that "blood feuds", "blood rights", "blood enmity" are typical of the Turkic peoples.
In the story named "How Basat killed Goggle-eye" Basat fights Google-eye to avenge his brother Giyan Seljik and kills him. In the story named "How Salur Kazan's house was pillaged" when Ghazan khan attacked the enemy that pillaged his house, Karaja Cho-ban joined him to avenge his two brothers who were killed by the enemy.
Ghazan looked back and asked: "Hey, my shepherd son, where are you going?" Shepherd answered:
"Ghazan Aga, you are going to take back your house, I am going to avenge my brother". [11]. Qazan do-ndibaqdi, "Ogul goban, qanda gedarsin?" - dedi. Coban aydir: "Agam Qazan, san evin almaga gedarsan, man daxi qannda§im qanin almaga gedaram" - dedi [11].
The shepherd's two brothers - Giyan and Demir were killed in this battle. In the end, the shepherd takes revenge on those who shed his brothers' blood.
In the story named "Segrek, Son of Ushun Goja" Segrek learns that he has a brother named Egrek, and no one knows whether he is dead or alive. Because, Egrek had been in captivity for many years. When he wants to find out if his brother is dead or alive, his mother and father want to stop him. Then Segrek says: "Don't stop me! I will not come back to Galyn Oghuz land without reaching the castle where my brother was captured, finding my brother alive or dead, and if he dies, without taking revenge." [11]. Bu zaman Sagrak deyir: "Mani yolumdan ayirman! Agam tutulan qalaya varmayinca, agamin olusin-dirisin bilmayinca, oldisa, qanin almayinca Qalin Oguz elina galmagim yox!" -dedi [11].
In the story named "How the outer Oghuz rebelled against the inner Oghuz and how Beyrek died" there is talk of blood feud. Aruz Goja kills Beyrek because he is loyal to inner Oguz. In the end, Ghazan bey kills his uncle Aruz and avenges Beyrek.
In the "Koroglu" epos, in chapter "Ali Kishi", Koroglu takes revenge on Hasan Khan, who blinded his father and made him long for the light of the world.
As can be seen, the motifs of "blood feud" and "blood enmity" form the core of the spiritual outlook and way of thinking of the Turkic peoples.
The Birth, Death and the Healing Function. One of the important episodes in Turkic epic traditions is the birth with blood in his hand. According to the epic thinking of the Turks, some heroes are born by miraculous birth, mainly after sacrificial ceremonies to the God [8]. When these heroes are born, many of them have blood in their hands. The Turks also believed that a child with blood in his hand would have a bright future. According to Chinese sources, the Mongol ruler, Genghis Khan, was born with a red stone-like blood clot in his right hand. Genghis Khan's father Yesugei interpreted this sign as meaning that the child would be a great warrior.
We also can see this episode in Turkish epics. In some versions of the epic "Manas", when the hero was born, he had a blood clot in his hand.
The fact that Turkish heroes have blood in their eyes at birth is also a symbol of greatness. We see this motif in the birth of Oguz Khagan, Goyturk Khagan and Mohan Khagan. In the epos "Oguz Kagan" it is described that when a hero is born, his eyes are "vermilion":
His eyes were vermilion, and his hair were black
[3].
Al-al idi gozlari, saglari da qapqara,
Qipqizil agzi ila ata§ kimiydi bandi [3].
Here Baheddin Ogel connects the word "vernil-ion" with red color. Mirali Seyidov connects the word "vernilion" with the Sun, and notes that in Turkic nations yellow and red are the color of the Sun and its
attribute in the Earth - the fire. This word is used in the Turkish languages to mean "red", "vermilion" and means greatness, majesty. [9]. In Turkish languages, there is an expression such as "bloody eyes", which means a person who lives with a sense of revenge, a madman. The birth of Oguz Khagan with bloody eyes was a sign that he would be a strong knight and great man in the future.
In epic creativity the blood also has the features of healing and the harbinger of death. These features are often used in conjunction with the shirt motif. We can see this in the epics of other nations. For example, in the epic "Yusuf and Zulaikha", the brothers put Yusuf in a well, dipped his shirt in blood and took it to their father as proof of his death. In one of the stroies of the epos "The Book of Dede Korkut", called "Bamsi Beyrek, son of Bay Bure", Yalanjik, son of Yalanchi (lier), spreads Bamsi Beyrek's death news with the same trick: "It turns out that Beyrek gave a shirt to the son of Yalanchi, and he did not wear, but kept it. He dipped the shirt in blood, brought it to Bayindir khan. Bayindir khan asked: "Hey, what is this shirt?" Yalinjik said: "Beyrek was killed in Derbent, and this is a sign, my sultan!" [11]. "San dema, Beyrak Yalangi ogluna bir koynak bagi§layibmi§" geymayib saxlayirmi§. Getdi hamin koynayi qana-mana batirdi, gatirib Bayindir xanin onuna atdi. Bayindir xan deyir: "Oda, bu na koynakdir?" Yalinciq: "Beyrayi Darbandda oldurmuijlar, bu da ni§anidir, sultanim!"-dedi [11].
The bloody shirt also has a heralding and healing function. The eyes of both fathers are opened with the arrival of their sons. Prophet Yagub, the father of the Prophet Yusuf, rubs the shirt of his son, and Bamsi Beyrek's father Bay Bura rubs a handkerchief soaked in his son's blood on eyes [7].
In the story named "Boghach Khan, son of Dirse Khan" the mixture of milk and blood is an ointment for the boy's wounds. Here we see that blood has a life-giving force and and is a symbol of kinship, that is, a mother heals her son's wound with her own blood. So that, Dirse khan's forty betrayer heroes used a thousand tricks to kill Boghach. They want to turn Dirse Khan against Boghach and turn him into the murderer of his son. Dirse Khan wounded Boghach in the hunt and returned home. Seeing that Dirse Khan had returned home alone, the mother went with her forty slender girls to look for her son and found him wounded on Mountain Gazlig. Boghach blames his father for this and tells the story of what happened. The boy sees his mother crying and says: "Mother, don't cry! I won't die from this wound, don't worry! Khidr, on the gray horse, came to me and sleeked my wound three times and said: "You will not die from thie wound; mountain flower and breast milk is an ointment for you". Thus, forty slender girls gathered mountain flowers. The boy's mother milked her breasts, there was no milk; milked for the second time, and no result; she tried for the third time and the milk come mixed with blood. They putted the mountain flower and the milk on his wound. They put the boy on a horse and brought to the village. He was handed over to the doctors and hidden from Dirse Khan". [11]. "Ana aglamagil, mana bu yaradan olum yoqdur, qorxmagil! Boz atlu Xizir mana galdi, ug karra
yarami sigadi, "Bu yaradan sana olum yoqdur; dag gigagi, anan sudi sana malhamdir," - dedi. Boyladi gac qirq inca qiz yayildilar, dag gigagi div§urdilar. Oglanin anasi amcagin bir siqdi, sudi galmadi; iki siqdi, sudi galmadi; ugun cidakanduya zarb eyladi, qati doldi, siqdi sudla qan qan§iq galdi. Dag gigagiyla sudi oglanin yarasina urdilar. Oglani ata bindirdilar, alub ani or-dusina gedilar. Oglani hakimlara ismarlayub Dirsa xan-dan saqladilar" [11]. Here we see that blood is both a life-giving force and a symbol of kinship, that is, a mother heals her son's wound with her own blood.
In the details we present about "breast milk and mountain flower ...", the association of "breast milk" is as follows: it is recalled that breast milk is an ointment along with mountain flowers; blood mixed with milk comes from the mother's mammary gland [10].
As we can see from these examples, the shades of the archetype of blood in the epics, that embody the aesthetic thinking of the ancient Turkic peoples, once again prove the importance and significance of the role of blood in human life. The spectrum of many motifs, such as, blood kinship, blood enmity, blood brotherhood, blood feud, blood oath, birth by blood, healing by blood and so on, embodies the more ancient values of our nation.
Conclusion
Researching the semantic shades of the archetype "blood" in ancient Turkic epics on the basis of scientific and theoretical datas, we came to the following conclusions:
Blood embadies the birth, death, good and evil. If the "bloody shirt" in the epic 'The Book of Dede Korkut" is the symbol of the death, the red kaftan, bride's red veil is a symbol of happy feature.
In Turkish epic traditions, the presence of a blood motifs at the birth of a hero (blood in the palm of the
hand, blood in the eyes, etc.) is a sign of his fearlessness and heroism.
The revenge of the loved ones and relatives is characteristic to the Turkic nations. Such motifs as "blood fued", "blood right" and "blood enmity" prevail in the ancient Turkic epics.
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