A functional view on the folk culture elements in haji bektash's work 'velayetname

Abstract

Velayetnames are the books which include the mysterious features of sufis and elder religious functionaries. These books are generally known as menâkibnâme and find favour with the Turkish society, narrate the supremacy of related person by his oracles. One of the most common examples of menâkibnâme primarily in the Balkan Peninsula and Anatolia is Velâyetname, which was shaped in line with the life of Haji Bektash. Within this context, it is of great importance to fully understand the work and comprehend the Sufi culture. In this study, the folk culture elements available in Velâyetnâme were identified and which function of these elements can be used considering their contexts were discussed. In a broad sense, it was determined that the work has the functions of keeping the culture alive and transferring it to future generations as a work of folk-literature. In addition, various cultural elements in the work were determined to be used with special functions such as annunciation, entertainment, proving self, unification, restoration, disguising, accepting an idea, gratitude, punishment, fruitfulness, halal livelihood, protectiveness, and convincing. These functions together with the cultural values in the work have shed light to fundamental codes of Turkish society. In conclusion, it can be said that Velâyetnâme commonly known in Alevi-Bektashi society reflects the social fabric of its time and contributes to islamication of Anatolia positively. Furthermore, it is possible to state that Velâyetnâme has rich elements in terms of Turkish folk culture and these are not incidentally available in the work, but have various functions. In this respect, Velâyetnâme has been regarded as one of the milestones of Turkish cultures.