TRADITIONS ABOUT BIRTH AND CHILDREN
Birth; It is the first of three important phases of human life. Birth-marriage-death… Many traditions, customs, customs and ceremonies have been formed around these three important stages.
Married couples are expected to have children within 1-2 years of their marriage at the latest. When there are no children during this period, it is seen that various remedies based on folk medicine drugs are applied, especially in traditional culture, and visits and village midwives are visited. In addition to these applications, the number of doctor visits has also increased. Pregnant women are called "two living things, pregnant, local" in the region. During the pregnancy, whether the child will be a girl or a boy, the food that the pregnant woman eats, looks, touches, etc. There are many practices and beliefs about it.
If a pregnant woman eats an apple, she will have a daughter, and if she eats it too sweet, she will have a son. If gold was worn around his neck in his dream, he would have a daughter, and if gold was worn on his wrist, he would have a son. During pregnancy, care is taken not to look at owls, snakes and ugly people. Because, when viewed, the belief that the child resembles them is dominant. During this period, attention is paid to looking at beautiful things. A stack of crocus collected from the countryside is thrown from a height of about one meter. There is a belief that if the ball falls on the ground, it will be a boy, and if it disperses, it will be a girl. Her family makes great efforts to provide the food she craves during the craving period. As the birth approaches, preparations for the child intensify. At home, equipping the crib, quilts, pillows, bedding, clothes and cloths are prepared for the baby. The woman who gives birth is called "midwife". After the child's navel is cut, he is buried either by the wall of a mosque or in a place where no foot can touch.
The newborn child is salted. This process prevents the child from being cooked, sweating and staying raw. The newborn child is speckled with a reddish soil called “Ölülük” at first. This practice has now disappeared. A woman who has just given birth is called “maternity leave” or “Diğasken” in the region. Kuymak, which is prepared from flour and made by adding molasses, is fed to the postpartum woman. This is considered a special occasion meal.
According to the belief, the woman giving birth and her child are protected from external harms and dangers for forty days. The light of the room where they slept for forty days cannot be turned off. The Quran is placed on the head of their pillow. When two women in their forties meet each other, they change needles so that their forties do not press each other. When flour and bulgur are brought from the mill at home, the child and the woman are taken out a few steps. Again, if there is a funeral in a nearby house, the child with the puerperal child, whose forty has not come out, is taken out while the funeral is being taken from there. These customs are made so that they do not print forty.
Again, "fortying" is done so that it does not print forty. On the twenty and fortieth day, forty spoons of water or forty barley are added to the water in which the child will be bathed. Water is poured from a sieve over the child's head. Thus forty is subtracted. After the age of forty, the factors that will harm the child and mother disappear.
It is also mentioned that there was an ugly creature with messy hair, big teeth, and very long fingers, called "Alkarısı", which is believed to harm the mother and child in the traditional culture during the postpartum period. On the other hand, in the past, it has been seen that hair rope was left around the mother and child's bed and needles were attached to their pillows.
Thus, while the belief that the creature called alkırı can not harm is widespread, such practices today have been abolished and the Qur'an is placed at the bedside of the sleeping place.
There is a custom to go to see the newly born puerperant and her child. Along with this trend, clothing, etc. is taken. Especially at the first birth, the cradle is equipped by the mother of the woman.
When the child's first tooth comes out, hedik is made by boiling wheat. Sometimes hedik grains are sewn onto a thread and attached to the baby's neck. Relatives and neighbors are offered a "Tooth Gift". The existence of practices based on many traditions in childhood also draws attention. They say that children who are not born and live are "just like" and wash them in the water called the fountain. It is for this purpose that one goes to the just/Tıpka fountain in the Güzelyurt town of Hekimhan. On the subject, it is believed that if a person sees an insect in the mouth of a snake or crab, he says aloud the name of the one whose child was born and lived, and when the snake or crab leaves the one in its mouth, the Just will pass. If the child is late in walking, a rope is tied to both ankles, someone comes quickly and cuts this rope on his feet and runs away, this is called "Shutting the Shower". speaking late,
It is “read” to children who do not sleep and who are afraid; Some traditional practices are applied to the child to pass his fears. Black is cast behind the earlobe to avoid the evil eye. An amulet is worn on the shoulder or on the inside of the garment. Practices for the pains, earaches and discomforts of infancy continue today, albeit to a lesser extent. In regions where urbanization has accelerated, the number of doctor visits has increased.
Circumcision and Kirvlik Traditions
In Malatya and its villages, circumcision performed for boys as a requirement of religious obligations and kirve as a traditional institution have an important place.
Kirvelik: With this entrenched and institutionalized feature, it forms the whole of close friendships and relations that have been strengthened by the circumcision of the child and even with the establishment of kirve. In the region, the kirve, who keeps the boy in circumcision, is considered the spiritual father of the child. This person is given names such as kirve and kivre. In the establishment of kirveliks, choice and offer have a traditional place. Kirve can be a favorite friend of the father of the child. This offer is not refused according to tradition. They say Kirvelik is the "Friendship of the Prophet". That's why those who decide to become a kirve now consider themselves relatives to each other. Children are considered siblings to each other. In some regions, the child cannot marry the daughter of the kirve. The basis of this custom is that the blood of the child falls into the lap of the kirve.
Circumcision: It is performed in the period between infancy and 11-12 years of age. The invitation to the wedding is made either through the reader or by sending an invitation. Circumcision weddings are performed with or without instruments. Mevlud is recited. It is common to give food to those invited to the wedding.
The clothes of the child who will be circumcised are taken by the kirve. Kirve gives the child gold, watches, etc. brings gifts. The child's father gives gifts such as carpets, clothes, etc. to the kirve. The child is toured by car or by horse. Circumcision is performed by a circumciser or a health officer. In recent years, there has been an increase in circumcisions made by a doctor. While the child is circumcised, Turkish delight is given to his mouth so that he does not feel the pain too much. Sometimes the child throws a raw egg on the head of the circumciser as a joke. After the circumcision, they come to visit the child and give various gifts. With circumcision, the friendship relations between the two kirve families are further strengthened. According to tradition, the circumcised child is considered to have taken the first step towards manhood.
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Marriage is one of the three important stages of life. In these periods, many customs, traditions, customs and ceremonies were formed around birth, marriage and death. marriages in Malatya; It takes place on the basis of mutual agreement as well as the arranged method. Apart from these, marriages through "escape" are rare.
Announcing the wishes to the family in an arranged manner is the first step. Young people cannot express their marriage wishes directly to the father. Requests are communicated either through the mother or through other means.
The age of marriage starts around the age of 18 for men. This age usually comes to the fore in the economic situation of the family, some conditions that require early marriage. The average age at marriage starts after military service. While it was common for girls to marry at the age of 15-16, this age limit has increased to 18-19 years.
Young people, when announcing their desire to marry, show some behaviors as per tradition. They exhibit behaviors such as coming home late, growing a mustache, showing grumpy behaviors, not going to work on the pretext of illness, not liking the cooked food, as well as buying household items and taking care of their clothing. Such behavior is not uncommon in young girls. Their behavior is implied, not obvious. Complaints and reproaches are seen at odd times. If a firm decision is made by the family to get the young person married within the tradition of marriage, "Seeing Tour" or, in other words, "Girl Don't Look" begins. The family of the young person to be married has taken clean milk for their children, wedding, engagement, neighbor visits, advice of relatives and acquaintances, etc. in order to find a worthy girl for their children. on occasion the girls like it.
Before going to "look at the girl", a message is sent to the girl's side by means of acquaintances. After going to the girl's house, the young girl kisses hands and offers coffee to the guests. During this visit, the girl is closely examined. It is tried to find out if the girl has a disability or skill. If the girl has no intentions, she is sullen to the seers. She leaves her shoes messy and doesn't stay near them much. In these see-through visits, if the girl is liked, the situation is discussed and consulted again within the family. It is decided not to want the girl. The news is sent to the girl's house. If the family intends to give the girl away, they call themselves evil, based on the phrase "The girl's house is a naz house". They say, "Let's have a consultation, if it's good," they say, After all, the trips to and from the girl's house are repeated several times. The day is decided. Then they go to ask for the girl. Close relatives of both parties are present in this request. When the girl is requested, one person representing the boy and girl father is given a power of attorney. The person representing the boy side is the girl "By the order of Allah, with the words of the Prophet" three times. At the end of the third repetition, the girl's father answers , "If God wrote it, we have nothing to say, we gave it too ." The teacher who is there reads a prayer and says, "May God bless you" . The name of this ceremony in Malatya villages is called asking a girl, interrupting or kissing hands . After the girl is asked, there is a custom in the villages to pull the ear of the young person and get a tip. In addition, there is a custom of giving gifts to the girl's mother under the name of "the right to milk" . After the speech is interrupted, sherbet is crushed and distributed to sweeten the mouth. Then the “title” is discussed. The local name of the title is “Galin” is. This tradition continues in some villages. In many places it is gone. In the regions where the title is requested, the request of the father is reduced to a reasonable level by the request of those present. There is a tradition of giving a list in the regions where the title tradition is abolished. You can add desired household items, gold, etc. to this list. is written. In the villages where the headdress tradition is maintained, the tradition of receiving a headdress called "Kan" can be seen in the amount of twice the headdress taken in the normal situation in marriages made by kidnapping .
The engagement is made on a designated day after the interruption. In some villages, this ceremony is given names such as going to the gospel and drinking sherbet . At the engagement, the boy's side prepares a saddlebag, a cookie called " Şirincelik " is placed in one eye, and gifts such as shirts and fabrics are placed for the girl's family in the other eye. Şirincelik is distributed to the guests. The gift given to the mother of the girl is called "Mother's linen" . The girl wears the clothes bought by the boy party at the engagement. In large teşts, sherbet is crushed and distributed. Rings are worn by women. Gifts such as money and gold are given to the betrothed. After that, when the male side talks about the engaged girl, "our bride" says. It is not welcome for young people to see each other freely during the engagement period. This prohibition weakened in the regions where urbanization started.
During the engagement period, a ram is sent to the girl's side on religious holidays. In addition, gifts such as gold, watches, dresses are also taken. This custom of bringing gifts is also valid when the man visits his fiancee. The engagement period is not extended too long, based on the idea of "require it in your married home" .
The ceremony that comes after the engagement is the wedding. Weddings coincide with the end of the harvest in the villages. In cities, it is held in spring and summer. After the wedding day is decided, 3-4 people are taken by the girl together with the engaged girl and they go to the city for a wedding bargain. Gifts, clothes, gold, etc. to the bride. is taken. In some villages, this is also called a "load". Before the wedding, the girl makes a bed with the wool bought by the boy. A pre-wedding tradition is to win the hearts of the girl's uncle, uncle and brother under the name of "Providing the Ways" . These are called emmi road-uncle road . This act of taking heart can be done by taking an apple or taking money.
Invitation to the wedding; In the villages, it is called "okuntu". A tip is given to the person who distributes the reading. This custom has left its place to invitations. Weddings are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays as well as on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Turkish flag is hung on the roof of the boy's house to mark the beginning of the wedding. In some villages, an apple is placed on the tip of the long stick on which the flag is hung. There are drums and zurna instruments at weddings, especially in villages. During the wedding, especially theatrical plays of the region are played. In the city, instead of drums and zurna, the orchestra is dominant. In Arapgir district, clarinet, violin revel, etc. instruments are used.
In villages; The service group such as the flag-bearer, the wedding attendant, the cook, the coffee maker takes care of the guests. On the day before the bride goes to fetch, "shenanigans" and "breadmakers" are sent to the girl's side. In henna, games are played and henna is applied to the bride. While the tray is circulating on the heads while applying henna, the folk song “The nightingale sings in the high iwans” , which is the henna atmosphere of Malatya, is sung. First of all, henna is applied to the right hand of the bride, and a coin is placed inside and wrapped with dolak (writing). Then it is burned in the other hand. A part of henna is sent to the boy's side. "Bride praising" or "bride don't cry" during henna ceremonies are held. Various folk songs and manis are sung during these ceremonies. On the morning of the henna night, the bride procession gathers at the boy's house and goes to the mountainous regions with horses, and in other regions, by tractor and automobile. The bride's car, called a poppy , is carefully decorated. When the girl's village is approached, the bridal procession is stopped and a tip called "slingshot" is taken. In addition, the door of the girl's house is closed and the tip is taken, then it is opened.
Three days after the wedding, the girl's side sends sweets to the boy's side. A week later, the bride and her husband visit the girls' side. This is called "going to the week" . The girl's side visits the other side fifteen days later. The custom of "dressing a wedding dress" to the elders of the house, which was very common in the past, has lost its importance today. to make a wedding dress; Not sitting at the table with mother-in-law, father-in-law and other family elders are behaviors such as speaking very quietly.
DEATH-RELATED CUSTOMS
Humans are born, live and die. During this period, we see that many beliefs, customs and practices developed.
Beliefs and practices related to death can be examined in three parts: before death, at the time of death and after death.
Before Death:
According to the beliefs of the local people, there are thoughts about animals that are called the harbinger of death. These; long unnecessarily long howl of the dog, the owl squawking on the roof of the house. Such situations are interpreted that a bad news will come and he will be dead. There are also dreams that can be interpreted as death: Dreams such as a previous deceased relative calling him to his side, the collapse of the middle pillar of the house in the dream, the collapse of one side of the house, are interpreted as death. The patient's thought that he will die is understood by the following symptoms: His eyes go cold, his nose collapses, there is wheezing in his breathing, he says that someone who has died before has called him, if he has children who are abroad, he talks to them, asks for water, gets halal from those around him, and foams in his mouth.
Order of Death:
The death of a person can be understood from the motionless and rigidity of his body, the heaving of his rib cage, his gaze and the cooling of his body. In addition, the following practices are also applied, A mirror is held in his mouth, If there is evaporation in the mirror, it is understood that he is alive, otherwise he is dead. The pulse is also checked. They say that the news of death is heard quickly. Announcements are made to their immediate surroundings either by telephone, by sending a messenger or from the mosque. As soon as it is understood that he is dead, his jaw is pulled and tied. If his eyes are open, they are closed. His hands are brought to the sides, the tips of the big toes are tied with a thread. If he dies with his eyes open, he is closed with a hand, with the thought that he has something to expect and with the feeling that his eyes will not be left behind. He is taken to a clean bed, this is called a 'comfortable mattress'. The clothes on the deceased are torn off. It happens that these clothes are also called the pedigree of the dead. A sheet is laid on the body of the deceased, who is left on the bed with his right side facing the qibla. Sometimes a knife or scissors are placed on her belly to keep it from swelling. It is waited by sitting in a ring around the bed.
Shrouds are prepared by relatives. The water is heated in the black boiler. The windows of the dead house are opened and ventilated. Meanwhile, the clothes, bed and quilt of the deceased are washed by a woman. This woman is given a few bars of soap. The funeral is not buried close to sunset in the evening. According to the belief, the ground is sealed after sunset and the belief that it does not accept anyone is dominant. He is buried the next morning. Another purpose of this waiting is for their distant relatives to come. Men wash the male corpse, and women wash the female corpse. Ablution is done. Washing is done on a wooden board called “Teneşir”. If the deceased is engaged or newly married, it is also possible that a wedding dress is put next to him and henna is applied behind his hair. Her hair is braided or wrapped around her neck. The shrouded body is placed in a lidded coffin made of pine or poplar wood or in a four-armed coffin called "Salaca". If the deceased is a woman, the writing on the coffin is discarded. If it is a man, his clothes are often not put on, a cover is thrown over him. Children 3-4 months old are taken to the grave in the arms of a person. After the washing process is finished, the boiler is turned upside down in some regions. At night there is a light.
After the corpse is washed, the process of taking it to the grave begins without waiting. The grave of the woman is dug as deep as the height of the chest, and the grave of the man is as deep as the height of the navel. If bones belonging to someone else are found in the dug grave, they are collected in a corner. In some regions, coins are thrown into the grave as per the custom. (Thus, according to the belief, he is considered to have taken place) After the funeral prayer, he is lowered to the grave. The grave is quickly closed by the people there by throwing earth. After the closing process is completed, water is poured over it. This belief is for the quick and easy delivery of the question and question in some regions. The tradition of lighting a fire after sunset is common near the tomb. The purpose of this is to prevent damage to the funeral by wild animals.
Operations After the Burial: After returning from the grave, the funeral home is visited and the Qur'an is read. The women are lamented. As a common tradition, if the deceased is a woman, she borrowed something from her neighbors while she was alive, and things such as soap and yarn are distributed to women, based on the idea that they should not pass the law.
In the past, there was the custom of giving a meal by the house where the funeral was returned from the grave. In some villages this continues today. Between three and seven days in the house of the dead, no food is cooked, it is brought by the neighbors. The dead owners visit the tomb on the morning of the second day. Neighbors, acquaintances and relatives come to the house that was found dead and offer their condolences. The men of the funeral home do not shave their beards for at least a week. Women, on the other hand, tie their foreheads with a black or white writing. On the third or seventh day of death, the dead house cooks and recites Mevlüd. Halva is distributed and the whole village participates in the meal. From the third to the fortieth day, the hatim is sent down. According to the belief, the meat is separated from the bone on the fifty-second day. It is seen that the Qur'an is recited in the evening of this day. Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, which comes after death, is the "First Mourning" of the deceased .It's 'Feast'. Eid festivities in villages are first made by going to these houses and sick people. In the first mourning festival, food such as candy and roasted chickpeas is distributed by going to the grave.
BELIEFS RELATED TO THE DEAD-DEATH-CEREMONY
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