A WORK WRITTEN IN OLD ANATOLIAN TURKISH: ÖMEROĞLU’S MESNEVI OF DESTAN-I MUHAMMED
ESKİ ANADOLU TÜRKÇESİNE AİT BİR ESER: ÖMEROĞLU’NUN DESTÂN-I MUHAMMED MESNEVİSİ

Author : Serhat KÜÇÜK
Number of pages : 192-237

Abstract

Although the story is considered as a modern fictional type, the works composed in the narrative style are as old as the history of humanity. By utilising oral or written forms, people have told significant events and situations that affect their lives deeply, thus transferred these forms to the next generation. The tradition of epic in Turkish literature is also an art of storytelling and its history dates back to ancient times. The titles of many epics, rather than their presence, have reached today. In the ancient Anatolian Turkish period, there was a rich narrative tradition. During this period, many subjects were storified in the Islamic religious framework and narrated by the meddahs in public assemblies. These stories usually narrate Allah, the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad, four caliphs, companions, religious elders, wars for religion, the principles of religion.Furthermore, mostly Iran and partly Byzantine literature influences are observed in the stories of this period. Ömeroğlu was one of the storytellers, formerly known as meddah, who wrote his works in Old Anatolian Turkish. Ömeroğlu has only one recognised work that has reached us: Destan-i Muhammed. There is no source other than this work about his life. The fact that the stories taking the same place with the work ordinarily carry the characteristics of old Anatolian Turkish indicates that the artist lived in a period close to the 14th century. This study aims to examine all aspects of Ömeroğlu's Destan-i Muhammad. For this purpose, transcription text, translation and index of the work will be presented, and important language features will be examined. By this study, Ömeroğlu's Destan-i Muhammad will be illuminated for the first time and will be introduced to the science world.

Keywords

Story, Epic, Islamic religion, Hz. Muhammad, Turkish language, Old Anatolian Turkish, Omeroglu, Masn

Read: 1,782

Download: 625