Turkish hikaye (, ) is a narrative genre, which is a mixture of prose and poetry. Prose, the dominant part is narrated by an ashik and is interspersed with poems sung by the same artist to the accompaniment of saz. Hikaye is an

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

word that means "tale". In modern

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

this word refers to the tales of ashiks and can be translated as "folk romance". The hikâye revolves around the amorous exploits of an ashik. The ashik's separation from his love interest throughout the main narrative does not result from his beloved's coy or cruel volition but rather from external circumstances such as meddlesome parents and rivals. Hikayeh is akin to the, more general, genre known in the

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

as Dastan. Indeed, in

Azerbaijani language Azerbaijani () or Azeri (), also referred to as Azeri Turkic or Azeri Turkish, is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan where the North Azerbaija ...

the word "dastan" is literally equivalent to hikaye, and its Turkish cognate "destan" is also used to refer to this genre.

Morphology of hikaye

Amelia Gallagher, based on the works of İlhan Başgöz summarizes the morphology of hikaye as the following: ''The hikaye commences with the ashik's birth and concludes with his marriage. To establish the ashik's initial situation, his family is described in a given time and place. Subsequently, a crisis manifests, typically the lack of a child, which is resolved when the child is born. The ashik faces a pivotal crisis in the narrative during adolescence. When he falls in love the ashik accesses a divine gift—the ability to express his love in poetic song.Baṣgöz, I. (1967). Dream Motif in Turkish Folk Stories and Shamanistic Initiation. Asian Folklore Studies, 26(1), 1-18. In the context of performance, the saz accompanies the ashik throughout. The central crisis in the narrative arises from the ashik's separation from his beloved. A series of obstacles and adventures comprise the remainder of the hikâye, as the ashik endeavors to re-unite with his beloved. During times of trial and exuberance, the ashik turns to poetic song to express his elation, desperation, and distress.''

Famous hikayes

As the art of ashik is based on oral tradition, the number of hikayes can be as many as the ashiks themselves. İlhan Başgöz, reporting on the hikaye telling in the

coffeehouses A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

in Azerbaijan cities, had observed that ashika generally alter a given hikaye depending on the circumstances.Basgoz, I. (1970). Turkish Hikaye-Telling Tradition in Azerbaijan, Iran. Journal of American Folklore, 83(330), 394. Therefore, hikayes have evolved over time and a refined version of the most famous ones have survived to our times. İlhan Başgöz lists 26 hikayes which were popular in

Tabriz Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...

in late 1960s. In the following we present a brief list of the most famous hikayes: *

Shah Ismail Ismail I ( fa, اسماعیل, Esmāʿīl, ; July 17, 1487 – May 23, 1524), also known as Shah Ismail (), was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Iran, ruling as its King of Kings (''Shahanshah'') from 1501 to 1524. His reign is often c ...

* The

Epic of Köroğlu The ''Epic of Koroghlu'' ( az, , tr, ; tk, , uz, ) is a heroic legend prominent in the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples, mainly the Oghuz Turks. The legend typically describes a hero who seeks to avenge a wrong. It was often put to ...

* Ashiq Qərib * Aşıq Valeh

References

{{reflist Azerbaijani music Turkish music Arabic words and phrases Central Asian music Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Turkish poetry

Morphology of hikaye

Famous hikayes

See also

References