Book of Dede Korkut

Dede Korkut is a Turkish story cycle consisting of twelve stories. It includes the oldest surviving elements oghusischer narrative tradition and is one of the most famous Turkish language monuments. This epic was named after the main character, who appears in every story.

Main character and content

The figure of Dede Korkut ( " grandfather Korkut " ) is strongly reminiscent of poets and magicians of the shamanic era. It embodies the experience and reason of the ancestors. Dede Korkut is always neutral and is respected by friend and foe. He usually appears in the Pointe or at the end of a story to unravel conflicts, give advice, or to negotiate with the enemy. Finally, he leads with a plea the happy ending of a story one, play music and also sings occasionally.

Some stories are still alive in the Turkish folklore in a slightly different form. Two stories ( Tepegöz and Deli Dumrul ) show striking similarities with the Greek myths that deal with the figure of the Cyclops Polyphemus in the Odyssey and the character of Admetus.

Origin

The origin of the epic is controversial. Within the present state of research, it is assumed that the stories were collected and compiled in the second half of the 15th century by an unknown author. The stories come from oral tradition and based on the memoirs of Ogusen to their Central Asian homeland.

Manuscripts and editions

It's just a complete manuscript in the Saxon State Library - preserved State and University Library Dresden. A copy of this work was made by Heinrich Friedrich von Diez for the Berlin Library. In 1815 he published his book " The Memoirs of Asia." The first issue of Kilisli Moallem Rifat in 1916 ( Kitāb -i Dede Qorqūt ʾ alā Lisan -i ʿ Tá if- i Oghūzān ) based on this copy Berlin as well as the transcribed edition of Orhan Saik gökyay from the year 1938.

In 1950 Ettore Rossi discovered a second incomplete manuscript in the Vatican Library, which he published in facsimile. In 1958, Muharrem Ergin published the entire text with facsimiles of both manuscripts.

Another copy of this work was made in August 1972, to the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Interest

UNESCO declared 1999 as the " Dede Korkut - year ". These invited the 1999 UNESCO guests from Azerbaijan and other Turkic-speaking countries to Dresden, to celebrate the manuscript. Even abroad, found many celebrations and events held in honor of Dede Korkut.

From Musa Eroğlu, there is a song with the name Dedem Korkut.

After Dede Korkut Ata Üniversitesi Korkut, the University is named in Osmaniye. Korkut Ata is the alternative name of Dede Korkut (see Dede )