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83-505: Veysel is considered one of the most prominent icons of Turkish folk music and literature . Among his most popular folk songs are Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım (Turkish: I'm on a Long and Narrow Road ); "Black Earth" ( Kara Toprak ); "Let My Friends Remember Me" ( Dostlar Beni Hatırlasın ) and "Your Beauty is Worth Nothing" ( Güzelliğin On Para Etmez ). In 2022, Veysel was posthumously awarded a Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award by

166-403: A Turkish state radio was established and the dissemination of Turkish folk music became a priority for those in charge. Musicians were recruited by Muzaffer Sarisozen, "who acted as a talent scout, hand-picking regional performers who displayed exceptional talent." In the 1960s, musicians like Aşık Veysel , Neşet Ertaş , Bedia Akartürk became popular folk artists. In the 1970s and 1980s, with

249-480: A dream in which she saw herself marrying Veysel. After his stay in Yalıncak, Veysel returned to Sivrialan. Almost as soon as he had arrived there, Veysel dispatched a letter to the village where Gülizar lived, Karayaprak, bearing his proposal of marriage . Both Gülizar and her father were initially hesitant to accept. This hesitance was entirely practical; Veysel's blindness meant that he could not mend fences, bring in

332-473: A few nights in a local inn ( tekke ), known as the Yalıncak Baba Lodge. At the time of Veysel's visit, the lodge was owned by one Hamza Ertemür, of the nearby village of Karayaprak. The lodge was maintained by members of Hamza's family. This included his granddaughter Gülizar, a widow , who was in charge of the cleaning, and who also assisted Veysel. He and his companions arrived on Nowruz day, when all

415-399: A heavily embroidered chainse or vest; a şalvar , embroidered baggy pants; the sarık , a large, wrapped headpiece usually differing from a traditional turban and region-to-region; and the entari , a long flowy embroidered dress worn typically by women in the empire. Although the notable Fez was also used by non-Muslim communities within the empire without religious intend, it was one of

498-509: A legend to my country My wife didn't like me I became a husband, a friend My other half didn't like me Whatever I said, she said, "crazy" "The bush bears no fruit," she said "Don't embrace me," she said My love didn't like me - Âşık Veysel, date unknown By the end of the War, Veysel's parents were very old. Veysel was by now 25 years old. Continuing to worry about their younger son's future, Veysel's parents arranged

581-642: A lesser extent Serbian , Romanian , and Bosnak folk culture. All types of Turkish Thracian folk culture are prominently found in Tekirdağ , while the Marmara region itself is home to several spread-out folk subcultures and is not considered a singular distinct folk style itself. Influenced by traditional Turkic culture and folk, while also having great influence over most other diverse folk styles across Turkish folk dress. Influenced by Inner Anatolian and Greek folk styles. Influenced by other Anatolian. After

664-468: A letter of acceptance to Sivrialan. Veysel sent his brother Ali's wife, Yeter, and his aunt's son, İbrahim, to Karayaprak to fetch Gülizar, who married Veysel in that same year, sometime around March 1928. She took nothing with her to Sivrialan except for a sack of meat, signifying that Gülizar would bring only her person into the marriage; she was married without a dowry . Gülizar and Veysel had seven children together, though their son, Hüseyin, died when he

747-410: A marriage for him with Esma, the daughter of a relative living in the village. Veysel had two children by Esma; their firstborn, Ali Şatıroğlu, died aged just 10 days, when he reportedly suffocated while Esma was breastfeeding him. Their second child was a daughter, named Elif. According to most accounts, the marriage was unhappy, although the precise reason is unclear. Veysel remained markedly silent on

830-470: A nearby house to show it to Muhsine, the wife of his maternal uncle (Veysel's memory of this event was unreliable; in other recollections, he stated that had merely gone outside to play). It had recently rained in Sivrialan, and the road was saturated with mud and snow. On the way home, Veysel's foot slipped. He fell and bloodied his hand, and, after lying there for some time, got up and ran home in tears. It

913-763: A rich treasure of melodies. By collecting and arranging them on a basis of Western techniques, we shall have built a national and modern music." The Ministry of Education established the Bureau of Culture in 1920, which began to collect folk songs, around a hundred of which were published as Yurdumuzun Nagmeleri (Melodies of our Country) in 1926. Hungarian composer Béla Bartók was also invited to help collect folk songs in Turkey, 2000 of which were published between 1925 and 1935. A group of composers including Adnan Saygun and Ulvi Cemal who had been sent to study abroad on state scholarships, "took part in full-scale expeditions for

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996-822: A sacred mountain located approximately 10 km (6.21 miles) from Sivrialan. The mountain is thought to have healing properties; according to local folklore, Mount Beserek was the site where the 6th century Islamic martyr Owais al-Qarani ( Turkish : Veysel Karanî), found some camels he had previously lost in Syria . Al-Qarani was martyred in the Battle of Siffin , where he had fought for another prominent Islamic figure, Ali ibn Abi Talib . In light of this, Ahmet and Gülizar named their newborn son Veysel, believing this name would compliment that of their older son, Ali Şatıroğlu. In later interviews, Veysel described his earliest childhood as being happy. In his own words, he recollected, "until

1079-780: A set metrical or rhythmic structure, known as "Kırık Havalar" (broken melodies). Both can also be employed at the same time. Music generally played without words, and dance tunes, go by the names Halay , Bengi , Karsilamas , Zeybek , Horon , Bar , etc. Each region in Turkey has its own special folk dances and costumes. Here are some of the most popular: A wide variety of time signatures are used in Turkish folk music. In addition to simple ones such as 2/4, 4/4 and 3/4, others such as 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 7/4, and 5/4 are common. Combinations of several basic rhythms often results in longer, complex rhythms that fit into time signatures such as 8/8, 10/8, and 12/8. Plucked stringed instruments include

1162-543: A staunch nationalist and desperate to fight, was obliged to stay home with his parents and saz. Veysel was devastated. He instantly fell into a deep depression that he self-described as one of the darkest periods of his life. Veysel was left behind yet again when the Turkish War of Independence broke out on 19 May 1919 Of this time in his life, Veysel reflected: Of his state of mind during this time, he also noted: To escape his sorrow, Veysel spent most of his time in

1245-502: A thing?" Esma soon fell in love with Hüseyin. One day, when Veysel was sick in bed and Ali was out collecting milkweed , Esma ran away with Hüseyin, leaving Veysel and his six-month-old daughter behind. Veysel continued to care for his daughter, but the child died at the age of two. Esma and Hüseyin, ultimately growing disillusioned with their escape, eventually returned to Sivrialan, and continued to reside there alongside Veysel. Veysel, on learning that Esma had returned, only asked if Esma

1328-584: A trip to the village of Ortaköy, 21 km from Şarkışla . At the Mustafa Kemal lodge in Ortaköy, Ahmet discussed his worries with one Hakkı Baba, who gave Ahmet a broken three-stringed saz , which Ahmet later gave to Veysel. Asking what the instrument was, Veysel was told that the saz was a gift to keep him entertained. Veysel first took saz lessons from a neighbour, Molla Hüseyin, who also tuned and replaced any broken strings. However, whilst he enjoyed

1411-399: Is disputed. It is typically given as 25 October, but the precise day is unknown; the best estimates suggest he was born in the autumn of 1894. He spent his entire childhood in his home village of Sivrialan, where his father's family, known as the Şatıroğulları, resided in four small houses overlooking the surrounding mountains. According to Veysel's mother, Gülizar, she gave birth to Veysel on

1494-680: Is heavily influenced by Ottoman fashion and based on the developments that occurred during and after the Empire’s reign. The borders of the Ottoman Empire encompassed the numerous individual cultures, people, religions and traditions that existed throughout Central Asia , Eastern Europe , Southern Europe , the Middle East , Central Europe , and Anatolia. Ottoman culture , and particularly Ottoman fashion evolved as an amalgam of these separate cultures and religions that had interacted over

1577-478: Is heavily influenced by the Laz , Georgian , Circassian and other Caucasian cultures , including some historical elements of Russian culture which was present in the region during Tsarist and Soviet reign. Prominent in the geographically European ( Thrace ) and northwestern parts ( Marmara ) of the country, with large populations of Balkan migrants throughout history. Influenced by Bulgarian , Greek , and to

1660-432: Is that Veysel simply did not remember. He told both versions of the story in various interviews throughout his life, and sometimes even mixed up his eyes (for instance, he would point to his left instead of his right eye as the one blinded by smallpox). When asked by an interviewer whether he remembered the days before he had gone blind, Veysel replied, "I don't remember. No. I was too young." Veysel's blindness meant that he

1743-623: The Ottoman Empire era. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered a wide-scale classification and archiving of samples of Turkish folk music from around the country, which, from 1924 to 1953 collected more than 10,000 folk songs. Traditional folk music was combined with Western harmony and musical notation to create a more modern style of popular Turkish music. Western music had begun to influence Ottoman music from before

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1826-481: The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , in the "loyalty" category. In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Veysel was recommended to UNESCO for a year of commemoration, backed by Turkey, Azerbaijan , Hungary , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , North Macedonia , Ukraine , and Uzbekistan . His 125th birthday was commemorated in a Google Doodle on October 25, 2017. Veysel Şatıroğlu

1909-480: The saz , a family of long-necked lutes including the guitar-sized bağlama (the most common) and the smaller cura and kanun , a type of box zither . Several regional traditions use bowed stringed instruments such as the kabak kemane (gourd fiddle) and the Black Sea Kemançe . Woodwind instruments , include the double-reed, shawm-like zurna , ney ( duduk ), the single reed, clarinet-like sipsi ,

1992-420: The 20s and late 30s, though has inherited a significant portion of other features with small modifications to a lesser extent. Similar features of modern Turkish folk dress throughout Turkey include: the mintan, şalvar , entari, gömlek/bluz (blouse), çarık, kuşak (similar to a girdle, cloth waist-wrap, or cincture ), mendil (similar to a neckerchief ) and yelek (a vest). Folk clothing in Turkey embodies

2075-466: The Middle East, Russia , and Ukraine . Ottoman fashion had not disappeared following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire; as it remained as part of daily use and continued on to evolve within the several nations that emerged from the empire before and after the dissolution, including the newly established Republic of Turkey . Some notable features and dress of Ottoman fashion included the mintan ,

2158-517: The age of 20, Veysel's early years were spent playing the saz predominantly for his entertainment alone. Veysel was 20 years old when the First World War broke out on 28 July 1914. Three months later, on 31 October 1914 , the Ottoman Empire officially entered the war. In the ensuing mobilization, all men of eligible age (20-45) were conscripted to the front, including most of Veysel's peers and his older brother Ali; however Veysel, though

2241-400: The age of seven I ran and played and had fun like everybody else." Veysel had a fine voice from a young age, and from the age of 3 or 4 was frequently asked to sing. Of his father, Karaca Ahmet, Veysel recalled: —Âşık Veysel Smallpox was prolific in the region, and struck Sivas in the winter of 1901. Veysel, aged 7, had received a new robe (an entari ) from his mother, and went to

2324-406: The attention of his father and some of the other villagers. Veysel understood from the adults' conversation that he would remain permanently blind in his right eye. According to Veysel, he and his father went to Sivas anyway, still hopeful that something could be done—there, Veysel was sat on a couch, and his right eye examined. A brief silence followed. Veysel, understanding that he would be blind for

2407-458: The class of the wearer, culture and to a less extent religion . Similar features that are present in most of these folk dress styles throughout of Turkey include the colorful stripes, baggy floral clothing, multiple layers, poulaines ( çarık ) and overall vibrant colors differing on the region. Heavily implied elements in these folk styles include nature , romance , folk music and patriotism. Traditional folk clothing throughout Turkey today

2490-526: The collapse of the Ottoman reign and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the new Kemalist regime which assumed power in 1923, implemented strict policies of modernization , westernization and secularization in all aspects of Turkish society, including clothing styles. In 1925, the state announced a law by decree which specified that the clothing that was to be worn by civil servants and officers

2573-575: The collection of folk music that were organized and sponsored by the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory (Istanbul Belediye Konservatuvari) between 1926 and 1929, and by the Ankara State Conservatory (Ankara Devlet Konservatuvarl) between 1936 and 1952". Turkish 'folk music' was not a unified form of music until the state construction of the early Turkish Republic. Degirmenci has noted that "the history or

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2656-447: The crossing over and interaction of the various cultures in and around Anatolia, and the fashion of each region in Turkey tends to reflect the nature of its people, their interactions and their traditions. Eastern Anatolian fashion reflects elements of the neighboring Kurdish , Armenian , Persian , and to a lesser extent Azeri cultures , such as overall clothing with floral prints, stylish head and face coverings for women, alongside

2739-438: The earliest to fall out of fashion in these regions following the collapse with the sarık , including Turkey, after the official ban of the headwear in 1925. Though the sarık remained in-use by Muslim communities in former Ottoman lands and the rural areas of Turkey. Modern Turkish folk dress throughout Turkey today lacks most of the religious aspects of these dress due to governmental pressure and restrictions applied throughout

2822-614: The early Tanzimat period. According to Degirmenci "the first westernization movement in music happened in the Army; in 1826 Giuseppe Donizetti , brother of the famous opera composer Gaetano, was invited to head the military band of Nizam-i Cedid (the Army of the New Order), which was founded by Selim III." Sultan Abdulhamit II was said to prefer Western music, saying "To tell the truth, I am not especially fond of alaturka music. It makes you sleepy, and I prefer alafranga music, in particular

2905-462: The end of his marriage, and the deaths of his children, led Veysel to consider leaving Sivrialan for the first time. In 1928, he resolved to make for Adana with his friend Ibrahim. On the way, they stopped at the village of Karaçayır, 22 km from Sivas. Veysel played the saz for a man there. Apparently deeply affected by the thought of Veysel's departure, the man, Deli Süleyman, begged Veysel not to leave, to such an extent that Veysel finally gave up

2988-482: The end of the Turkish War of Independence in 1923, Ali returned home to Sivrialan, and Veysel was encouraged to pick up the saz again. Now of age and needing to support himself, this marked the first time that Veysel began to play the saz in a professional capacity; he started to earn a small living by playing in village cafes, and at weddings and holidays. Veysel stayed mostly within Sivrialan and nearby villages, as

3071-765: The fact that the cultural vacuum in Turkish society alluded to by Gokalp had been filled not with the proposed new national fusion music, but with the hated arabesk, a genre that embodied the ideals and aesthetic of a predominantly foreign Eastern element." Türkü , literally "of the Turk", is a name given to Turkish folk songs as opposed to şarkı . In contemporary usage, the meanings of the words türkü and şarkı have shifted: Türkü refers to folk songs originated from music traditions within Turkey whereas şarkı refers to all other songs, including foreign music. Classically, Türküs can be grouped into two categories according to their melodies: Music accompanied by words can be classified under

3154-663: The following headings: Türkü (folksongs), Koşma (free-form folk songs about love or nature), Semai (folk song in Semai poetic form), Mani (a traditional Turkish quatrain form), Dastan (epic), Deyiş (speech), Uzun Hava (long melody), Bozlak (a folk song form), Ağıt (a lament), Hoyrat , Maya (a variety of Turkish folksong), Boğaz Havası (throat tune), Teke Zortlatması , Ninni (lullaby), Tekerleme (a playful form in folk narrative), etc. These are divided into free-forms or improvisations with no obligatory metrical or rhythmic form, known as "Uzun Hava", and those that have

3237-410: The garden, sleeping under a pear tree. At night, he would climb into the treetops and sit there until morning. He began to carry his saz slung over his shoulder like a rifle, which his biographer and friend, Erdogan Alkan, speculated was homage to Veysel's ineligibility to fight; Veysel continued to carry his saz this way for the rest of his life. He also commemorated this period in his later poems. With

3320-419: The harvest, or perform other manual tasks. By her own admission, Gülizar was also hesitant to marry a blind man. Sivrialan was also very remote, about 136 km (83.9 miles) from Karayaprak on foot. However, Gülizar's grandfather Hamza came to Veysel's defense, arguing that the proposal must be divine will , and therefore, should not be opposed. Despite the continued protests of Gülizar's father, Hamza forwarded

3403-491: The importance of collecting folksongs to create a national music culture and indeed he engaged in the activity of collecting folksongs in Diyarbakir and carried out ethnographic research among Arabs, Kurdish, and Turkish tribes and hoped to establish a small museum of ethnography there." According to Gokalp, "our national music... is to be born of a synthesis of our folk music and Western music. Our folk music provides us with

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3486-751: The issue, though he suggested his poems that Esma thought he was crazy, and was cold to him. It is possible that he also blamed her for the death of their son. Veysel once fell asleep with his infant daughter beside him, and woke up horrified, thinking that he might have suffocated her if he had rolled over in his sleep. Conversely, Esma accused Veysel of being grumpy and baselessly suspicious, and even alleged that Veysel had beaten her. Their mutual acquaintance, Veysel Kaymak, believed that Veysel had been jealous of Esma for being beautiful. He would purportedly conduct bizarre tests to prove Esma's loyalty to him; in one instance, Veysel hid an apple under Esma's pillow, then demanded to know who had put it there; he would climb onto

3569-447: The local lodges were closed and the local gendarmerie were on high alert; Gülizar, who opened the door to them, at first thought that Veysel's saz was a rifle . This marked Veysel's first time meeting Gülizar; however, Gülizar later recounted in interviews that she had had a dream in which she was visited by a 14th-century folk poet, who told her that she would be the one to spread Veysel's ashes. In other accounts, Gülizar purportedly had

3652-474: The lovers stopped to rest at a fountain near Bafra , in Samsun . Esma had been bothered by what she thought was a pebble in her shoe since leaving Sivrialan. Removing her sock, Esma found money inside, Veysel having stashed it there so that she would not be in want. Whilst this story is often related and was believed by Veysel's children and grandchildren, it is probably apocryphal. The death of Veysel's parents,

3735-434: The middle and upper strings (these strings must be played without touching keyboard of saz) polyphony was used. Turkish folk dress Turkish folk dress is a traditional style of varying folk clothing worn primarily in the rural parts of Turkey throughout the seven geographical regions of the country . Within the folk style of clothing are many variations and references that may be based on region, gender, ethnicity ,

3818-442: The next few days; Ahmet was poor, and had been saving up for the trip. However, when the cow suddenly moved its head, it pierced Veysel's right eye with the tip of its horn. Veysel recollected the incident similarly in 1969 for the newspaper Milliyet ; in this retelling, the accident occurred in 1906, when Veysel was already 12 years old. Veysel stated that the cow's horn gouged out his eye, and that he ran outside screaming, attracting

3901-501: The notion. Having given up on Adana, Veysel began to make the journey back to Sivrialan. On the way, he passed through the Hafik District of Sivas. He bought a new saz for 9 lira in the village of Yalıncak, where he and his travelling companions were also swindled by gamblers . Yalıncak was notable for being the location of an important tomb, and Veysel, who had heard of the place from his father, wished to visit it. He stayed

3984-514: The operas and operettas." Music in the Ottoman period is often classified into the music of the palace (Classical Turkish Art Music , which became Turkish Art Music in the Republic), local traditional or rural music, and the music of religious orders, called tekke music. All the old Ottoman musical institutions and religious institutions were closed down at the start of the Republic period. Turkish nationalist intellectual Ziya Gokalp "stressed

4067-425: The past centuries of Ottoman reign. “Ottoman culture” was used to define and generalize all present cultures and traditions within the empire, not the present or ruling Turkic culture specifically, though Turkic culture within the empire had ultimately embodied itself with other present Ottoman cultures and inherited many of its aspects, creating the basis of Turkish culture and diverse identity today. These set

4150-400: The people in various spheres and stages of life, joyful or sad, from birth to death. Ashiks (Turkish Minstrels ), accompanying themselves on the saz, played the most important role in the development and spread of Turkish folk music. Musicians did not use accompaniment with saz, because Turkish Traditional Music was monophonic. Musicians played the same melody of a song but, when musicians hit

4233-466: The reconstruction of Turkish folk music reflects political aspects of the formation of the nation-state and Turkish nationalism." The foundation of the Turkish Republic also saw attempts to collect folkloric stories, and to create a more unified and pure Turkish language by removing many Persian and Arabic words to construct a vocabulary supposedly closer to that of ordinary people. In 1937,

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4316-423: The rest of his life, began to weep. The veracity of either version of events has not been proven. It is possible that the second story may not have been true, and may have been invented by Veysel to absolve his father of any possible blame for his blindness. However, this does not explain why Veysel related this story in 1936, but chose to default to the first version by as late as 1964. The most probable explanation

4399-464: The rising popularity of arabesque and Turkish light western , Turkish folk music lost some ground, but singers like Belkıs Akkale , İzzet Altınmeşe, Selda Bağcan , Güler Duman , and Arif Sağ made hit songs and became important representatives of the genre. By the late 1980s, proponents of a Kemalist-inspired Turkish folk music began to worry that the "Ataturk's "musical revolution" had not been entirely successful. Its failure could be demonstrated by

4482-428: The roof and throw stones down the chimney, then study Esma's reaction. They agreed only on one point--for, when asked what she thought of her husband, Esma stated, "he was crazy, crazy!" Veysel's mother died on 24 February 1921, followed 8 months later by his father. The death of Gulizar hit Veysel especially hard; he would later compose a poem in her memory. This did not help the mood at home. Veysel and Esma's neighbour

4565-426: The saz was still perceived to be a sinful and shameful instrument, especially in big cities. Reportedly, Veysel could not be seen with his instrument without having it confiscated and burned by the authorities. Memlekete destan oldum Karım beni beğenmedi Eşten oldum dosttan oldum Yarim beni beğenmedi Ne söylesem "deli" dedi "Meyva vermez çalı" dedi "Açma bana kolu" dedi Sarım beni beğenmedi I became

4648-409: The saz's sound, Veysel initially found it too difficult to learn, and tried to throw the instrument aside. Ahmet, in contrast, was adamant that his son learn; Veysel, who could not plow, sow, or harvest, but who had a fine voice, could use the saz as a way to earn a living. In a quote recounted decades later by Veysel himself, Ahmet had told his son: —Karaca Ahmet, Veysel's father Though Veysel

4731-597: The saz, and was the key figure responsible for launching Veysel's name onto the national stage. In 1931, Tecer, alongside his colleagues Muzaffer Sarısözen and Vehbi Cem Aşkun, founded the Association for the Protection of Folk Poets, with Sivas' mayor, Osman Hikmet Işık, appointed as association president. In the same year, 1931, Tecer's association organized the first Folk Poets Festival in Sivas, intended to showcase

4814-472: The sequence of events that followed. The most commonly cited version is the one recounted by Veysel in 1964, during an interview with TRT correspondent Rıdvan Çongur. In this recollection, Ahmet had planned to take Veysel to Akdağmadeni for surgery, but for one reason or another, was yet to make the trip. One day, Veysel was with his mother Gülizar, out milking their cows. Ahmet came up behind them and called his son by name. Veysel, who had not realized his father

4897-485: The single-reed twin-piped çifte , the end-blown flutes kaval and ney , and the droneless bagpipe, the tulum . An old shepherd's instrument, made from an eagle 's wing bone, was the çığırtma . Many of these are characteristic of specific regions. Percussion instruments include drums  – davul and nağara  – the tambourine-like tef , a mini drum darbuka and kaşık ( spoons ). Melodies of differing types and styles have been created by

4980-461: The stepping-stone for further developments of the Turkish culture that would continue on until the collapse and dissolution of Ottoman reign , and even after the establishment of the republic; Following several migration waves occurring into the country from Southern Europe ( Albania and Greece ), Eastern Europe (particularly Romania , Bulgaria and Yugoslavia ), the Caucasus, and presently from

5063-528: The village of Kaledibi. Karaca Ahmet, Veysel's father, was orphaned at a young age, and grew up in Sivrialan as a shepherd and farmer. The family surname was initially Ulu, although the descendants of Ahmet Karaca were known as the "Şatıroğulları", a nickname, since at least the time of Veysel's birth. The surname was legally changed in 1934 to Şatıroğlu, after the passage of the Turkish Surname Law in that same year. Veysel's exact date of birth

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5146-491: The villagers, who allegedly slapped him. Regardless of the true reason, Âşık Ali took pity on Veysel. Ali made a saz and gave it to Veysel, then spent the year by Veysel's side, teaching him the basics. Though he initially struggled with the saz, and though he felt that both Molla Hüseyin and Ali Ağa had to put considerable effort into teaching him, Veysel eventually came to enjoy it once he had learned how to tune his instrument on his own. Having learned to play saz proficiently by

5229-407: The way home from milking sheep, in a nearby pasture known as Ayipınarı. Unable to return home in time, she delivered Veysel by the roadside and cut the umbilical cord herself, using a rock, then wrapped up the infant and walked back to Sivrialan (known as Söbüalan at the time). As all but one of Gülizar and Ahmet's previous children had died of smallpox, their newborn son was taken to Mount Beserek,

5312-612: The wide belts for men with floral baggy trousers. Such Turkish fashion styles are mostly influenced by the Kurdish , Armenian , and Persian cultures , but rather distinct from the cultures themselves. The traditional fashion of the Black Sea region is bold and proud-spirited, seen in its deep colors, vibrant and vivid patterns usually referencing the nature of the Pontic Alps , and sportfulness, with an element of patriotism . It

5395-551: The winter of 1902 to 1904, when Veysel was 8 or 10 years old. At this time, Alevi religious gatherings and similar festivities were frequently held in Sivrialan, and Veysel often attended out of his love for music and conversation. At one such gathering, where Âşık Ali was present, the young Veysel was for unknown reasons expelled from the assembly with the invective, "get out, blind boy!" Such insults were common in Anatolian peasant villages, including Sivrialan; Veysel's nickname there

5478-520: The work of local folk poets. There was some difficulty in finding minstrels to attend the event; it was a novelty, and folk poets at the time were not accustomed to performing in front of large audiences. Tecer and his colleagues launched a search for minstrels across Sivas, including in Sivrialan, where a few representatives visited Veysel's house. Reportedly, Veysel was shy. The presence of state officials in his home made him worry that something would happen to him, and Veysel instructed Gülizar to say that he

5561-465: Was "Blind Veysel" (Turkish: Kör Veysel), and he was occasionally called "Blind Boy" (Turkish: Kör Oğlan) to his face, usually (though not always) as an insult, regardless of Veysel's personal feelings on the matter. In one account, though very poorly attested, the reason for Veysel's expulsion was that he had, in his intrigue and his blindness, gotten too close to the speaker at the gathering, and his unkempt and smallpox-ravaged appearance had offended one of

5644-409: Was a few months old. The marriage was happy, and lasted until Veysel's death. In a later conversation where her husband was present, Gülizar would note: —Gülizar Şatıroğlu, Veysel's wife Veysel's name first became known outside his local circle when he met Ahmet Kutsi Tecer in 1931. Tecer, himself a poet and a literature teacher in schools in Sivas and Ankara , recognized Veysel's skill with

5727-471: Was a friend and contemporary of his, Hıdır Dede, also from Sivrialan and about Veysel's age. From about the age of 8, Veysel's education was continued by his father's friend, Çamışıhlı Ali Ağa, also called Âşık Ali. Ali, who lived in abject poverty, earned his living as an itinerant saz teacher, and would frequently obtain lodgings by staying in students' homes across the Emlek region. He came to Sivrialan around

5810-520: Was a man named Hüseyin, the brother of a farmhand ( ırgat ) whom Veysel's brother Ali had hired after having a daughter of his own. Esma, feeling harassed by her own husband, would allegedly wait until Veysel had left the house, before going to spend time with Hüseyin. Veysel began to become suspicious that Esma was having an affair. He apparently warned Esma about Hüseyin several times, though Esma always reassured her husband that nothing had happened between them, and asked Veysel "how could he think of such

5893-411: Was a source of constant worry for his father, Ahmet, who feared that his own passing would leave no one to take care of Veysel. The Emlek region, by which the area around Sivrialan was known, was at the time a popular place for itinerant bards and ashiks to come and perform their compositions. Ahmet, who was interested in poetry, read Veysel poems in an effort to console him. In 1904 or 1905, Ahmet made

5976-485: Was born in Sivrialan, an Anatolian village in Sivas Province , in late 1894, the son of Gülizar Keçecigillerden and "Karaca" Ahmet Şatıroğlu, a farmer. He was his parents' fifth child. These included two elder sisters, both of whom died in infancy of smallpox ; and two brothers, one of whom died in infancy, and the other in a childhood accident. Only one brother, Ali, survived to adulthood. In 1896, Veysel's birth

6059-419: Was close by, turned around, and was accidentally pierced in the right eye by a cattle prod his father had been holding, thereby losing the remaining vision in that eye. The second version of events also originates from Veysel. In this second recollection, first recounted in 1936 for the magazine Yedi Gün , Veysel was in the barn, feeding grass to one of the family's cows. The trip to Sivas was to take place in

6142-417: Was discovered that he had developed a fever . Veysel was undressed and quickly put to bed. The next morning, he was unable to get up; it was soon discovered that Veysel too, had contracted smallpox. Veysel was bedridden for three months. As the disease progressed, he developed a smallpox pustule in his left eye, which eventually caused a leakage that left him completely blind on that side. Veysel's right eye

6225-483: Was followed by that of a younger sister, Elif. Veysel's ancestry is not well-known. His family were Alevis , whose ancestors migrated to Anatolia from Turkestan sometime during the 17-18th centuries. Initially settling in the Kars region of Anatolia, the family later moved to Divriği , eventually settling in Sivrialan when Veysel's grandfather Ali Şatıroğlu, or his great-grandfather İbrahim Şatıroğlu, migrated there from

6308-470: Was in need of anything, and would continue to make his relatives ask. Veysel later wrote a poem capturing his grief and anger towards Hüseyin, placing the blame on him for the death of Veysel's daughter. According to a widespread story told about this time in Veysel's life, Veysel was fully aware that Esma intended to run away, but never let on that he knew. The story goes that during Esma and Hüseyin's escape,

6391-437: Was initially reluctant, he understood his father's concerns, and he eventually began to learn the saz in earnest, also committing traditional folk songs and poems to memory, including the works of Yunus Emre , Pir Sultan Abdal , Karacaoğlan , Kemter Baba, Veli, Visali, Kul Abdal, Emrah, Tarsuslu Sıtkı, Şahan Ağa, and other great Alevi poets and ashiks of Anatolia. Veysel also listened to the works of other ashiks; his favourite

6474-595: Was not at home. However, he was ultimately persuaded, and allegedly participated in the festival against the advice of the other villagers in Sivrialan. Turkish folk music Turkish folk music ( Turkish : Türk Halk Müziği ) is the traditional music of Turkish people living in Turkey influenced by the cultures of Anatolia and former territories in Europe and Asia . Its unique structure includes regional differences under one umbrella. It includes popular music from

6557-480: Was not to be traditional wear, while the law also enforced a ban on the fez for servants and later citizens, the notable classic symbol of the Ottoman era. The majority of the policies were aimed at reducing religious influence, significance and resemblance within the majority Muslim society of the country, but was also greatly enforced on other religious minority groups as well, causing significant cultural damage. Rulings like these were abided and enforced heavier in

6640-536: Was spared, but quickly began to fail as well. He was left able only to perceive changes in light. By the time the pox eventually faded, Veysel was blind and scarred for the rest of his life, and needed to be led by the hand. His first guide was his sister Elif, who would frequently lead her brother around the village, describing to him what she saw. Of this period in his life, Veysel said: Genç yaşımda felek vurdu başıma Aldırdım elimden iki gözümü Yeni değmiş idim yedi yaşıma Kayıb ettim baharımı yazımı. When I

6723-500: Was to perform cataract surgery . Some years after Veysel had first contracted smallpox, itinerant ophthalmologists (locally referred to as "swallow servants", Turkish: kırlangıç uşakları ) arrived in Sivrialan and examined Veysel's right eye. They informed Veysel's father, Karaca Ahmet, that cataract surgery would be able to restore the vision in that eye, but as they did not carry the necessary equipment, advised Ahmet to take Veysel to Sivas for surgery. Conflicting accounts exist as to

6806-620: Was unable to work a farm, one of the only professions in Sivrialan at the time. Unable to attend school, he never learned to read or write. Veysel's bitterness at being denied an education was lifelong, and he resigned himself to learning what he could of the alphabet and the surahs , from whatever schoolwork Veysel's brother Ali would recite aloud. The newly blinded Veysel relied on the support of his brother Ali and sister Elif, who helped him to walk and provided him with constant support. However, Veysel struggled to come to terms with his blindness, and became increasingly withdrawn. Veysel's situation

6889-423: Was young, fate struck me I had both my eyes taken from my hand I had just reached the age of seven I lost my spring and my summer. Extract from "Genç Yaşımda Felek Vurdu Başıma" Date unknown At this stage, there remained hope that Veysel would be able to regain the use of his right eye. There were ophthalmologists in nearby Akdağmadeni , 71 km (44.1 miles) from Sivrialan, whose main function

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