Abstract:

After the completion of Türkish sagas, Hamza-name appears among them in written form, composed of 72 volumes. It is believed that Hamza-name was first developed in the 15th century by Hamzavi. In each volume, several events are told where the stories about Sahip-kıran Hamza are mostly related to religion. The content of the book focuses on different geographies with a wide cadre of characters. Hamzaname is developed using the Old Anatolian Turkish lexis, and it has been read out in different parts of Istanbul by people of distinct professions. The text of the saga mostly comprises Turkish words, with its style being simple and fast-moving. The fluent voice of the text heavily stems from the dreams that are called “vâkı‘a” in the saga. These dreams aim to direct, forecast, warn, threaten, or herald the characters of the stories, thereby providing an enjoyable reading. In this article, the motives of such dreams are investigated, focusing on the first volume of the saga.

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