Özet:

Turks associate the tree motif with the symbols of sovereignty, fertility, authority, and power. The roots and trunk of the tree motif are accepted as the place of ancestral spirits and symbolize the family elders, whereas the limbs and leaves symbolize the youth, thus being analogous to family and ancestry. While shamans consider the tree to be a ladder for reaching the sky, trees are also seen to play a crucial role in the legend of Oghuz Khagan and of the Uyghur’s Türeyiş Destanı [Turkic Creation Myth]. Such issues as the Tree of Life, beliefs concerning the tree, and what kinds of the tree were considered sacred indicate that a tree-centered cult had been quite established and had deep meanings among Turks. This study will address the Karagöz-Hacivat [Punch and Judy-type] shadow play titled Kanlı Kavak [The Bloody Poplar] in terms of Turks’ tree cultic beliefs. The study addresses within its scope the place and importance the play The Bloody Poplar has in Karagöz-Hacivat plays and will attempt to analyze the tree motif that is confronted as a principal element in Kanlı Kavak based on the tree cult in Turkish culture and mythology. Afterwards, the study will attempt to scrutinize the folk beliefs and mythological background that are the source of the play by highlighting the play’s tree-related elements such as the poplar, djinn, the snake, the fountain, and the axe.

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