Abstract:

In order to follow the processes and practices of traditional people's life in chronological course, it is often necessary to refer to verbal history stories. Many of the public life components that are not recorded due to their informal nature, such as public law practices, can be identified in the form of anonymous narratives as it can be identified from primary oral sources. In the processes of follow-up of the people's life, as can be met with general and regional representations in a much more limited area, the local representations can also be met with the possible follow-up. In fact, the property-based marriages that formed the center of this study have been practiced in some settlements connected to today's Of and Hayrat districts of Trabzon until the late 1920s. Through a tradition that was invented on the property of the deceased women in the periods of traditional life and widespread family model, in some cases, the implementation of this action in the symbolic practices, in addition to the possessive family members who are already married, is noted as a matter of need to be investigated. Examples of application have occurred in testimony of primary sources that are not alive today, transmitted to new generations through narratives and continued their journey in narratives with anonymous character over time. In fact, the stories that make up the universe of the article have been identified by the use of research methods and techniques from advanced sources people who live in some settlements related to Of and Hayrat and keep in memory the stories they hear from the family elderly. The study discussed that marriages based on possession and actions aimed at possession of non-owned property, legalized through traditions and beliefs arguments, became a place-specific public law, cultural/traditional invention and social history dimensions.

Abstract:

To head mostly towards oral history narratives becomes state of necessity in the way for process and practices of traditional folk life to be followed under chronologic course. A lot of components of folk life, such as practices of folk (public) law, which have not registered due to their informal quality, are able to be determined from primary oral sources as well as detecting in the form of the anonymized narratives. During processes of following of folk life, not only general and regional representations can be encountered but also local ones of which following-up is possible in far more limited area. As a matter of fact, taking over-property (ownership) based marriages which constitute heart of this study had been practised till the late 1920s at some settlements connected to today’s Of and Hayrat districts of Trabzon city. During periods when traditional life and the extended family model are prevalent, in addition to the fact that women who spouse had died are forced to the marriage by members, who have already been married, of powerful families for the purpose of taking over property, taking over the abandoned (become ownerless/unclaimed) property by powerful families through symbolic actions constitutes fundamental problem of this study in invention aspect. Oral history narratives which contain examples of both cases were handed down new generations over experiences and narratives of primary sources who have not lived today, and they gained anonymous character in time. Narratives constituting population of article were determined from old-aged source persons at some settlements connected to Of and Hayrat districts by way of using methods and techniques of field study. In this study, the fact that taking over-property based marriages and actions-for laying claims (ownage) to the ownerless property have become an indigenous folk practice by legitimizing over tradition and belief arguments was discussed through dimensions of culture/tradition invention and social history.

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