THE FOLK BELIEFS IN KAHRAMANMARAŞ AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
Kahramanmaraş, located between 37-38 north parallels and 36-37 east meridians in the Mediterranean Region, is a very old settlement surrounded by cities of Adana and Osmaniye in the west, Gaziantep in the south, Malatya and Adıyaman in the east, Sivas in the north and Kayseri in the northwest. The city, which is thought to have been founded by the Hittites, has been a place where many different cultures and civilizations such as Assyrians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Seljuks lived throughout history. In addition to this rich heritage brought from history, the fact that it is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, East and Southeast Anatolia today has made the region a rich place in terms of folklore and folk beliefs.
I would like to present folk beliefs about various stages of life that I have compiled through interviews in Kahramanmaraş, its districts and some of its villages.
I. The Beliefs Related to Marriage and Bride
When the bride enters through the door of her husband's house, the mother-in-law puts wheat, sugar and money in a glass container or something like a cube (pot) that she has prepared before. As the bride enters, the mother-in-law scatters them on the bride. Then she breaks the empty container by hitting the ground. It is believed that the broken container will prevent evil eye, that the barley and wheat will help them have lots of children, that the sugar will help the bride be honey-tongued, and that the money will increase food. In addition, it is believed that if the bride breaks a bottle on the wedding day when the husband comes to his house, the evil eye will not come to the house, if the pomegranate is cut and eaten, she will get on well with the people in the house she came to as a bride and there will be happiness in the house, and if the pomegranate is not broken, the bride is not a virgin.
It is also believed that when the bride enter the house, if a boy is given in her arms, the child she will give birth to will be boy, if a girl is given she will give birth to a girl, and if a boy rolls on the bed of new bride, the child to be born will be boy, if a girl rolls on, then the child will be a girl.
It is believed that if honey is applied to the tongue of the new bride, she will be honey-tongued.
It is believed that if the groom washes the bride's feet and pours the water around the house on the first day of the bride's arrival, the couple will become rich in the future. Another practice about water is that if the bride washes her own socks and sprinkles the water all over the house on the first day she comes to her husband's house, it is believed that the dominance of the house will be in the hands of the bride.
It is believed that on the wedding night, when the groom steps through the door, if the bride steps on the groom's foot inside the door, the bride's word will be valid at home, but if the mother-in-law and father-in-law get in sexual intercourse and take their bath before them, the word of the mother-in-law will always be valid at home and she will dominance over the bride.
It is believed that if 1, 3, 5 eggs are cooked and fed to the bride on the first day of her arrival, she will have many children.
Some people put money in the bride's shoes on the wedding day, and it is believed that the person who takes this money and keeps it will be rich in the future.
When the bride arrives at her new home, a rolling pin and a bread board is placed in the middle, it is believed that if the bride removes them, she is someone who loves work, and if she does not, she is someone who does not like work.
* Assist. Assoc. Dr. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Faculty of Theology, History of Religions Lecturer.
e-mail: hamzakaraoglan@hotmail.com
It is believed that the bride-to-be should not bring her old clothes and shoes from her father's house to her new home, otherwise it will lead to poverty.
l. The Beliefs Related to Fate in Marriage
It is believed that if a girl who is believed to be unfortunate wears the dresses that the bride-to-be takes off to wear the wedding dress almost immediately, her fortune will improve.
It is believed that the fortune of the young girls who jump over the broom will turn into a bad one.
It is believed that single girls who pass between the wood and the sheet in the place where phyllo bread is made, and jump over the bread sheet or bread, will be unfortunate.
It is believed that if the girls, thought to have no fortune, take a bath with April shower, their fortunce will come back.
It is believed that the fortune of the girls, on whose heads a lock is opened, will come back.
It is believed that the girls, who are thought to have lost their fortunes, write their names under the shoe of the bride and the bride walks shuffling her shoes, the fortune of the girls, whose names are written, will come come back.
The ribbon attached to the engagement ring of the engaged couples is cut into small pieces and distributed to the singles. If this is done, it is believed that their fortunes will come back in a short time.
2. The Beliefs About Pregnancy and Delivery
It is believed that women who do not become pregnant after a few months of marriage are infertile. In this situation, some practices are performed for women to get pregnant.
It is believed that if the water brought from the mill is boiled with trees such as juniper, thuja, etc. in the house, and a bath is made with this water, a childless woman will have a child.
It is believed that if a childless woman is dressed in a dress made of seven kinds of patches, she will have a child, but the child born in this case must be dressed by others for seven years.
It is believed that if someone who wants to become pregnant gives bread to a woman in labor, she will have a child.
It is believed that a childless woman will have a child if she sits on the placenta of the woman who has just given birth, or if she turns the placenta of an animal that has just given birth inside out.
3. The Behaviors Affecting Pregnancy and the Unborn Child
It is believed that after the pregnancy has become definite, the woman should pay attention to what she eats, drinks and looks at, because all the behaviors of the pregnant woman during this period will affect the baby in her womb.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman looks at the moon, the baby to be born will have hazel eyes; if she looks at the sky, the baby’s eyes will be blue, and if she looks at herself in the mirror, her child will look like herself.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman looks at ugly and crippled people and ugly animals, the baby will be ugly too.
It is believed that if the pregnant woman eats animal products such as yogurt, cheese, oil, etc., the baby will be beautiful.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman eats apples or quinces, the child to be born will be healthy and well, if she eats only quince, the child's cheeks will have dimples, and the child of a pregnant woman who tastes all kinds of fruits will be beautiful and smart.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman rides a donkey, the child to be born will be lazy and stupid, and if she rides a horse, the child will be valiant.
It is believed that if a woman steals during her pregnancy, her child will also become a thief.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman eats something like liver, spleen, black mulberry or cherry during pregnancy and unwittingly rubs her hand anywhere on her body, the baby will have a brown mole on the same part of the baby.
It is believed that the child of a pregnant woman who eats eggs a lot will be bald.
It is believed that the life of a child born to a woman who has a haircut during pregnancy will be short.
It is also believed that pregnant women will be in expectation during this period. We see that the disease is evaluated in two parts as chest and eye expectation among the people. It is believed that the eye expectation is usually seen in the nursing mothers, and the eyes of a person who cannot eat something she sees and expects will swell, redden, burr, get watery and eventually close. It is believed that in the chest expectation, the breast will swell, redden, and ache. People in this situation are asked what they want and who they saw eating something. If she says that she saw such a thing somewhere, she desired it too much, but they did not give to him, thereupon those present says, "Your chest or your eye desired”. The food that the expecting one saw is bought and at a time when she least expects it, it is put into her mouth and a fist is hit on her back saying, "Is that what you were expecting, take it!" And it is believed that the expecting one who eats it will heal up in a short time. It is believed that if what the patient said or hoped for could not be found, some water is squeezed from the dishcloth and given to the patient to drink unknowingly, the patient will be cured.
4. The Sex Determination
During the pregnancy of the woman, the gender of the child she will give birth to is wondered by her relatives. In order to satisfy this curiosity, the gender of the child to be born is tried to be determined by applying various practices.
In order to understand whether the child will be a girl or a boy, two cushions are laid on the floor, scissors are placed under one of these cushions and a knife is placed under the other. It is believed that if the pregnant woman sits on the cushion with scissors, the baby will be a girl; if she sits on the cushion with the knife, the child will be a boy.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman's belly is pointed forward, she will have a son, and if her belly is round and sideways, she will have a daughter.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman always eats sour things during the craving period, she will have a daughter, and if she eats sweet things, she will have a son.
It is believed that when the jaws of the heads of sheep and goat are separated, if they are meaty, the child of the pregnant woman will be a girl and if they are boned, the child will be a boy.
It is believed that if the child touches the mother's ribs while in the womb, the child will be a boy, and if the baby is close to the groin, the child will be a girl.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman lies on her right side, the child will be a boy, and if she lies on her left side, the child will be a girl.
It is believed that if the pain of a pregnant woman comes from her waist, her child will be a boy, and if it comes from the groin, it will be a girl.
It is believed that if the child in the womb moves quickly, it will be a girl, if it moves late, it will be a boy, if it is heavy, a boy will be born, and if it is light, a girl will be born.
It is believed that the child of a pregnant woman who sees scissors or a bracelet in her dream will be a girl.
It is believed that if the child moves on the right in the womb, it will be a boy, and if the child moves on the left, it will be a girl.
5. The Women Whose Children Die (Tibikali)
The women who gave birth to many children, but none of them survived and died, are locally called "women with tibika". It is believed that if a woman in this situation shakes her skirt over the puppies and says, "May my tibika be yours, may your prey be mine", her child will live, but the puppies of the dog will die.
It is believed that if the prey taken from the snake's mouth, such as a sparrow, is cooked and fed to the woman who is believed to have tibika, is placed under her pillow, or if the prey taken from the snake's mouth is hung to dry, the woman will get rid of the tibika and her children will no longer die.
It is believed that if the newborn child is bathed with the water with which the new bride took ghusl on the first night of her marriage, so that the child of the woman whose children die can survive, the child will live, but the bride who gives the water will not have a child.
It is believed that the woman who crushes the eggshell will have tibika.
It is believed that if the woman, who is believed to have tibika, is passed through the hollow of the plane tree, she will have a child.
It is believed that if the last child of the family, whose children die, is passed under the shirt three times by a close relative, the child will not die, and will survive.
It is believed that if the person, whose children never last, passes the child under the fibers of a tree root or through a hollow stone three times, the child will not die.
It is believed that if the woman with tibika makes another women breastfeed her child, the child will not die.
It is believed that if people, whose children do not live but die, have a daughter and they dress her like a boy, and if they have a son and they dress him like a girl, their children will not die.
It is believed that if the families, whose children do not survive, collect money from forty one house owner whose names are Mehmet, but a silver earing for the child with this money, do not cut the hair of the child for seven years and distributes money to the poor equal to the weight of the hair of the child at seven years old, the child will survive, or if they take fabric from seven house owners whose names are Mehmet, sew them and dress the child up with it, the child will not die.
II. The Beliefs About Postpartum
It is believed that after the birth, both the child and the woman should not be left alone for forty days, otherwise the puerperant will be exposed to “al basması” and the baby will be exposed to “kırk basması”.
1. Al Basması
In the region, the al or al karısı (al (scarlet) wife) is perceived as a creature that prevents breathing by sitting on the sleeping puerperant women, is believed to take away their lungs and kill them by strangling, and whose head is the size of an onion, and whose arms and legs are the size of matchsticks. It is believed that the Al wife dwells in thickets, near lakes or streams. It is believed that the puerperant women who go out their homes to take water and have to pass through such places will be attacked by al, thus the puerperant going to the river needs to take a piece of bread, after she fills her bucket with water, she needs to throw the bread into the water and come back home without looking back, and in this way she will not be attacked by al.
In order to prevent al basması, they put bread, mirror, knife etc. under the pillow of the puerperant in the region. The Qur’an is hung on her bedside and her bed is surrounded by a rope. On the walls of the room where she sleeps, a sieve, onion and garlic are hung and a light is turned on in the evening for forty days.
Another practice used against the al basması in the region is that the puerperant carries a piece of object which she takes from the people accepted as from the “al ocağı”. According to the belief, a person catches the al and wants to kill it, but the al begs the person not to kill it, and it gets rid of the person who catches it by promising not to disturb any descendants of that person, even those who carry a part of any member of that family and who are not from the family. Now, the person who caught al is called as “al ocağı”. The most well-known al ocağı in the region is the family of Aloğulları in the district of Elbistan.
2. Kırk Basması
Forty days after birth, usually any disease that infects the child is called “kırk basması”. During this time, it is believed that the child will get kırk basması, so it is necessary to protect the child from possible dangers. It is believed that if a baby in its first forty days or a puerperant comes to the house where there is a baby in its first forty days, if anything is brought from the mill (flour, bulgur etc.), if the baby is left alone in the room, if the mother lies on a higher ground than the baby, the baby will be exposed to kırk basması. In order to prevent these, it is believed that things such as the Qur'an, mirror, and broom should be placed by the child's bedside. During this period, it is believed that some practices should be applied in order to prevent kırk basması or for people who are believed to have kırk basması.
It is believed that when two women in their first forty days after birth meet, they should exchange needles, hug, kiss, give back to back or breastfeed their children mutually so that they are not exposed to kırk basması.
It is believed that in order to prevent kırk basması, the mother and child should not go out of the house until after the first forty days.
If the child cries all the time as if it is hungry, if it is suckles a lot, but does not get enough, does not sleep at all, continues to weaken day by day and does not gain any weight, if the child's attitude is very nervous and not calm, if its gaze and color are not normal and have changed into a different state, it is believed that the baby has kırk basması.
It is believed that if one of the domestic animals (cow, sheep, goat, chicken) also gives birth on the day the child is born, the child will have kırk basması.
It is believed that if another woman, who have given birth, comes to the house of a woman, who has just given birth, within the period of forty days after the delivery, the child in the house has kırk basması. In order to save the child from this situation, flour is collected from seven neighbors whose names are Mehmet. It is believed that if a ring is formed with the dough made of the flour and the child is passed through this ring, he will get rid of the disease of kırk basması.
It is believed that a child whose nails are cut before the end of the forty days period will become a thief.
A sickle is hung on the chimney so that the child within its first forty days does not get kırk basması.
In a house where there are children within their forty days period after the delivery, the mouth of the containers is not left open because it is believed that a bird will throw a blue bead into the container with its mouth open, that it will see and kill the child with its light, and that the child who slept alive in the evening and died with a bruise in the morning was suffocated by the bird.
It is believed that if the child, who is believed to be under kırk basması, is put on one pan of the scale and the maternal grandfather's shoes are put on the other pan and the tare is determined, the child will recover in a short time.
It is believed that the child, who is believed to be under kırk basması, will be healed if it is bathed with the water brought from the springs, which are known for their sanctity.
3. The Beliefs Related to Children
The umbilical cord of the child is subjected to various processes according to what the parents want the child to be in the future. For example, if they want the child to study, the umbilical cord is buried in the school, if they want it to be a farmer, in the field, if they want it to be dependent on the house, it is buried in any part of the house. It is believed that if the umbilical cord is removed randomly, the child will be mischievous, will not listen to the parents and will not be dependent on the home. However, in order for these wishes to be accepted, it is believed that the person who buried the umbilical cord should come home without looking back.
It is believed that if the umbilicus of the born child is cut five fingers above or a little higher, its voice will be beautiful.
It is believed that when the umbilical cord is sewn to the child's pillow, the child will sleep well and will not disturb its mother.
It is believed that if the empty crib is rocked, the child will get a headache.
It is believed that the wound called ericek (a hard, red or purple wound, usually on the face, neck and chest) in young children will heal by passing the child through the plum branches three times.
It is believed that if the child takes a broom and starts to sweep the house, guests will come.
It is believed that if a child who has passed the age of crawling or someone who has come out of childhood starts to crawl for no reason, a guest will come to the house.
It is believed that a small child who is jumped over will remain short.
It is believed that the tree on which the child's height is measured should not be notched, and if this is done, the child's height will stop growing.
It is believed by non-Gypsies that gypsies put a bell under their pillow for girls to dance well, and a clarinet for boys to blow well.
It is believed that if the mother eats or drinks while the baby is suckling, the child will become a hypocrite in the future.
It is believed that putting small children to sleep by swaddling with soil will make the child robust.
It is believed that breastfeeding a child before the three adhan sounds will bring bad luck.
In order to silence the child who is constantly crying, seven knots are made on the fabric of seven colors and it is believed that if it is hung around the child’s neck or if it is hit in the mouth with a slipper on Wednesday by someone who is known for his little speech, the child's crying will stop.
After the child is born, it is believed that if the eye and eyebrows are tinged with kohl, the eyebrows and eyes will be black.
It is believed that in order for the child who cannot speak to speak, if the key to the mosque door is made by a jeweler and if it is hung around the child's neck, the child will speak in a short time.
It is believed that a child who is fed rabbit droppings or turtle eggs will not wet the bed.
It is believed that if a child who cannot walk is swung towards the qiblah three times on Friday, it will walk. In another practice on this subject, a rope is tied to the foot of the child and a wrap is given to his hand to ensure that he stands. In the meantime, it is believed that if someone who runs away from the baby quickly cuts the rope, then continues to run away by taking the wrap in the child's hand, and also eats the wrap, the child will walk in a short time.
It is believed that a child with a chronic disease will be healed if it is passed through the hollow of the plane tree.
It is believed that if the child is kissed a lot when it is little, its drool will flow when it grows up.
It is believed that if a woman who continues to breastfeed her child becomes pregnant with a new child, the milk will have adverse effect on the suckling child. In order to eliminate this, it is believed that the child should be passed under the wheel of the water mill.
It is believed that the child with closed hands will have a low rizq, and the one with open hands will have abundant rizq.
It is believed that if a pearl is worn on a newborn child, the oil glands on its face will pass.
It is believed that a child who does not grow up will grow up if it is weighed with a plowshare on three Wednesdays.
It is believed that if a newborn child has a blue vein between the eyebrows, the next child will be a boy.
If the newborn girl looks like a boy, it is believed that the next born child will be a boy.
It is believed that if a child whose first tooth comes out from above is thrown from a high place by someone else and is held by someone else below, the child's teeth will come out in their normal course, and when the child's teeth do not come out on time, if the wheat are cooked for the first tooth ceremony and some of these vegetables are strung on a string and hung on the child's shoulder, it is believed that the child's teeth will come out.
It is believed that the child who has the habit of eating soil will stop eating soil if a small soil bag is hung on his shoulder.
It is believed that if the child has a fever, a mulberry tree is shaken so that mulberries fall on a cloth at night in order to relieve the fever, and if one end of the cloth is attached to the child, it is believed that the fever will go away.
It is believed that the life of a child whose hair is cut before reaching the age of one will be short.
It is believed that if a person who sees the child's first tooth buys a copper gift for the child, the child's teeth will be healthy.
In the months of Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan, which are known as the Arabian months, breastfeeding children should not be weaned; otherwise, it is believed that the child's rizq will be low.
It is believed that a child who is smeared with egg white under his feet will walk early.
4. The Beliefs Related to Humans
It is believed that when a person with sweaty palms puts his hands in the alcove of a house he visits for the first time, the sweating of his hands will go away.
It is believed that if a hollow stone is hung on the hair that grows late, the hair will grow quickly.
It is believed that eating the fruit (raw) before it is ripe will cause forgetfulness.
It is believed that the word of a person with a long finger next to the big toe will be valid and everything he says will be done.
It is believed that a person who sits on three or five cushions on top of each other will marry three or five times.
It is believed that a tall person has a short mind, and a short person is a mischief-maker.
It is believed that the one with a small ear has a great mind, and the one with a large ear is less wise.
It is believed that the job will take a long time if someone who is believed to be slow-working comes to work.
It is believed that the rizq of a flat-footed person will be low and will bring bad luck to the house that person is in.
It is believed that if the right hand itches, the money will come, and if the left hand itches, the money will go.
If someone speaks with the evil eye, they will spit on the ground and say, "Let the word heard instead of the evil eye!"
It is believed that anyone who puts takes the face between the hands and thinks like that will become a widow.
It is believed that the evil eye of anyone with mole in their eyes will be much effective.
It is believed that anyone with straight hair will be stubborn.
People with small eyes are believed to be dangerous.
It is believed that the evil eye of people with blue and green eyes will be more serious.
It is believed that if the evil eye prayer is read and a pin with a blue bead, hollow stone, pierced hazelnut, oleander branch and a bead called the dog bead is attached to the shoulder of the person who is believed to be afflicted by the evil eye, the evil eye will be prevented.
It is believed that people with thin eyebrows and sparse teeth are gossipers.
It is believed that girls with open eyebrows will go to distant places as brides.
It is believed that throwing cut nails into fire will bring bad luck.
It is believed that those with blond hair are arrogant, those with short stature and sparse teeth are talkative and seditious.
Twitching of the right eye is considered a sign of health, and twitching of the left eye is considered to be a sign of wealth.
Cracking fingers is considered as the rosary of the devil.
It is believed that food should not be eaten with the left hand, and if it is eaten, the halal bite will become haram.
It is believed that those who start eating without uttering the basmala will not feel full, because while they are eating from the top of the plate, the jinn will eat from the bottom of the plate.
It is believed that someone with an itchy upper palate will receive money from somewhere.
The itching of the right palm is interpreted as money coming.
The itching of the right foot is interpreted as the departure, and the itching of the left foot is interpreted as someone coming from the road.
The frequent gaze of the eye into space is interpreted as a guest coming to the house.
It is believed that the skin of young girls who drink coffee will turn brown.
It is believed that people whose two eyebrows are close to each other will have a consanguineous marriage.
5. The Beliefs Related to Animals
It is believed that a person who kills a black snake should also find and kill the mate of the snake, otherwise the snake will find and kill the person who killed its spouse. If the snake's mate cannot be found, it is believed that bread should be put in the mouth of the killed snake.
It is believed that if an owl crows on the roof of a house, someone in the house will die. Therefore, for people who are not liked in the region, they say, "May snakes lie at your feet, may owl crow at your bedside!"
It is believed that snakes, frogs and turtles are at the foundation of every house and that they are the keeper of the house, and that these animals will move to the new house when the owner builds a new house.
In order to protect animals from the evil eye, amulets containing chicken or bird droppings, needles, seven pieces of barley and seven pieces of wheat are hung on their necks or foreheads.
If a rabbit appears in front of a person during the journey, it is interpreted as bad luck for that person that day.
It is believed that if the scorpion that comes to the house is hanged by its feet after it is killed, no scorpion will come to that house again.
It is believed that the snake has feet, but people cannot see it, and anyone who sees them will go to heaven.
It is believed that the house where the pigeon nests will prosper and its crowing is good news.
It is believed that if the worms push the soil outward and try to stick their heads out, it will rain.
It is considered good if the rooster crows at the times of the prayer, and it is considered bad luck if it crows untimely, so it is believed that if the rooster crows untimely, it will be good to cut off its head.
It is believed that the hand of anyone who touches the bat will be dexterous.
It is believed that if the rooster crows towards the house, guests will come to the house.
It is believed that if the sparrows fight with each other, guests will come.
If the cats lie close to the stove, it is interpreted as a storm.
It is believed that the goats will give birth to twins if a saddlebag is placed on the goat and a girl is placed on it before the mating process.
It is believed that poisonous animals cannot come to the place where the eleagnus is attached.
It is believed that if the animals in pain are roamed around the cemetery, their pain will be relieved.
It is believed that sheep bleat because they see angels and goats bleat because they see jinn.
If the sheep snuggle into each other too much in the heat of noon, it is interpreted that the winter will be severe that year.
The fact that there are many wild red bees in the summer is interpreted as a severe winter that year.
Landing of a stable fly on a person is considered a sign that the person's deeds will be beneficial.
It is believed that the shoes must be turned inside out when the dog howl is heard; otherwise the bad luck of the dog will come to the house.
It is believed that if people bothered by bees bite their tongues, the bees will go back to where they came from.
It is believed that the spider will bring poverty to the house, and that the house cleaning should only be done on Thursdays, because it is a sin to kill the spiders that protect the Prophet in the cave on other days.
It is believed that anyone who plays with a frog will get warts on the hands.
It is interpreted that the insect, known as the black beetle, buzzes into the house and flies here and there, or wanders around someone, it brings good news.
Landing of a stable fly on a person is interpreted as the good news of a future fortune, so it is believed that the fly should be tied and hidden in cheesecloth or a handkerchief.
Against snake and scorpion bites, it is believed that if people say, "Bismillahi bülbül leyli ve billahi gulgul leyli uzun kız kiş kiş, var duvara yapış!” for the snake and "Akrep akrep, ayete akrep eti, şam eti, bizim etimiz, Süleyman eti, akrep kiş kiş var duvara yapış!” for the scorpion, the scorpion and snake will not bite.
It is believed that if a person dries a piece of skin taken from a killed wolf and carries it in his wallet, he will become an influential and mercenary person.
6. The Beliefs Related to Plants
It is believed that if the flower grown at home, known as the prophet sword, exceeds one meter in height, the person who grows the flower will become rich and buy a second house.
It is believed that the oleander plant will bring unrest to the house where it is grown.
The rotation of the sunflower according to the direction of the sun is interpreted as emulating the sun, and therefore it is believed that it should not be planted too often.
It is believed that sometimes a four-leaf clover will appear inside the clover plant, and if this clover is found and a wish is made, the wish will be granted.
On the 6th of May, which is considered as the day of Hıdırellez (Khidr-Ilyas), it is believed that Khidr comes near the rose trees, that when a house, car, bride-groom is built and placed as a representation at the bottom of any rose tree, or when those who want a baby make a baby swing on the rose branch and make a wish, their wishes will be granted within a year.
It is believed that a snake will not come to a house with a oleander tree in its garden.
It is believed that the rose plant was created from the sweat of the Prophet Mohamed.
7. The Beliefs Related to Celestial Bodies
It is believed that the moon is a boy and the sun is a girl, that the moon is jealous of the sun because it is in love with the sun and that the sun speaks to the moon and says, "You're so beautiful, if you rise in the daytime, you'll get hurt", and the sun adds, "I'm beautiful, but people can't look at me because I have needles (light), don't worry", so it is believed that this is the reason why people cannot look at the sun.
It is believed that the lunar eclipse happens because a big snake wraps the moon and swallows it, and that when the drums are played or the guns are fired, the snake will get scared and run away.
It is believed that every person has a star in the sky, and a person dies with every falling star.
It is believed that loaded guns should be unloaded during lunar and solar eclipses.
It is believed that wishes made during the fall of a star will be granted.
It is believed that peeing against the sun is a sin.
It is believed that the seed sown, any vineyard and garden planted in the new month will either not produce any fruit or will dry up, that the tree that is cut down and the vineyard that is pruned during this period will rot, and the teeth of the children born during this period will also decay prematurely.
It is believed that the wishes of a person who reads the Amentu (Testament) prayer and makes a wish at the time of full moon will be granted.
It is believed that when the broomsticks of women known as resolute and people who married twice are burned, a storm will arise.
It is believed that the wishes made will be granted when the light, which is believed to fly from the tomb to the tomb and suddenly seen in the sky, passes.
It is believed that those who see a comet will become rich.
8. The Beliefs Related to Days
It is believed that the work started on Tuesday will take a long time and end late.
Since Friday is considered a holy day, it is believed that washing clothes, sweeping the house and sewing will bring bad luck.
It is believed that on Friday, all the dead stand on their tombstones and wait for Al-Fatiha.
It is believed that the garden planted on Friday will not be fertile.
It is believed that visiting neighbors and relatives on Friday will bring good luck.
It is believed that the bad habits of those who cut their nails on Wednesday will go away, the property of those who cut their nails on Thursday will increase and the faith of those who cut thair nails on Friday will deepen.
It is believed that the water of hell will mix with the water of laundry washed on Monday.
It is believed that there will be no poverty in the house where the laundry is washed on forty consecutive Thursdays and its people will be rich in a short time.
It is believed that if the newly purchased dress is worn on Friday, there will be no question in the Hereafter or that the question will pass to the first person who wears it if someone other than the owner wears it.
It is believed that the children of those who have intercourse on Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings will be born disabled.
It is believed that it is unlucky to sew a dress on Sundays, and that the dress sewn on that day will curse the tailor, saying, "May the one who cuts and sews me not get rid of sorrow and pain, may the one who wears me not be happy and reach his/her desires".
Since Sunday is considered the day the world was created, it is believed that washing laundry on that day will bring bad luck.
1. The Beliefs Related to the Days of Eid
It is believed that if the person, whose child died, sews a dress on the day of Eid, the dress she sewed will become a thorn and will prick her dead child and cause pain.
It is believed that those who wear new clothes on Eid-al-Adha will have a long life.
It is believed that the fasting of those who wear new clothes during the Eid of Ramadan will be offended against themselves.
It is believed that sweeping the house on the morning of the Eid will bring bad luck.
It is believed that a marriage (wedding) made on Eid days or between two Eids will end quickly.
It is believed that the children of those who have intercourse on the night of the Eid will be born with six fingers or disabled.
VIII. The Beliefs Related to Good Luck and Bad Luck
It is believed that the fortune of the young girl who finds a hollow stone will come back good in a short time.
It is believed that if the sharp side of the knife is placed on top, guests will come.
It is believed that jumping over a sleeping child will shorten the life of the child.
It is believed that the fire given from the house after the evening will take out the richness of the house.
The spontaneous collapse of the beds in the alcove is interpreted as the arrival of guests from faraway places.
It is believed that the passenger, after whom water is poured, will come and go quickly and peacefully.
It is believed that the wishes of those who stand between two people with the same name and make a wish will be granted.
If a duck or a goose swims in the water by spreading its wings and flapping on the water, this is considered a sign of good news and enlightenment.
It is believed that the person who drinks the water pouring from the handle of the water pan, which is called satır or sitil in the region, will die at a young age.
The cracking of a glass or glassware is considered bad luck, so the cracked item is broken and it is believed that bad luck will pass.
It is believed that water boiled in vain will bring bad luck to the house.
It is believed that a person who laughs a lot at night will cry in the morning.
It is believed that cutting nails at night will bring bad luck.
It is believed that burning the bride's veil at the wedding will bring bad luck.
It is believed that the person sitting at the sill will be possessed by a jinn and angels will not come to the house at whose sill people sit.
It is believed that when a young girl combs her hair at night, the fortunes of forty young girls in the vicinity will disappear.
It is believed that giving soap from hand to hand and opening and closing the scissors frequently will cause fights at home.
It is believed that a single man who turns the quilt inside out on the bed will marry a widow.
It is believed that a breadboard placed upright will cause a fight.
It is believed that going to the bathhouse and funeral home in a new dress will bring bad luck.
It is believed that tying the arms together on the chest will bring bad luck and make the fortune disappear for a while.
It is believed that the life of a person whose slipper turns upside down on its own will be short.
It is believed that reading or pointing the writing on the tombstone will bring bad luck.
It is believed that whoever gives pepper to a neighbor after sunset will suffer a disaster.
It is believed that it is right for a person who buys a new dress to have someone else wear the dress first and then wear it herself, and the opposite will bring bad luck.
It is believed that anyone who cuts down the mulberry tree in the garden on the grounds that it has polluted the house will die in a short time.
It is believed that burning the walnut shell on fire will cause a fight between husband and wife.
It is believed that cleaning the house at night will bring bad luck.
It is believed that a person who chews gum at night will have a short lifespan and chew dead meat.
It is believed that anyone who has a button sewn on while wearing the outfit will be slandered.
It is believed that it is bad luck for a woman to pass between two men going side by side or a man to pass between two women.
The dog howling in the last hours of the night (03–04) is considered to be the harbinger of death.
The black crows flying over a house crowing is interpreted as bringing bad news.
Shedding tears from the eyes of the horse, one of the pets, is interpreted as the death of its owner.
It is believed that the person who looks in the mirror at night will go abroad in the near future.
It is believed that the thorn that pierces any part of the hand should not be removed in the evening.
If the fox screams with an abnormal voice near any village, it is interpreted as someone from that village will die.
If a stork is seen after sunset or before sunrise, it is considered a harbinger of death.
9. The Beliefs Related to Home, Place and Objects
It is believed that if the dress is folded, turned or worn inside out, the owner's business will not go well.
It is believed that anyone who sees a hollow stone on the ground should take the stone and put it on top of a bush, because it is believed that the hollow stone left on the ground will bring bad luck.
It is believed that the pain will go away when the first daughter of the house or a fiancée rubs the throat of a person with a sore throat with a rolling pin.
It is believed that a person sitting on a bread board or pillow will have a boil on the hip.
It is believed that the thread attached to the needle should be given to the other side without knotting it, and that the opposite behavior will prevent these two people from seeing each other in the Hereafter.
It is believed that people who burn onion and garlic peel and eggshell will become poor quickly.
It is believed that the rizq of a person who jumps over the broom will decrease.
It is believed that making the child who hasn’t found its tongue look in the mirror will cause him/her to find tongue late.
It is believed that the peels of onion and garlic will not be burned, thrown away or crushed, because the onion peel is the gold coins of the jinn, and the garlic peel is their silver coins.
It is believed that wood ash should not be crushed on and should not be peed on because Fatima made bread with it.
It is believed that sweeping the house on the same day after someone goes on the road will bring bad luck, and cleaning should be done the next day.
It is believed that if people pee in the cotes and barns, the animals in these areas will become bald.
Urinating into the bathroom is believed to cause forgetfulness.
X. The Beliefs Related to the Death and the Dead
A dog that howls or barks by turning its face towards a house at any time of the day is considered to be a harbinger of death, and in this case the dog is chased by stoning.
It is believed that when a seriously ill patient is fed turtle meat, if he will recover, he will recover quickly; if he will die, he will die quickly.
It is believed that a sick child left in the cemetery will live when she cries, and die when she does not cry.
It is believed that a person who goes to the cemetery should wear seven layers of clothing, and those who wear less clothing will see the dead naked.
The fact that the corpse of the deceased does not freeze for a long time is interpreted as that a few more relatives will die soon after.
It is believed that if bread is placed in the glove compartment of the car carrying the corpse, the said car will not crash.
It is believed that a person who goes to the funeral home should not stop by another house after leaving the funeral home, if he does this, a person from the house he visited will die.
10. The Beliefs Related to Snow, Rain and Hail
When it's not raining, the children of the neighborhood gather together and make a puppet called "Çomçalı Gelin” (The Bride with Spoon). The puppet in question is likened to the bride by wrapping pieces of fabric around the head of a wooden spoon and making hands and feet. Two people in charge of this job, holding the arms of the bride with spoon, walk around the houses one by one with a group of children after them, and ask people “What does the bride with spoon want? She wants a spoon of oil, if there is no oil, may it be bulgur, no worries.” Then, the owner of the house gives some of the ingredients such as flour, bulgur, oil and tomato paste to the children. The collected supplies are delivered to the elders and they make a meal in the middle of the road with these collected materials. This meal is served to everyone here, so it is believed that it will rain, there will be abundance and prayers will be accepted.
It is believed that there will be abundance in the year when it snows a lot, and this is expressed as "the year of snow, the year of abundance".
It is believed that if the rain that falls in April is kept in a container for a year, it will turn into zamzam.
It is believed that the hair washed by the April rain will not fall out.
It is believed that the strong wind will stop if the broom is burned.
When a heavy and coarse hail begin to fall somewhere, it is believed that a mother’s first daughter should take a in her hand and cut the hailstone in half, and when she says, "I am my mother's first, I am a fox in the mountains", the hail will be stopped. Another practice in this regard is throwing a metal object such as a trivet or a knife outside the house.
11. The Beliefs Related to Jinn, Fairy, and Satan
It is believed that the jinn will come with the sacks brought from the mill, so these loads should not be taken directly inside, but should first be placed outside the house and then taken inside the house.
It is believed that the places of the jinn are ashtrays (“zibillik” in local dialect) and that the children playing with them will be struck by the demons.
It is believed that one should not go to the bath alone at night because the baths are the places of the jinn.
It is believed that the child not growing up is struck by the jinn. For children in this situation, a symbolic soup called "aydaş" is cooked in the region. For this, the child is put into a big cauldron, people passing by ask what is cooked in the cauldron, the person who is the addressee of the question says, "We are cooking Aydaş meal". Thereupon, the person asking the question throws a piece of wood under the cauldron, and it is believed that the child will heal from his illness.
It is believed that a person who sleeps in an alcove and sits in front of it will be possessed by a jinn.
It is believed that people with a crooked mouth are possessed by the jinn, and that if they are written amulets or taken to mausoleums, they will get rid of their illness.
It is believed that hot water should not be poured into the sink because the children of the jinn will be there and those who harm them will be possessed by the jinn.
It is believed that a person who jumps over the ember at night will be possessed by a jinn.
It is believed that bone pieces are the food of the jinn, and should not be thrown here and there randomly.
It is believed that the jinn cook on the trivet that is left empty on the stove.
It is believed that the person who yawns a lot has the evil eye or the devil has possessed him/her.
It is believed that a person who sleeps by covering themselves with the prayer rug will catch diseases that cannot be cured.
It is believed that whistling is not good and that the jinn will gather around the person who whistles, because whistling is the name of the jinn.
XIV. The Beliefs Related to Magic
It is believed that if the bride is passed under the arm or hand of the mother-in-law, the mother-in-law will have the dominance at home.
When the bride comes to her husband's house, she consciously does not bring mirrors, scissors, rubber and combs in the dowry chest, and tries to let the groom buy them in the first few days. It is believed that the purpose of scissors is to make the bride's word sharp on the groom at home, the purpose of the mirror is to ensure that the bride is always in the groom's dream and the groom always looks beautiful like a mirror, and the purpose of rubber is to ensure that the groom is flexible towards the bride.
It is believed that if sugar is added to the first ablution water of the new bride, she will look like sugar to the groom.
It is believed that if the mother-in-law throws silver into the first ablution water of the new bride, the bride will look shiny like silver to the groom.
They believe that after the wedding procession going to pick up the bride takes the bride, in order for her to get along well with the people of the newly arrived household and not to return to her father's house, another route should be followed.
It is believed that if the bride reaching her husband's house puts oil on the door, she will stick to her new house.
It is believed that if a pregnant woman suffering from severe labor pains is given the water that her mother-in-law or husband washes their hands with, her pain will decrease.
It is believed that her mother should not come near a pregnant woman who is in labor pains, because if a pregnant woman sees her mother, her mother's weight will also pass to her and she will have a difficult delivery.
If a bag filled with stones is hung by a pregnant woman on a tree that does not bear fruit, the tree will bear fruit, or a woman with a child hit it with an ax and scare by saying, "I'm bearing, why don't you?", the tree will bear fruit.
It is believed that if a branch of the tree that does not bear fruit is cut and feared by saying that if it does not bear fruit, it will all be cut down the following year, the tree will bear fruit the following year.
It is believed that a person who has just opened his shop in the morning should keep the money he earned from the first sale, without spending it until the next day, otherwise, the number of customers will decrease.
It is believed that a child who cannot speak can speak when he is given crow's blood, and a child who wets himself will no longer wet the bed when he is fed camel meat.
It is believed that if the woman brought a cowife is taken to the roof and a jug of water is poured on her head, her love for her husband will end.
It is believed that if the person having the jaundice is wrapped with bran or wears a yellow outfit, the jaundice will be cured.
The spontaneous emergence of ivy in the garden is interpreted as the members of the house will leave and each will go to separate places and the house will fall apart.
It is believed that for a person who is wanted to return quickly from where he goes, the people at home stuck a needle in the handle of the broom and the person who went will feel uncomfortable as if he is sitting on a needle, and will leave that place and return to his own home in a short time.
It is believed that folding the clothes on the reverse as straight will cause things to go wrong, and folding the clothes of the deceased straight will give the same result.
It is believed that after the hair is combed, the strands of hair remaining on the comb should be burned or buried, and if the birds get tangled in the feet with these strands, the owner of the hair will get a headache.
12. The Evil Eye
It is believed that if garlic or onions are hung on a visible part of the house, the house and its inhabitants will be protected from the evil eye.
When it is suspected that the milked animal is affected by the evil eye, it is believed that the evil eye will be prevented if the soil is taken from the place where the person with the evil eye steps on, and this soil is added to the water the cow drinks or if it is sprinkled on the cow.
It is believed that the harmal plant prevents the evil eye, and if the evil eye of a stranger who comes to the house affects one of the people in the house, one of the harmal grains will fall to the ground. However, it is believed that if the evil eye prayer written below is read for the person who is believed to be affected by the evil eye, she will regain her former health.
Üzerliksin hevasın
Yüz bin derde devasın
Üzerlik olduğunu bilem ki
Pis nefesi bozasın
Av göz mav göz
Gor gözü komşu gözü
Yâr gözü yaramaz gözü
Elem tere fış kem gözlere şiş
Altmış yetmiş gözleri bezleri çıkmış gitmiş
It is believed that if a child is tinged with black coal behind her ear, she will be protected from the evil eye.
It is believed that a person who believes that she is affected by the evil eye will get rid of the evil eye if she jumps to the right three times and to the left three times in the toilet.
It is believed that the evil eye of people with greyish blue, green and blue eyes will be effective more quickly.
It is believed that if a tortoise shell, a bovine skull, an oleander branch or a goat horn is hung on one side of a house, vineyard or garden, the evil eye will not affect.
It is believed that after the person who may have had the evil eye has left the house, salt or harmal seed is thrown into the hearth, and everyone smells the smoke, then everyone will be protected from the evil eye.
XVI. The Beliefs Related to Dream
The falling, cutting of the tree, and especially the removal of the molars, is considered a sign of death.
Seeing fresh grapes is considered a sign of rain or tears.
Seeing watermelon and melon is considered as a disease, seeing onions as a harbinger of death.
The dog bite is interpreted as a fight with someone in the next days.
Seeing a black snake is considered a good sign, and seeing a gray snake is considered a sign of death.
Loading a donkey is interpreted as a sign of wealth, while unloading a donkey is believed to be poverty.
The camel is considered as a saint, and being chased by a camel is considered as a sign of sickness or death, while pulling its head is interpreted as good.
Lighting a fire is considered as enlightenment, light and happiness, while seeing smoke is considered as a sign of death.
Seeing a black ball in a dream is considered as a harbinger of death, while seeing wool in a dream is considered as a sign of longevity.
Seeing a boiler in which water is heated is considered as a sign of death.
Seeing clear water in a dream is interpreted for good, while seeing or passing through muddy or turbid water is considered as a harbinger of illness and death.
To see a wedding crowd in a dream, to take a bride and to see someone in a white wedding dress is considered as a harbinger of death.
XVII. The Conclusion
In conclusion, we have seen that folk beliefs live intensely in Kahramanmaraş and its surroundings, as in many regions of Anatolia. We find it useful to evaluate some of these beliefs, which have been verbally transmitted from generation to generation, and which we can see as certain to continue in the future. We can state that the roots of beliefs such as the great tree, mausoleum, holy water, rocks, etc. that we see in the region are directly related to the pre-Islamic traditional Turkish religion and culture of the Turks because, after the Turks became Muslims, they went on the path of maintaining their beliefs, sometimes side by side with the religion of Islam and sometimes under an Islamic cover.
As in many regions of Türkiye, in Kahramanmaraş and its environs, the practices such as an animal skull, an oleander branch, an amulet containing seven kinds of substances, or a blue bead, dog bead, hollow stone strung on a string and hung on the shoulders or necks of children, etc. are kept alive intensively to protect vineyards, gardens, houses and animals, especially children, from the evil eye, It is known that this belief exists in ancient Anatolian religions as well as primitive tribal religions.
As in many regions of our country, another rich tradition kept alive in the region is the customs and beliefs related to marriage and birth, which are two of the important transitional periods of life. As a matter of fact, we see that various practices, which are believed to be absolutely necessary or to be avoided, regarding pre-marriage, marriage day and post-marriage, pre-delivery, moment of delivery and post-delivery, still maintain their existence with all their vitality. Among these practices in the region, while, for example, wrapping the pregnant woman with the belt known as the Fadime ana belt to facilitate delivery, believing that the child who cannot walk will walk when he is swayed against the qibla three times are considered related to Islam, it is seen that the understanding of getting pregnant by taking a bath with water boiled with various tree branches or drinking water from various springs show similarities with the pre-Islamic Turkish religion.
Again, it is seen that sorcerous and magical processes such as passing the bride under her mother-in-law’s arm or hand, pouring water on the head of the woman who was brought to the co-wife, and dressing the patient with jaundice in a yellow dress continue widely in the region. We can say that such beliefs are common in Mesopotamian religions, such as ancient Babylon, which is also a neighbor to the region.
It can be thought that the belief that washing clothes and sewing clothes on Sunday is unlucky in the region is related to Christianity, and the belief that the water-filled containers in the room where the child sleeps should not be left open because a bird coming from the chimney will suffocate the child may also be related to Judaism.