Kaygusuz Abdal: Founder of Two Edges of Mediterranean – Entourage, Intention and Entity

Authors : M. Emir Ilhan

Pages : 97-106

Doi:10.58242/millifolklor.1099046

View : 46 | Download : 35

Publication Date : 2023-06-30

Article Type : Research Article

Abstract :The historical information about the biography of Kaygusuz Abdal; is inversely proportional to his recognition in the tradition and history of literature. As much as Kaygusuz\'s poetry and ideas are concerned, precise information about his biography is less explored. Although Kaygusuz is the most frequently cited name in almost every Bektashi poetry collection, and all recent histories of Turkish literature mention him as an important person in the literary history of the Turks however the biographical information that should be available about him is insufficient. There is almost a consensus that he lived in the second half of the 14th century and the first half of the 15th century. There is no consensus on where and when he died and where he was buried. The issue that Kaygusuz is the founder of Alawi and Bektashi literature is also discussed in two stages, historically and literary. Some state that Kaygusuz\'s founding feature carries both a literary and a historical notion, as his views are based on the interpretation of many issues in Bektashism. Here, Kaygusuz Abdal\'s life is discussed as a part of constituent phenomena. The one who gave birth to the reality of Kaygusuz spread it and kept it alive; the connection of the entourage, purpose, and essence has been construed. In most of the traces of Turkish literature and as a part of Turkish historiography, Kaygusuz has been referred to as the founder of Alawi and Bektashi literature. He is especially mentioned as the founder of Bektashism in Egypt. How it is mentioned is also important. There will be a discussion on the tension line here. An approach has been developed on Kaygusuz\'s history and his entourage, as well as the part of his legendary life that is thought to belong to him. To define a personality like Kaygusuz, to reveal the phenomenon of Kaygusuz, it is essential to turn to the common perception and to focus on the issues that make up the common way of understanding a historical and legendary poet, Sufi. Then Kaygusuz\'s intention; as a notion that grounds or defines intentions, the place of travel in the history of culture will be tried to be understood through the position of Egypt in the Turkic World and the Islamic world. In the last part, Kaygusuz\'s personality and qualities that determine his place in Alawi and Bektashi literature and the history of Turkish literature, in general, will be defined through the Mediterranean, the beginnings problem, and the paradigms of founding.
Keywords : Kuruculuk, Başlangıçlar, Anadolu, Mısır, Akdeniz