Epic of Köroğlu

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The Epic of Köroğlu (Turkish: Köroğlu destanı) is a legend prominent in the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples. The legend first began to take shape sometime around the 11th century CE, at about the same time as another common Turkic legend, that of Dede Korkut.

As a legend common to several different cultures, the epic of Köroğlu exists in many variants in a number of different Turkic languages. A theme common to nearly all versions, however, is that of the hero—Köroğlu, or "son of the blind man"—defending his clan or tribe against threats from outside. In many of the versions, Köroğlu earns his name from the wrongful blinding of his father, an act for which the son takes his revenge and which initiates his series of adventures. He is portrayed as a bandit and a poet / musician.

A number of songs and melodies attributed to Köroğlu survives in the folk tradition. These songs and melodies differ from most other turkic folk music in two aspects: they follow a rhythm of 5/8 (ONE-two ONE-two-three) and they depict heroic acts and persons.

The most common version of the legend describes Köroğlu as the son of a the staple worker under the service of the Lord (Bey) of Bolu. One day, his father Yusuf comes across a young horse which, to his trained eye, is an animal that will turn into a fine beast if well-fed. But the Lord does not know enough about horses to appriciate the thin, famished animal that is presented to him. Being a man of foul and easily-provoked temper, he suspects that he is being mocked and orders the poor worker to be blinded. His son, therefore, gains his nickname and harbors an ever-increasing hatred towards the lord of Bolu in his heart as he grows up. The horse, which he names Kırat, grows up with him and indeed turns into an animal of legendary stature and strenght.

One day, Hızır shows himself to Yusuf in a dream and tells him that soon, the waters of the river Aras will flow briefly as a kind of thick foam and whoever drinks that foam will be cured of whatever physical problems that may be ailing him, including blindness and ageing. Yusuf goes to the shore of the river with his son, but his son drinks the foam before he does. As this miracle can give everlasting health and youth to only one man, Yusuf loses his chance to see again; and dies a few days later, ordering his son to avange him.

(In some versions of the story, neither Yusuf nor his son can drink from the foam. Yusuf is warned by Hızır just before the phenomenon occurs, but being an old and blind man, he cannot reach the river in time. Köroğlu is by the river when the foam starts flowing, but, as he is ignorant of the significance of the event, he does not drink from the river. But his horse Kırat does; and becomes immortal.)

After his fathers death, Köroğlu takes up arms agains the Lord of Bolu. As he has only a few followers, he does not engage the Lord directly and uses guerilla tactics instead. He raids and plunders his former masters property, and eludes his would-be captors by staying on the move and fleeing to distant lands whenever his enemy organises a large-scale campaign to capture him.

Before he succeeds, however, the knowledge of firearms are carried by merchants to Anatolia. Even the simple guns (gonnes) of the time are sufficent to change the ways of warriors forever: The balance of power is upset by the "holed iron", as Köroğlu calles to tool when he first sees one, and the Lords of Northern Anatolia engage in brutal warfare with each other. The fighting goes on and on, with no end in sight. Köroğlu realizes that even if he succeeds in bringing down the Lord of Bolu, he won't be able to bring back the old, chivalric world that he was born into. The warrior-poet disbands his followers and fades into obscurity, leaving only these lines behind: ^[1]

Düşman geldi tabur tabur dizildi,

Alnımıza kara yazı yazıldı.

Tüfek icad oldu mertlik bozuldu

Gayri eğri kılıç kında paslanmalıdır.

Batallion by batallion, the enemy has come,

The lines of a dark fate are on our palm.

Valor has been lost where guns were discovered

The curved blade in its holster shall rust.

A typical place where one might hear a Köroğlu melody performed is at traditional wrestling competitions. A team of zurna and davul players play continually as the wrestlers struggle with each other.