H. B. Paksoy, D. Phil.



     "Introduction to DEDE KORKUT" (As Co-Editor) SOVIET

ANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHEOLOGY  Vol. 29, No. 1. Summer 1990. 



and



     "M. Dadashzade on the Ethnographic Information Concerning

Azerbaijan Contained in the DEDE KORKUT dastan."  SOVIET

ANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHEOLOGY  Vol. 29, No. 1. Summer 1990. 



   [Reprinted in

      H. B. Paksoy, Ed. CENTRAL ASIA READER: The Rediscovery     

of History (New York/London: M. E. Sharpe, 1994) 201 Pp.     +

Index.  ISBN 1-56324-201-X (Hardcover); ISBN 1-56324-

      202-8 (pbk.)  LC CIP DK857.C45 1993  958-dc20] 

 

 

 Memmed Dadashzade

 

 Ethnographic Information Concerning Azerbaijan 

 Contained in the Dede Korkut Dastan

 



 Editor's Introduction

 

 Dede Korkut, one of the historical treasures of a large

portion of Central Asia, is a dastan, ``the principal

repository of ethnic identity, history, customs and the value

systems of its owners and composers.... It commemorates ...

struggles for freedom.''1 Dede Korkut has been rendered into

a number of languages over the last two centuries, since it

caught the attention of H.F. Von Diez, who published a partial

German translation in 1815, based on a manuscript found in the

Royal Library of Dresden. The only other manuscript of Dede

Korkut was discovered in 1950 by Ettore Rossi in the Vatican

library. Until Dede Korkut was transcribed on paper, the

events depicted therein survived in the oral tradition, at

least from the ninth and tenth centuries.2 The ``Bamsi Beyrek''

chapter of Dede Korkut preserves almost verbatim the immensely

popular Central Asian dastan Alpamysh, dating from even an

earlier time.3

 Editio princeps of Dede Korkut was made by Kilisli Rifat

[Bilge] in 1916 in Istanbul, which was followed by that of

Orhan Saik Gokyay (Istanbul, 1938). The first full-text,

``Baku Edition'' of Dede Korkut was made by H. Arasli in 1939

(reprinted in 1962 with an annotated introduction and again in

1977). V.V. Bartold's Kniga moego dede Korkuta, on which he

probably began work in the 1890s, was posthumously issued in

1950.4 M. Fahrettin Kirzioglu's Dede Korkut Oguznameleri

appeared in Istanbul in 1952; Ettore Rossi's Kitab-i Dede

Qorqut was published in Italian in the same year, followed by

Joachim Hein's 1958 German edition. After Muharrem Ergin's

Dede Korkut Kitabi,5 there came two English versions, the first

of which was a collaborative effort among three well-known

scholars,6 and the second, a highly readable Book of Dede

Korkut by Geoffrey L. Lewis.7 In 1978 a Persian edition became

available in Tabriz.8 A Serbo-Croatian rendition, Knijka Dede

Korkuta was published in 1983 by Slavoljub Djindjich, who also

reported the ongoing work on a Czech translation.9 A Lithuanian

edition was evidently issued in Vilnius in 1978 under the

title Dede Korkudo sakmes.10

 Dede Korkut is shared by a large assortment of Turkic groups,

including, but not limited to, the Oghuz/Turkmen11

confederations, whose origins are easily traceable to pre-

Islamic times, and their numerous current-day descendants,

also encompassing the Azerbaijan population. Oghuz literati of

the middle ages also composed numerous genealogies, many of

which were edited by a seventeenth-century ruler of the

Turkmen who collected them into two separate volumes. Since

the early eighteenth century, these have been translated into

French, English, and Russian.12 These genealogies are quite

apart from the dastan genre, and constitute yet another series

of reference markers on the identity map. Moreover, there is

another dastan connected with the Oghuz, named for the

eponymous Oghuz Khan.13

 Memmed Dadashzade is an ethnographer-folklorist at the

Institute of History, Academy of Sciences, Baku, whose work on

the significance of dastans is pathbreaking. His

``Ethnographic Information Concerning Azerbaijan Contained in

the Dede Korkut Dastan,'' originally written in Azerbaijan

Turk, is a fine sample of the ongoing efforts by Azerbaijan

authors to reclaim their historical and cultural heritage. The

latest round of those efforts commenced almost ten years

before the ``openness'' and ``restructuring'' campaigns of

Gorbachev.14 Many a topic is broached here for the first time

since the previous generation of Turk scholars and literati

(who raised the same issues) were lost to the Stalinist

``liquidations''15 or to the ``ideological assault'' waged on

all dastans in 1950-52.16 After the publication of Dadashzade's

article in 1977, a series of similar works appeared in various

periodicals and volumes that were clearly intended for the

Azerbaijan audience.17 The tentativeness, careful wording, and

particular formulation of some arguments found in the

Dadashzade paper are directly attributable to the constraints

that were prevailing at the time18 and made this study a work

of courage.

 Despite the interest of the Azerbaijan intellectual

community, Dede Korkut was not widely available to the

population of Azerbaijan. As Professor Zemfira Verdiyava

observed in 1988: ``Beowulf is always waiting for its

purchasers in the shops of England. And in which shops have we

seen our own Dede Korkut?''19 That year, a full version of

Kitabi Dede Korkut was reissued in Azerbaijan Turk,20 with an

up-to-date bibliography and the following prehistory: ``Sent

for publication on July 11, 1985. Permission for printing

received February 2, 1988.''

 

 Notes

 

 1. See H. B. Paksoy, Alpamysh: Central Asian Identity under

Russian Rule (Hartford, CT: Association for the Advancement of

Central Asian Research, Monograph Series, 1989), p. 1. 



 2. These manuscripts were evidently copied during the

sixteenth century from separate originals, for they exhibit

variations. See the introduction by Geoffrey L. Lewis to his

translation of The Book of Dede Korkut (London, 1974, 1982). 



 3. See H.B. Paksoy, ``Alpamysh zhene Bamsi Beyrek: Eki At,

Bir Dastan'' [Alpamysh and Bamsi Beyrek: Two Names, One

Dastan], Kazak Edebiyati (Alma-Ata), no. 41, 10 October 1986

(rendered into Kazak by Fadli Aliev from Turk Dili, no. 403,

1985). The discussion pertaining to the dating of dastan

Alpamysh boiled over during the ``Trial of Alpamysh'' of 1952-

56, when all dastans of Central Asia were officially condemned

by the Soviet state apparatus. According to Borovkov, Hadi

Zarif and Zhirmunskii, as well as earlier writings by Bartold,

the dastan Alpamysh ``existed probably in the foothills of the

Altai as early as the sixth-eighth centuries at the time of

the Turk Kaghanate.'' For details, see H. B. Paksoy, Alpamysh,

p. 53. 



 4. Published by the USSR Academy of Sciences (1950, 1962).

Descendant of a German family settled in the Russian empire,

the celebrated historian Bartold (1869-1930) reportedly worked

on this translation from the 1890s, completing the work in the

late 1920s. Since Bartold had run afoul of the Bolshevik

notions of history and was banished, publication had to await

his ``rehabilitation'' by the Soviet authorities. 



 5. Published in two volumes (Ankara, 1958, 1963). 



 6. Dede Korkut, tr. Faruk Sumer, Ahmet Edip Uysal and Warren

S. Walker (Austin, 1972).



 7. See the introduction by Geoffrey L. Lewis to his

translation of The Book of Dede Korkut. 



 8. See E. Seferli and H. Yusifov, Gadim ve Orta Asirlar

Azerbaijan Edebiyati [Ancient and Middle Ages Azerbaijan

Literature] (Baku, 1982). Introduction. This is a ``textbook

for university students.'' 



 9. Djindjich's translation was published in Belgrade in 1981.

On the Czech translation see Hamdi Hasan, ``Kitaplar,'' Turk

Dili, Mayis, 1983. 



 10. Cited in the bibliography in Kitabi Dede Korkut (Baku,

1988).



 11. On the Oghuz, see Faruk Sumer, Oguzlar (Turkmenler),

Expanded Third Edition, 688 pp. (Istanbul, 1980); O. Pritsak,

``The Decline of the Empire of the Oghuz Yabgu,'' The Annals

of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the US, II

(1952); Z.V. Togan, Turkili Turkistan, 2d ed. (Istanbul,

1981); V.V. Barthold, Four Studies on the History of Central

Asia: A History of the Turkman People, Vol. III (Leiden,

1962); Kashgarli Mahmut's DLT contains contemporary

information on the Oghuz, also making the identification that

the Oghuz and the Turkmen are one and the same group.

Moreover, C.E. Bosworth, in his The Ghaznavids, 2d ed.

(Beirut, 1973), provides details of the Oghuz/Turkmen activity

in the tenth-eleventh centuries. Additional information on the

Oghuz are found in the works cited by Sumer and Bosworth. 



 12. Abul-Ghazi Bahadur Khan (1603-1663), ruler of Khiva, was

asked by his Turkmen subjects to compile the authoritative

genealogy of their common lineage from many extant variants at

the time. He prepared two, under the titles Secere-i Terakime

(probably completed in 1659) and Secere-i Turk. According to

Y. Bregel, in his introduction to the facsimile of Munis and

Agahi's Firdaws al-Ikbal: History of Khorezm (Leiden, 1988),

the latter was completed c. 1665 by another person. Secere-i

Turk is rather difficult to locate, making a determination of

the sources for the translated works tenuous. This is

especially true with respect to the early French and English

translations: [Bentinck], Histoire Genealogique des Tatars, 2

vols. (Leiden, 1726); and Abu Al Ghazi Bahadur, A History of

the Turks, Moguls, and Tatars, Vulgarly called Tartars,

Together with a Description of the Countries They Inhabit, 2

vols. (London, 1730); [Miles], Genealogical Tree of the Turks

and Tatars  (London, 1838). The Imperial Russian Academy at

St. Petersburg published a facsimile of Terakime in 1871,

edited by Desmaisons, who later prepared a French translation.

A modern-day translation is long overdue. See H. F. Hofman

Turkish Literature: A Bio-Bibliographical Survey (Utrecht,

1969) for additional comments. See also Turk Seceresi, ed. R.

Nur (Istanbul, 1343/1925). One of the earlier Russian

translations prepared is Rodoslovnoe drevo tiurkov, (Kazan,

1906), with an afterword by N. Katanov (1862-1922). Apparently

this 1906 version was not published until 1914, minus

Katanov's name from the title page and his afterword from the

body of the book. See A.N. Kononov, Rodoslovnaia Turkmen

(Moscow-Leningrad, 1958), p. 181. In order to understand the

reason, one must turn to Z.V. Togan's memoirs, Hatiralar

(Istanbul, 1969), where Togan relates an incident (which took

place prior to 1917) when Katanov poured his heart to Togan. 



 13. Z. V. Togan compiled his version, Oguz Destani:

Residettin Oguznamesi, Tercume ve Tahlili (Istanbul, 1972)

(published posthumously), from twelve manuscripts. Though

originally composed and later put down on paper in a Turk

dialect prior to the thirteenth century, it was widely

rendered into Persian. Known translations include Oughouz-

name, epopee turque, tr. Riza Nur (Alexandria: Societe des

publications Egyptienne, 1928); Die Legende von Oghuz Qaghan,

eds. W. Bang and R. Arat (Berlin: Phil.-Histr. K1. XXV, Sitzb.

d. Preuss. Akad. D. Wiss., 1932). To my knowledge, there is no

English rendition as yet. See also Denis Sinor, ``Oguz Kagan

Destani Uzerine Bazi Mulahazalar,'' Turk Dili ve Edebiyati

Dergisi (tr. from French by A. Ates, 1952); Faruk Sumer's

book-length article, ``Oguzlar'a Ait Destani Mahiyetde

Eserler,'' Ankara Universitesi DTC Fakultesi Dergisi (1959);

and the introduction by Geoffrey L. Lewis to his translation

of The Book of Dede Korkut.



 14. See examples cited by Audrey L. Altstadt, ``Issues in

National Identity in Soviet Azerbaijan'' (The New Hampshire

International Seminar, Center for International Perspectives,

University of New Hampshire, April 7, 1989); idem, The

Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity under Russian Rule

(Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1992) Studies of

Nationalities series, pp. 188-91, 208-10. 



 15. See Altstadt, The Azerbaijani Turks, especially pp. 112,

122-25, 131-50, for a listing of the scholars and literati

liquidated during the ``great terror'' and the particular

methods used for the purpose.



 16. See Alexandre Bennigsen, ``The Crisis of the Turkic

National Epics, 1951-1952: Local Nationalism or

Internationalism?'' Canadian Slavonic Papers, vol. 17 (1975). 



 17. The following constitutes a partial list: T.I. Hajiyev

and K.N. Veliyev Azarbaijan dili tarikhi: Ocherklar va

materiallar [History of the Azerbaijan Language] (Baku:

Maarif, 1983). Fully 130 of the 180 pages in this college-

level textbook are devoted to the discussion of oral

literature and the literature of the thirteenth-seventeenth

centuries, including Dede Korkut; Azarbaijan filologiya

masalalari [Matters of Azerbaijan Philology], II (Baku:

Institute of Philology, Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, 1984)

contains papers dedicated to Dede Korkut. Periodic journals

began providing space to the debate as well: Azamat Rustamov,

``Dada Gorkut'la bagli yer adlari'' [Place Names Connected

with Dede Korkut], Alm va Hayat, 1987, no. 9; Mirali Sayidov,

``Dada Gorgut gahramanlaryning kokunu dusunurken'' [Thinking

About the Origins of the Dede Korkut Heroes] Alm va Hayat,

1987, no. 10; Penah Halilov, ``Kitabi Dede Gorgud'un

jografiyasi'' [Geography of Dede Korkut], Alm va Hayat, 1988,

no. 8; Kemal Veliyev, ``Bir daha Dada Gorgut Seirlari

hakkinda'' [Once Again on the Poems of the Dede Korkut],

Azarbaijan, 1981, no. 11; Bakir Nabiyev, ``Epik zhanr va

muasir hayat'' [Epic Genre and Contemporary Life], Azarbaijan,

1986, no. 7; Akif Huseyinov, ``Nasrimiz va kechmishimiz'' [Our

Prose and Our Past], Azarbaijan, 1982, no. 10; [Round Table]

``Mevzumuz: Tarihimiz, abidalarimiz, darsliklerimiz'' [Our

Topic: Our History, Monuments, and Textbooks], Azarbaijan,

1988-89; this series included discussion of Dede Korkut by

contributors including Zemfira Verdiyeva (Doctor of Philology,

Professor) and Arif Hajiyev (Doctor of Philology and

Professor).



 18. See L. Branson, ``How Kremlin Keeps Editors in Line,''

The Times, (London), January 5, 1986, p. 1; Martin Dewhurst

and Robert Farrell, The Soviet Censorship (Metuchen, NJ,

1973). Further, see Mariana Tax Choldin, A Fence Around the

Empire: Censorship of Western Ideas under the Tsars (Durham:

Duke University Press, 1985).



 19. Azerbaijan, 1988, no. 6. Cf. Altstadt, ``Issues in

National Identity in Soviet Azerbaijan,'' p. 28. A Russian

version appeared the same year, approved for publication in a

record-breaking seven days: Dede Korkut (Baku, 1988). It was

translated by Anar, a well known Azerbaijan author and poet

who does not sign his family name: Resul Oglu Rizaev. A

significant work that appeared not long afterward is Kamal

Abdullayev, Gizli Dede Korkut [The Secret Dede Korkut] (Baku:

Yazici, 1991). 



 20. Kitabi Dede Korkut (Baku, 1988). 





 

 ETHNOGRAPHIC INFORMATION CONCERNING AZERBAIJAN 

 CONTAINED IN THE DEDE KORKUT DASTAN

 

 The Dede Korkut dastan, orally recited since the ninth-

eleventh centuries, is the most precious written document of

our mother tongue. It is a wealth of sources reflecting the

true spiritual world, way of life, traditions, and customs of

our people. From this perspective, the information contained

in the Dede Korkut dastan is important to our learning about

Azerbaijan's ethnography during the Middle Ages. 

 The Dede Korkut epos is connected with the Oghuz tribes

arriving in Azerbaijan. From the dastan we learn that the

Oghuz reached Azerbaijan long before it was set down on paper.

Turkish-speaking tribes, Khazars,a Kipchaks,b and Oghuz,

beginning with the sixth-seventh centuries, settled within

Azerbaijan, mixing and merging with the populations there.1

Despite the Khaliphate's exempting the tribes from taxes and

other tolls in the vicinity of Derbend,c and other efforts2 to

stem the Turkish-speaking tribes, they continued to arrive in

Azerbaijan. Especially during the ninth to eleventh centuries,

large numbers of Oghuz reached Azerbaijan.3 Speaking of these

Oghuz, the great poet of the eleventh century, Getran Tebrizi

Emir Shamsaddin [1012-1088]d wrote:e

 

 These Turks arriving from Turkistan 

 Accepted you as their ruler 

 Separated from their relatives and relations 

 Began living under your rule 

 Now they are everywhere 

 Prepared to serve you4

 It is an accepted fact that the Oghuz arriving in Azerbaijan

in both the sixth-seventh and the ninth-eleventh centuries

settled there and merged with the Azerbaijan populations.

 Academician W. W. Barthold, in his last work on Dede Korkut,

stated: ``it is not possible to surmise that this dastan could

have been written anywhere but in the Caucasus''5--the latest

researcher confirming this commentary on the dastan Dede

Korkut.

 Although it could be said that the dastan Dede Korkut

reflects the history of the Turkmen, Azerbaijan, and Turkish

peoples in literary form, and this work's language is close to

that of other Turkish-speaking people, its vocabulary,

phraseologic expressions, and grammatical structure is closer

to Azerbaijan [Turkish] than the others.6

 In addition to the milieu and the language7 in which the

dastans were created, expression characteristics, composition

of vocabulary, and grammatic structure, this dastan reflects

today's Azerbaijan people's lifestyle, customs, and

traditions. These customs and traditions are connected with

the name of the Oghuz who have arrived and settled in

Azerbaijan over the centuries, intermixing with the existing

tribes there. 

 It is well known that, especially in the past, when different

groups of people came into contact, they regarded each others'

lifestyles, politics, and customs as worthy of emulation.

Accordingly, each group, and later, tribes and neighboring

peoples gradually learned each others' way of life. When

neighboring tribes live in the same area over a prolonged

period, mixing and merging with each other, they acquire an

affinity for each others' customs. Consequently it is always

the local [first-arrived] tribe that has superiority in the

process of the resulting amalgamation. The arriving Oghuz, who

melded with the Azerbaijan tribes, thus joined the existing

way of life.

 The Book of Dede Korkut comprises twelve sections, or

dastans, which reflect the details of tribal life. Because a

person named Dede Korkut participates in the events of all

twelve dastans, some critics regard him as the author of these

dastans. However, since they are not the product of a single

era8 they could not have been authored by one individual, but

are the works of different ozans-ashiks [poet-bards]f of

various eras.9 

 In the dastans, Dede Korkut appears as the aksakal,g the

advisor or sage, solving the difficulties faced by tribal

members. Within the tribe, ``Let Dede Korkut name this boy.

Dede Korkut arrived; `the name of your son ought to be Bogach.

I hereby name him ... ,' he said.''10 In Azerbaijan dastans and

recitations, there is a prominent tradition of aksakals, the

elders, naming young men. Gurban, who gained fame as a

sixteenth-century ashik poet, says: ``Then they wished to name

the boy. A wise old man said: `I named the boy Gurbani,

because I found this through a sacrifice.' ''11 Among the

population, respected aksakals are wise and know how to solve

problems; among ashiks they are generally called dede

[grandfather]. In the past, this term designated respected

tribal elders, and now is used within families; in many

localities of Azerbaijan, it replaces ata [ancestor or

father].

 The dastans reflect the life of the tribes occupied with

animal husbandry, living in the northwest regions of

Azerbaijan from Derbend to Tumanisi, around the mountain

foothills; ``even in the summer, the snow and ice does not

melt on the Kazilik mountain.''12 Among these tribes were also

those who settled and engaged in farming. In the dastans we

find:

 

 The buds of our mountains are large

 On those mountains, we have vineyards

 Those vineyards bear bunches of dark grapes

 When crushed, those grapes become scarlet wine

 Whoever partakes of that wine becomes intoxicated13

 .... .... .... .... ... 14

 I caused the dry rivers to be filled with water15

 The ornament of the vineyard and the orchard is water.16 

 

 Although there are references to farming, viticulture, and

orchards, identified with settled life, in the dastans, they

occupy a small place; what is primarily reflected is the life

connected with nomadic animal husbandry.

 These tribes live in kishlak [winter quarters] and yaylak

[summer pastures]. The summer pastures were in the vicinity of

Derbend.17 There the heroes receive as a reward ``The yaylaks

on the opposite mountains.''18 Rewards of this sort were

requested on behalf of those demonstrating their bravery:

``Give him a long-necked white horse19 to ride--he is talented.

Let this boy have plenty20 of sheep from your white sheepfold,

so he may grow up intelligent--he is virtuous. Give this boy

a red camel from your herds,21 so he may transport loads--he is

able.''22

 The principal wealth of these nomadic tribes comprised sheep,

cattle, horses, and camels, which are discussed at length in

the dastans:

 

 Ey mother, in a place where there are horses,

 Ought there not be a colt?23

 Where there are white sheep,

 Should there not be a single lamb?

 At a place where there are red camels,

 Would not a baby camel24 be found?25

 

 As noted above, there is much discussion pertaining to

horses, cattle and red camels in the dastan Dede Korkut. It is

sometimes surmised that, given the natural setting, they have

not widely utilized camels for transportation in Azerbaijan.

This may be incorrect, since from the sixth-fifth centuries

B.C. until the first half of the twentieth century, camels

were extensively used for transportation. The red camels

encountered in Dede Korkut are also referenced in many written

documents,26 recitations, and dastans. Ashik Abbas includes

camels among the most desirable items to give his beloved:

 

 Almighty God, this is my wish

 Let me see my beloved live to be a hundred

 With increased wealth and success

 Sixty camels forming a train.27 

 

 The primary means of transportation for the nomadic tribes

depicted in Dede Korkut was the camel. Just as ``stables of

horses'' were important for riding, ``trains of camels'' were

necessary for ``loading,'' to transport goods. These tribes

also utilized other means of conveyance, such as carts, to a

lesser extent.28

 The heroes of the dastans lived in chadir [tents] made from

fine cloth, and in the alachik and chardak.h There is

information regarding some of these dwellings in ``How Salur

Kazan's House Was Pillaged'':

 

 How did the enemy rend you, my beautiful home

 There where the white pavilions stood the traces stay

 The field remains where the Oghuz nobles galloped

 The hearth remains where the dark kitchen stood.29

 

 or:

 

 Son, pillar of my great tent with its golden smoke-hole,

 Whom I swaddled in the gold-framed cradle.30

 

 In these works, the barren campsite is depicted. From these

verses it can be gathered that these tribes also possessed and

lived in structures other than tents. The white, gold, and

yellow pavilions mentioned in the dastan constituted the

partitions inside a home.i In addition, the dastans speak of

roofed and trellis-type dwellings; these were not universally

utilized by all members of the tribe. Bayindir, Salur, and the

Beysj lived in graceful pavilions with embroidered silk

decorations and carpets, while the ordinary members of the

tribe occupied light-roofed and trellis structures.

 Concerning the food consumed by protagonists in the dastans,

mention is made of meat, kimiz,k yoghurt,31 kavurma,l komech,m

etc. Their clothing--woven by girls and women--comprised the

kaftan, cubbe [robe?], cuha [broadcloth], chirgab

[underwear?], fur and leather hats, capug [coarse cloth],

shalvar [loose trousers] and tulbend [muslin, gauze]. All

these articles of clothing, with the exception of the iron

armor32 worn in battle, were produced from the crops grown by

the tribes. The cubbe was sleeve-less and put on over the

head. The kaftan, as depicted in the dastan, was long-sleeved

and long-skirted, worn under the cubbe; it was made by an

engaged girl for her fiance. As it was embroidered, it was

regarded as a precious gift. In the section ``When the Inner

Oghuz rebelled against the Outer Oghuz and Beyrek Died'' many

a bey confronted Kazan Khan and attempted to persuade Beyrek

to join them. Beyrek declined, citing Kazan's munificence to

him. He listed the presents he received: ``Many a time I wore

magnificent kaftans,''32 given him by Kazan.33

 The Dede Korkut mentions implements used in working and

farming, principally related to animal husbandry. Some are in

common use today: cilav-yuyen [reins, bridle], yeher [saddle],

uzengi [stirrup], nal [horseshoe], kendir [hemp], sicim

[cord], bichak-chahmak [knife], dagarcik [pouch], kamchi

[whip], badja [milkpail]. Many terms for weapons are also

found in the dastans, because the population of Azerbaijan had

to defend themselves against invaders during the ninth-

eleventh centuries. The heros of Dede Korkut dastans make use

of various weapons. In ``How Salur Kazan's House Was

Pillaged,'' shepherd Karaja, depicted as a people's hero,n

recites them in the following verses:

 

 Don't talk rubbish, there's a good infidel dog!

 Rabid infidel, who shares with my dog

 a dog dish of my slops,34

 Why boast of the dappled horse you ride?

 I wouldn't swap my goat with the spotted head for it.

 Why boast of the helmet35 you wear?

 I wouldn't swap my cap for it.

 Why boast of your sixty-span lance?

 I wouldn't swap my dogwood36 stick for it.

 Why boast of your quiver with your ninety arrows?

 I wouldn't swap my colored-handled sling for it.

 Come over here from far and near,

 See the beating your men will get; and then be off.37

 

 and:

 

 Give me your chestnut horse,

 Give me your shield of many colors,

 Give me your pure sword of black steel,

 Give me the eighty arrows in your quiver,

 Give me your strong bow with its white grip.38

 

 In addition to the tugulga [tolga--iron helmet], altmis tutam

gonder [sixty-span lance], ok [arrow], yay [bow], and kalkan

[shield] in these verses are weapons such as the gurz [iron-

mace], chomak [wood-mace], and sungu [short-lance]. In

addition to weapons of iron the shepherd's sapan [slingshot]

is mentioned. In ``How Salur Kazan's House Was Pillaged,'' how

the shepherd Karaja joined the fighting with the sapan he

carried in his belt is related as follows: ``the pouch39 of the

shepherd's slingshot was made of a three-year-old calf-hide.

The rope of his slingshot was made of hair from three goats.

Every time he swung, he released a twelve-batmano stone.40 The

first time he released a projectile, he downed two

[adversaries]. The second time he swung, three and four

fell.''41

 The sapan is still used, as the ``weapon'' carried by most

shepherds in their belts for self-defense. It is usually woven

from goat-hair,42 although a sapan made of wool is also

encountered in some places. The width at the widest part is

15-20 centimeters, and the length of each arm, depending on

the user's height, is 40-50 centimeters, woven in a single

piece. The center piece is the palm or pouch (now called tas

yeri--place for the stone), sometimes made of leather.

 In the dastans, there is also mention of making taragga.43

From the context it is clear that this weapon was utilized to

produce a powerful noise. The word taragga is in use today,

for a folded-paper toy made by children, which when moved

quickly produces a noise reminiscent of a pistol report. 

 In Dede Korkut dastans, issues pertaining to family and way

of life occupy a special place. As is known, the ninth-

eleventh centuries in Azerbaijan constituted a complex era.

From a political point of view, this complexity was not

confined to the unending struggles for sovereignty, battles,

and turmoil, but extended to social relations. Islam attempted

to influence the way of life of these mobile tribes by every

means. 

 In the dastans, relations among family members are

principally based on tribal customs and traditions. Women,

just like men, participate in the social and agricultural life

of the tribe. In addition to running the home, they manage an

important part of livestock raising, the primary tribal

activity. Men are occupied with planting and hunting. At first

it seems as if women are excluded from farming.p On closer

reading, the women are portrayed to be as brave as the warrior

men. They hunt and enter battles with weapons in hand. This

bravery of the women is reflected in the first dastans. In

``Bogach Khan Son of Dirse Khan,'' Dirse Khan's wife goes

after her son who has not returned from the hunt. It says:

``Dirse Khan's lady turned away. She could not bear it; she

called her forty slender maidens to her side, she mounted her

white horse and went in quest of her dear son''44 In the

section ``Bamsi Beyrek Son of Baybora,'' one of the heroines,

Lady Chichek, enters into a contest of skill with Baybora,

equalling him in archery, wrestling, and horse racing.45 In the

fight against an adversary, Kazan's wife wields her sword

alongside him.46 Kanturali's fiancee contests with him. Among

these tribes, when describing girls and women, it is stated:

``They could draw [their bows] to their right and left, the

arrows they discharged would not fall on the ground.''47 There

was great respect for women.

 

 Come here, luck of my head, throne of my house,

 Like a cypress when you go out walking.

 Your black hair entwines itself round your heels,

 Your meeting eyebrows are like a drawn bow,

 Your red cheeks are like autumn apples,

 My woman, my support, my dignity.48

 

 Thus women were described within the tribe. There are no

references to bigamy in the dastan. In ``Bogach Son of Dirse

Khan,'' despite Dirse Khan being goaded: ``Him who has no son

or daughter God most High humiliated, and we shall humiliate

him too,''49 and though Dirse Khan is angered and blames his

wife, he does not consider taking a second wife. 

 We do not encounter in the dastans instances of girls or

young men being forced to marry. Both parties had to agree; if

they saw and did not like each other, ``if the heart was not

filled with love,'' they did not marry. In one of the dastans,

when a young man wished to marry, his father said:

 `` `Son, finding the girl is up to you; I'll see that you're

fed and provided for.' 

 Thereupon, Kanturali, that dragon of heroes, rose from his

place and took his forty young men with him. He searched the

Inner Oghuz, but could not find a girl; he turned around and

came home again. His father said:

 `Have you found a girl, son?'

 Kanturali replied: 

 `May the Oghuz lands be devastated; I could not find a girl

to suit me, father.' ''

 It can be seen from this exchange that men did not marry

until they found a girl to their liking. In another dastan,

despite the fact that Lady Chichek and Bamsi Beyrek were

betrothed in the cradle by their fathers, Bay Bijan and

Baybora, Chichek did not marry Beyrek before testing him.51

 However free the young were to exercise their wishes in

matters of marriage, they did not ignore the customs of their

families and tribe. After Beyrek and Chichek agreed to marry,

Beyrek went home and informed his father, Baybora, of his

decision. His father answered thus:

 ``Son, let us invite the nobles of the teeming Oghuz to our

hearth-fire and let us act as they think advisable.''52

 Those invited to the council agreed to the marriage and

resolved the matter of the envoy. Since the task of

representation was carried out by the revered aksakal, the

Oghuz Beys said:

 ``Let Dede Korkut request her hand.''53 Dede Korkut,

designated as the emissary by the gathering, is greeted on his

return with the query:

 ``Dede! Are you a boy, or a girl?''

 Dede replied:

 ``I am a boy.''

 ``The bearer of good tidings came to Beyrek and his mother

and sisters and they rejoiced and were glad.''54

 This example of sending an emissary is reminiscent of the

present-day tradition. In the same dastan, there are also

references to baslik [presents or money given to bride's

family from the groom's side] and cheyiz [bride's dowry]. The

brother of Lady Chichek demands a baslik for his sister thus:

``Bring me a thousand horses that have never mounted a mare,

a thousand male camels that have never seen a female camel, a

thousand rams that have never seen a ewe, a thousand dogs with

no tails or ears. . . .''55 After Beyrek's father provides what

was demanded, consent is received and the kichik toy is held.56

The term kichik toy found in Dede Korkut is encountered today

in some regions, meaning a feast to commemorate the

engagement. After the kichik toy, the young couple are

nishanli [engaged, intended]. In the dastans, the word

nishanli also has variants such as yavuklu [token of

betrothal] and adakli [promised]. At the time the dastans were

written, among Azerbaijan tribes there was also the tradition

of beshikkertme, yavuklu etme57 [betrothal at the cradle,

token of betrothal] from childhood.58 

 In the dastans, as we noted, the term kichik toy was utilized

for engagement, and the ulu toy was reserved for the grand

feast [marriage ceremony]. ``Yaltajuk, son of Yalanji held the

kichik toy.'' He promised the ulu toy.''59 After the ulu toy,

they repaired to the bey otagi [nuptial chamber], still called

by this name), a distance from the bride's in-laws.60 In the

``Bamsi Beyrek Son of Baybora'' it is noted: ``At the time of

the Oghuz, upon marrying, a young man would shoot an arrow.

Where the arrow landed, there they erected the nuptial

chamber.''61 This tradition, the establishment of the nuptial

chamber some distance from the parents' home, was symbolic of

the growth of the tribe, constituting a natural increase of

population, leaving behind its limited scope. 

 The bride and young women wore simple ornaments and jewelry.

``Her hair braided, wearing buttons of red, hands dyed with

henna to the wrists,62 ornate gold rings on her fingers, the

girl was married.''63 The bride wore a scarlet veil. The groom

would wear the ``scarlet kaftan,'' which the bride had made

and sent to him, for forty days. Afterward, it would be

presented to a dervish.64

 As we gather from the Dede Korkut dastan, divorce among the

nomadic tribes was almost nonexistent during the ninth-

eleventh centuries. In the twelve dastans comprising the book,

we do not encounter a single divorce. Husband and wife are

separated only by chance, when battles and conflicts

necessitated a man's absence from his family. In such cases

the men would say to their wives or fiancees: ``Woman [girl],

allow me a year! If I do not return by then, give me two

years! If I am not back by then, allow me three years!''65

Relations among family members are characterized by an even

higher degree of loyalty and sacrifice. The love between

husband and wife is placed above parents' affection for their

offspring. In ``Wild Dumrul Son of Dukha Koja,'' the principal

character is defeated in a battle with Azrael. Azrael wants to

take his life. He pleads, and Azrael gives him the option of

substituting another soul. The young man asks his parents, but

they do not want to die in their son's place. The young man

loses all hope, and prepares to bid farewell to his wife, who

says: ``Your embalmed mother and father, what is in a life

that they declined? ... May my life be sacrificed to yours,''66

and declares her readiness to accept death in her husband's

stead. A reading of the dastans reveals the wife to be the

supportive, honored, and devoted friend of her husband.

 During the ninth-eleventh centuries in Azerbaijan, Islam had

still not attained a dominant position among nomadic tribes.67

Religion was very weak. Even though there were references to

Islam in the language, we do not encounter compliance with

such precepts in deeds. In ``Wild Dumrul Son of Dukha Koja,''

belief in God is reluctant. The character defies God. He does

not entertain any thoughts of Azrael; he battles with and

attempts to destroy him. Here, the character is presented as

being much more powerful than Azrael in many respects. While

their belief in God was weak, the heroes of the dastans often

concluded compacts based on earthly objects. For example, they

took oaths with the words: ``May you be pared by my sword,''

``perforated by my arrow,'' ``water the earth.'' Their prayers

were not religious, but, like their oaths, consisted of

elements from daily life.r

 There was no compliance with the Islamic ``precepts.'' Wine,

prohibited by religion, was not absent from their tables.

Statements such as ``If there is a shadow on your pure heart,

wine will clear it,''68 ``they drank wine in golden goblets,''69

are often encountered in the dastans. The gatherings depicted

in the dastans are not without ``wine-filled cups.'' In these

social occasions, one cannot escape a line of ``golden-stemmed

pitchers.'' Infidel girls fill the cups of the Oghuz Beys.70

The names introduced by Islam, such as Mohammed, Ali, Hasan,

and Huseyin, had not found acceptance within this society.

Music and dance, forbidden by Islam, were intertwined with the

daily life of the ninth-eleventh century Azerbaijan people.

The nomadic tribes in particular could not live their lives

silently. Instruments and singers were not condemned, but on

the contrary, the famed ashiks of the era were the respected

ozans among the people. To be an ozan, to play the kopuz was

the aspiration of every tribal member, to the extent that

tribal leaders, too, learned these skills. The son of famed

Baybora, Beyrek, after obtaining his freedom, returns home in

the guise of an ozan, in order to take stock of his friends

and foes. This event is depicted thus:

 

 Beyrek came to the Oghuz land and saw a minstrel [ozan]

journeying. ``Wither away, minstrel?'' said he. ``To the

wedding, young lord,'' the minstrel replied. ``Whose is the

wedding?'' ``Yaltajuk's, son of Yalanji.'' ``And who is the

girl he is marrying?'' ``The betrothed of the lord Beyrek,''

said the minstrel. ``Minstrel,'' said Beyrek, ``give me your

lute [kopuz] and I shall give you my horse. Keep him till I

come and bring you his price and take him. . . .'' The

minstrel gave his lute to Beyrek.... Beyrek took it.71

 

 Kazan Khan, depicted as the principal character of the Dede

Korkut dastans, also played the kopuz, composing poems.72

Kopuz-players traveled widely, becoming a witness to people's

sorrows and happiness. They discerned people's friends and

foes, and were well acquainted with the brave and the

contemptible. In the introduction to the fifteenth-century

Dede Korkut dastans, it says: ``Kopuz-bearing ozans traveled

from land to land, tribe to tribe; it is the ozan who knows

the brave and the coward.''73 To have your daughter marry an

ozan, becoming related with the ozans, was also regarded as an

honor. In popular poetry, this is summarized as:

 

 My daughter, my daughter

 May my daughter be resplendent74

 May the ozan earn silver

 I betrothed my daughter to an ozan.

 

 According to the Turkish scholar M. F. Kopruluzade, as found

in the eighteenth-century music book Zubdetul Advar, the

kopuz-saz has three strings, is made of wood, and played with

the plectrum.75 In addition to the kopuz, nagharalar [kettle

drums] and burmasi altin borular [golden knotted (?) horns]76

were among the musical instruments of the nomadic tribes in

this era. The kettle drums and horns were largely used in

battle.t The drummers would be accompanied by a group of zurna-

playersu at feasts.77

 The information contained in the Dede Korkut dastans is very

interesting for the study of the spiritual civilization of the

Azerbaijan people in the ninth-eleventh centuries. In these

dastans, we also encounter information on feast days,

childrens' games, and entertainments. As we begin to study the

dastans from an ethnographic point of view, it will be

possible to obtain more knowledge about these matters. 

 

 Editor's Notes 

 

 a. See Peter B. Golden, Khazar Studies (Budapest: Akademiai

Kiado, 1980); D.M. Dunlop, The History of the Jewish Khazars

(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1954); N. Golb and O.

Pritsak, Khazarian Hebrew Documents (Ithaca: Cornell

University Press, 1982). 



 b. See Turks, Hungarians and Kipchaks: A Festschrift in Honor

of Tibor Halasi-Kun, P. Oberling, ed., Journal of Turkish

Studies, 1984, vol. 8. 



 c. According to sources, Derbend is the location of first

contacts between the Khazars and the Arabs, ca. A.D. 642-52.

See D.M. Dunlop, The History of the Jewish Khazars (Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 1954). 



 d. It is stressed that Getran Tebrizi is an Azerbaijan poet,

writing in Persian. His collected works have been translated

into Azerbaijan Turkish. See Getran Tebrizi, Divan [Collected

Poems], trans. by Gulamhuseyin Berdeli (Baku: Nizami Institute

of Literature and Language, Azerbaijan SSR Academy of

Sciences, 1967). The first eighteen pages of the introduction

in this volume is devoted to the arguments and documentation

that Getran Tebrizi was an Azerbaijan Turk and that he wrote

his works in Azerbaijan Turkish. Tebrizi's works have long

been available in the West, cited, inter alia, by E.G. Browne

in his Literary History of Persia (London, 1902) and

catalogued by Charles Rieu. See the Catalogue of the Persian

Manuscripts in the British Museum (London, 1895), vol. 4. 



 e. The original quotation is in Persian and written in Perso-

Arabic script, followed by its translation in Cyrillic

``designed'' for Azerbaijan Turkish in the Soviet era. See

Alpamysh for the ``language reforms'' leading to the formation

of the ``alphabets.'' 



 f. For the terms ozan and ashik, the composers and reciters

of dastans, see Paksoy, Alpamysh, pp. 3-5, 14-15. 



 g. Literally ``white-beard,'' the respected elder. See H. B.

Paksoy, ``The Traditional Oglak Tartis among the Kirghiz of

the Pamirs,'' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (of Great

Britain & Ireland), 1985, no. 2. 



 h. Types of dwellings, with or without portable wooden

structures. For a detailed discussion of the dwellings or

homes of this type, see Z. V. Togan, Turkili Turki-stan,

p. 46. DLT also provides examples. 



 i. Dadashzade uses the architectural term agban, variant of

eyvan: a three-walled, vaulted structure, usually open at the

front. 



 j. The principal characters of the dastan Dede Korkut. 



 k. Also known as qumiss, etc. See, inter alia, DLT (p. 184).

It is still an immensely popular drink containing natural

alcohol, due to the fermentation process in its preparation

(although it is not as strong as hard liquor). It is not

plentiful year round because of seasonal factors. Russians

became aware of the nourishing and rejuvenating qualities of

kimiz after their occupation of Kazakhstan. Several

sanatoriums are currently operating in the Kazakh steppe where

kimiz is the primary dietetic and therapeutic prescription,

especially against tuberculosis. This discovery of the

beneficial effects of kimiz against TB is probably what caused

Moscow to reconsider and relax sovhoz-kolhoz rules in the

area, in order to ensure the maintenance of large herds of

mares necessary to supply kimiz for the sanatoriums where

party officials are treated. 



 l. Meat that is deep-fried to prevent spoilage. 



 m. Where food in containers, usually in clay pots, is buried

in hot coals or ash for slow cooking. 



 n. The implication being that although he is not of noble

lineage, he is able to tell off the adversary courageously. 



 o. Clearly an exaggeration for emphasis, worthy of the

``pouch'' of the slingshot he had. One batman was equal to 5-

30 lbs., depending on the geographic location. As a weight-

measure, the batman was in use until 1930s in the region. 



 p. The word used here, chol, means both ``steppe-desert'' and

``farming,'' depending on context. While reading the next

passage, one must keep this in mind. 



 q. Toy is the term used for ceremonies, including but not

limited to weddings. For example, feasts of all manner found

in Dede Korkut are called toys. 



 r. What appears to be an argument in compliance with the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union's atheistic policies,

therefore assured a sympathetic reading from the official

censor, in actuality has a secondary agenda. According to I.

Kafesoglu, there was an indigenous religion, Tengri, among the

Turk groups before the arrival of Islam. See Turk Milli

Kulturu (Istanbul, 1984). Throughout the 1980s, Central Asians

began expressing similar thoughts, rejecting Islam as an

usurper that sapped the vitality of the Turks. For example, M.

Mahmudov, in his ``Olmez Kayalar'' (``Immortal Cliffs,''

serialized in the monthly Sark Yildizi [Tashkent], October and

November, 1981), underscores the struggle between the

indigenous religion and Islam. See H.B. Paksoy, ``Central

Asia's New Dastans,'' Central Asian Survey, 1987, vol. 6,

no. 1. That theme received attention even earlier in

Azerbaijan. For example, in 1927, Jafar Jabarli wrote a novel

with the title Od Gelini (Bride of Fire), which was reissued

in the original, in the collective works of Jafar Jabarli,

Eserler, vol. 1 (Baku: Azarbaijan Devlet Neshriyati, 1968).

One of the main themes of this novel is the battle between the

indigenous religion and Islam, introduced by Arab invaders in

the eighth-ninth centuries. It was also translated into

Russian, under the title Nevsta ognia, reference to which is

found in N.A. Pashaev, Pobeda kulturnoi revoliutsii v

sovetskom Azerbaidzhane (Moscow: Nauka, 1976), p. 118. See

also Ocherk istorii Azerbaidzhanskoi sovetskoi literatury

(Moscow: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1963), which contains a

synopsis (pp. 145-46). Nor is this movement confined to the

post-1917 period. Even earlier, Celil Memmedkuluzade began

outlining and expressing this conflict in his immensely

popular journal Molla Nasreddin during 1906. See H.B. Paksoy,

``Elements of Humor in Central Asia: The Example of the

Journal Molla Nasreddin in Azerbaijan,'' Turkestan: als

historischer Faktor und politische Idee, Baymirza Hayit

Festschrift, Erling von Mende, ed. (Cologne: Studienverlag,

1988). Moreover, this conflict has been receiving attention in

the writings of others throughout Central Asia. 



 s. Lute. A representative specimen may be found in the Pitt-

Rivers Museum (Oxford). In Asia Minor, a direct descendant of

this instrument, the saz and a slightly larger version, the

baglama, is still enormously popular. For a full description

with photo-graphs, see Bolat Saribaev, Kazaktin Muzikalik

Aspaptari (Alma-Ata, 1978); and G. Doerfer, ``Turkische und

Mongolische Elemente,'' Neupersichen 3 (Wiesbaden, 1967),

1546.



 t. The main purpose was to transmit orders from the

commanders to the troops, over distances of up to three miles.

These orders involved direction of attack, regrouping,

flanking, and specialized tactical ambush maneuvers. Later,

under the Ottomans, a full military band evolved.



 u. The zurna is a double-reed woodwind instrument, probably

the grandfather of the modern-day oboe. It is still in wide

use.

 

 Notes

 

   1. M. Rafili, Drevnaiaia Azerbaizhanskaia literatura (do

nachala XVI v.) (Baku, 1941), p. 16. 



   2. Dr. Mehmed Cevad, Tercume Tarih Tabari az abvali balgay

(Tahran, 1332 [1914/1915]), p. 327 [in Perso-Arabic script]. 



   3. Materialy po istorii Azerbaidzhana iz Tarikh-al-Kamil

ibn al-Asira (Baku, 1940), p. 111. 



   4. Getran Tebrizi, Divan  (Tabriz, 1333 [1916/1917]) p. 5

[in Perso-Arabic script]. [This is the volume from which the

above-cited Azerbaijan Turkish translation of the same work

was made.] 



   5. Kniga moego Dede Korkuda: Oguzskii geroicheskii epos.

V.V. Bartold, trans. (Moscow-Leningrad, 1962), p. 120. 



   6. Ibid., p. 5. 



   7. Azerbaijan Edebiyati Tarihi [History of Azerbaijan

Literature], vol. 1 (Baku, 1960), p. 53. 



   8. For detailed information on the language of the dastans,

see E.M. Demircizade, Kitab-i Dede Korkut dastanlarinin Dili

(Baku, 1959) p. 6. 



   9. Azerbaijan Edebiyati Tarihi, vol. 1, p. 54. 



   10. Kitabi Dede Korkut (Baku, 1939), p. 22 [see The Book of

Dede Korkut, G. L. Lewis, trans., p. 31, ``The Story of

Boghach Khan'']. 

 

   11. Azerbaijan Halk dastanlari, vol. 1 (Baku, 1961), p.

124. [The epithet Gurbani evokes images of ``sacrificial.'' On

the poet Gurbani, see P. Efendiev, Azerbaijan Sifahi Halk

Edebiyati (Baku, 1981), p. 168. This is a textbook for the

Institute of Pedagogy. It is not unusual for parents to

``pledge a vow, sacrifice'' when they desire offspring. See

Lewis, ``Bamsi Beyrek,'' in The Book of Dede Korkut]. 



   12. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 26. 

 

   13. Esruk-sarhos. [Dadashzade is providing the current-use

equivalents for a number of words. In this case, the old

Turkish word esruk, also found in the eleventh-century DLT

(see above), is ``intoxicated.''] 

 

   14. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 87 [ellipsis by Dadashzade]. 



   15. Ibid., p. 76. 

 

   16. Ibid., p. 35. 

   17. Ibid., p. 32. 

 

   18. Ibid., p. 130. 

 

   19. Beyaz at cins at [``white horse'' symbolizing a

thoroughbred]. 



   20. Tuman-chok saydi [numerous]. 



   21. Gaytaban--deve yatagi [specific place where the camel

herd stays or is sheltered].



   22. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 22. 



   23. Kulun-at balasi [colt]. 



   24. Koshek-deve balasi [camel-colt]. 



   25. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 39. 



   26. Evliyayi seyahatnama, vol. 3, p. 13 [in Perso-Arabic

script]. 



   27. Ashiklar, vol. 2. (Baku, 1960), p. 23. 

 

   28. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 144. [See Togan, Oguz Destani,

for the earliest mention of ``cart.''] 

 

   29. Ibid., p. 34 [see the Lewis translation, p. 46]. 

 

   30. Ibid., p. 36 [see the Lewis translation, p. 50]. 

 

   31. Yoghurt--katik. In some places in Azerbaijan, the term

yoghurt is still used.



   32. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 157. [The original has two

footnotes designated number 32 in the text, but only one

footnote 32 is referenced at the bottom of the page. The

second note 32 is not otherwise identified.] 



   33. The word kaftan was utilized in this context until the

twentieth century. 



   34. Yal--it yali [dog slop]. 



   35. Zogal [it appears that notes 35 and 36 were reversed

during typesetting]. 



   36. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 33. 



   37. Ibid., p. 36 [see the Lewis translation, p. 44]. 



   38. Tugulga--demir bork [iron helmet] [see the Lewis

translation, p. 49. The order of the original footnotes was

scrambled, especially those pertaining to ``dogwood'' and

``helmet'']. 



   39. Aya--sapanin tas koyulan yeri. 



   40. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 40. 



   41. Ibid., p. 34. 



   42. Goat-hair [kechi tuku] is also called gezil. 



   43. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 129 [this word basically means

``noise.'' Another term for this toy is ``patlangach.''] 



   44. Ibid. (Baku, 1939), p. 26 [see Lewis, p. 35]. 



   45. Ibid., pp. 48-49 [see Lewis]. 

 

   46. Ibid., p. 84. 



   47. Ibid., p. 94. 



   48. Kitabi Dede Korkut (Baku, 1939), p. 20. [See Lewis, p.

28. There are slight variations between lines provided by

Dadashzade and the Lewis translation]. 



   49. Ibid., p. 19 [Lewis, p. 28]. 



   50. Ibid., p. 93 [Lewis, p. 117]. 



   51. Ibid., p. 45. 

 

   52. Ibid., p. 49 [Lewis, p. 65]. 

 

   53. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 51. 



   54. Ibid., p. 52 [Lewis, p. 67]. 



   55. Ibid., pp. 49-51 [Lewis, p. 67]. 



   56. Ibid., p. 55. 



   57. Ibid., p. 47. 



   58. This tradition was still alive until the revolution. 



   59. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 53. 

 

   60. The terms gaynata [kayin-ata: father-in-law] and

gaynana [kayin-ana: mother-in-law] are still in use. 



   61. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 53. 



   62. The tradition of decorating hands with henna began

during the Middle Ages. 



   63. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 137. 



   64. Ibid., p. 53. 



   65. Ibid., p. 137. 

 

   66. Ibid., pp. 90-91. 

 

   67. Said Nefisi, in his introduction to the Nizaminin

Kasideler ve Gazeller Divani, basing himself on the works of

the authors of the Middle Ages, states that even in the tenth

century in Azerbaijan, Moslems do not constitute a majority. 



   68. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 55. 



   69. Ibid., p. 126. 



   70. Ibid., p. 31. 



   71. Kitabi Dede Korkut, pp. 58-59 [Lewis, p. 75].



   72. Ibid., p. 145.



   73. Ibid., p. 162 [see also Lewis, p. 190].



   74. E. M. Damircizade, Azerbaijan Edebi Dilinin Inkisaf

Yollari (Baku, 1958), p. 18.



   75. Azerbaijan Incesanati, vol. 7 (Baku, 1962), p. 38.



   76. Kitabi Dede Korkut, p. 42.



   77. Ibid., p. 64.

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