Egg in Rituals of the Transition Period of Turkish Folk Culture

Abstract

Egg appears in many narratives in Turkish and world mythologies in events related to the creation of the world, gods, demigods and human beings or the birth of heroes. The symbolic meaning of the egg has preserved itself in various rites and myths since prehistoric times. The fact that the egg has no corners and protrusions, as well as the ability to carry live, has made it the leading actor of various ceremonies. Egg is one of the natural resources used by women who want to become pregnant. It is also a food that a pregnant woman should/should not eat, the first gift given to a baby in her forties; it takes its place in cultural life as a tool used when removing forty and treating forty flushes. As the new bride steps into the house where she will live, she throws the egg she has picked up at the entrance door. The bride and groom eat eggs on the wedding day. Egg that offers a unique appearance with its multiple functions in practices in Turkish folk culture; it functions as the main/side element with its yellow; flux, shell or color.