ABOUT ALEWISM IN KEMAL TAHIR'S NOVELS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze traces of traditions, customs and beliefs which are largely peculiar to Alewis in Kemal Tahir's novels. To this end, all of Kemal Tahir's novels were examined in an effort to uncover elements that reflect cultural features of Alewi tradition and then these elements' greater contributions to the novels were discussed. In these works, especially, Haci Bektash Veil's anecdote, Saint Ali and Kesikbas' story, Dedelik authority, Asik Virani, there exist some ingredients of Alewi culture that are used for drawing the portrait of cultural world of novels' characters, thereby providing important clues to the emergence of the identity of the heroes within society and examining the relationship between the hero and his setting with the reader. Kemal Tahir has presented Sunni and Alewi characters in the same framework. So it could be argued the author creates a melting pot people with different cultures, thus bringing wealth to his works in terms of content. He takes the reader to make a journey from local to national and from folkculture to art. All these should be regarded as evidence of the art of novel, the material of which is human and can't stay away from the human-specific one; namely culture.