Yabalı Baba Menkıbelerinin Kökenleri Üzerine

Menqabes a part of which is the religious and a part of which is the historical legends has an importantplace in the daily life of the people due to the relationship between religion and history. Themenqabe protagonists, who are distinguished by their religious characteristics and who are mostlyreferred as “veli”, give lessons and messages to the people and societies, which have been transformedinto a literary text form through events or acts. “Velis” are the religious elders living in thesociety. The Velis are clerics known as saints in the Christian societies and called Kam among thepre-Islamic Turks. After adopted the religion of Islam, Turks met the concept of veli accepting AhmetYesevi as the beginning and through silsile, especially through Hacı Bektaş Veli, they have putforward an perception of a Veli cult that has lasted. The Turks, who connected Ahmet Yesevi with theMessenger Hz. Mohammad, succeeded in developing a specific form of religious education with thehelp of the cult of the Veli. The menqabes, which has a pattern of events based on the cult of the Veli,is decorated with the “keramets” shown by the protagonists, that are Velis. “Keramets”, which arethought to be included in narratives inspired by the miracles of the Messenger, are the main elementof the menqabe. Many extraordinary features such as not sinking in water, not burning in fire, being making few too many, reading the mind of the passersby are listed under the title of “keramet”. Oneof this “keramet” is fighting with the pitchfork. Pitchfork, which is originally an agricultural tool, istransformed into the weapon of the “veli” who fights against the equipped armies in menqabes. Inthis respect, it is reminiscent of the wooden swords that the “velis” are putting on. In this study, thespiritual, historical and mythical origins of the narratives of “Yabalı Baba” which are known in differentparts of Anatolia will be evaluated and the reasons why these narratives have existed in publicimagination for many years will be emphasized.