Taboos and Avoidances on Death in Turkish Folk Narratives

Death, the absolute end of life, is one of the important transitional periods for humanity. Because of its unknownness and non-recurring phenomenon, there was a tremendous sense of curiosity and trembling towards death, and understanding of death was developed with these feelings. There are different understandings of death in social systems of belief and various traditions, prayers and rites formed by those understandings. Although understandings and practices relative to death differ culturally, the aim is a healthy and long life. For this, some strong prohibitions, called taboos, have been formed. Taboo is a prior principle of religious and ethical thinking which, if violated, can motivate magical powers. Compliance with these prohibitions makes a victory (even temporarily) possible against death and the calming of the dead who longs for the world of the inhabitants because they migrated to a different world. Taboo and avoidance of death undertake functions such as breaking the negative perception of death and the dead and rescuing the living as much as possible from feelings such as fear, anxiety and horror. The obeyed taboo and avoidances encourage the individual in the face of the creepy phenomenon of death and assure that her/his life is not threatened. First of all in this article, psychological elements such as fear, anxiety and violation that cause the formation of taboos and avoidances about death are considered. Based on folk narratives (epic, legend, tale, menkabe, memorate), it is considered appropriate to evaluate taboo and avoidances around death under four sub-headings, which are taboo and avoidance on the body, on the days of commemoration of the dead, on the property of the deceased and on the commemoration in the name of death.Also, the reflection of taboos and avoidances about death encountered in the early eras and different locations of Turkish culture on Turkish folk narratives is studied. During this study, it has been tried to question the mythological and religious origins of death taboo and avoidances. It is determined that taboos and avoidances of death aim to make the deceased person happy in his new world, to prevent his return and to heal the survivors spiritually. Again, as a result of this consideration, it is put forth that the taboos and avoidances determined are a belief-oriented reflex towards death and that they exalt human right to live.