Winter Almanac in the Folk Culture of the Turkish People of Bojnord: A Documentary Study of 20 Turk-inhabited Villages
Document Type : پژوهشی اصیل
Authors
1
Associate Professor Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran
2
MA student of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran
Abstract
The study of almanacs used by different ethnic groups is one of the research fields of the folk culture and literature as from the antiquity, time has been a special topic in the intellectual culture of ancient Iran. Iranians tended to divide the year into different periods using various methods. One of these methods, which was different from the official calendar, was undertaken by ordinary people. Folk almanac was mostly based on nature. In these almanacs, the year was divided into two seasons of summer and winter, each revolving around two “chelleh” (the equivalent of 40 days). The remaining months were then divided into smaller units. This study is conducted by the use of library research and field interview with 28 Turkish speakers who were over 60 years old and also inhabitants of the villages under study; therefore, they had a native understanding of this type of almanac. The study aims to record the divisions of the winter season among Turkish people of Bojnord county, the largest city in the North Khorasan province, in order to provide an introduction to the common folk almanac used by this ethnic group and to exhibit related aspects in folk culture and literature. The findings of the research show that the Turkish people of Bojnord divide the two months of Dey and Bahman in winter into “chelleh bozorg” (the big 40 days) and “chelleh koochak” (the small 20 days); and then divided the last month, Esfand, in different fashions: six five-day parts; three 10-day parts; four five-day parts and a 10-day part; and lastly, two five-day parts and two 10-day parts. The most important periods in this season were marked by special rituals such as “chelleh” night, which is accompanied by making bonfires and breaking clays. A large collection of proverbs, poems and narratives is also formed around this division which is a significant part of the folklore literature of Turkish people of Bojnord.
Keywords
Subjects
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Interviewees
Ahmadi-Manesh, A. Born in 1955. Resident of Grivan. Bachelor's degree. Retired cultural worker.
Bashash, B. Born in 1955. Resident of Sheikh Timur. Illiterate. Farmer.
Dartomi, A. Born in 1966. Resident of Dartom. Cycle. Farmer.
Dartomi, M. Born in 1955. Resident of Dartom. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Ebrahimi, A. Born in 1955. Resident of Sheikh Timur. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Grivani, A. Born in 1941. Resident of Grivan. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Grivani, B. Born in 1957. Resident of Bojnord. Illiterate. Housewife.
Grivani, D. Born in 1950. Resident of Grivan. School. Unemployed.
Grivani, S. Born in 1968. Lives in Bojnord. Illiterate. Housewife.
Grivani, Z. Born in 1955. Resident of Qapaq. Illiterate. Housewife.
Grivanifard, H. Born in 1972. Resident of Grivan. Cycle. Unemployed.
Hosseini Matin, M. Born in 1973. Lives in Dartom. Fourth grade elementary school. Housewife.
Hosseini Matin, N. Born in 1946. Lives in Dartom. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Hosseini, F. Born in 1955. Resident of Paqleh. Illiterate. Housewife.
Jahani, F. Born in 1959. Resident of Bojnord. Illiterate. Housewife.
Jahani, Kh. Born in 1949. Resident of Chaharkharvar. Illiterate. Housewife.
Khorami, A. Born in 1955. Resident of Guli. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Mahzoon, A. Born in 1934. Living in Tatar. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Mehrnia, Q. Born in 1945. Resident of Bojnord. Diploma. Researcher in the field of culture and general literature.
Monfared, Sh. Born in 1944. Resident of Qara Nuodeh. Illiterate. Housewife.
Montazeri, S. Born in 1932. Resident of Chenaranshahr. Illiterate. Housewife.
Neistani, M. Born in 1939. Resident of Kalat-e-Naghi. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Nodehi, A. Born in 1964. Resident of Qara Nodehi. Illiterate. Housewife.
Qolobi, H. Born in 1954. Resident in Arab. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Sajedi, G. Born in 1932. Lives in Bazkhaneh. Illiterate. Unemployed.
Salimi, N. Born in 1934. Resident of Chenaranshahr. Illiterate. Housewife.
Tatari, b. Born in 1954. Resident of Tatar. Illiterate. Farmer.
Torkanloo, M. Born in 1953. Lives in Bojnord. Diploma.
