Life and Poems of Artvinli Aşık Coşari (Monography-compilation-classification)

The tradition of minstrelsy has an important place in folk literature. Although a great number of minstrels and their works have survived to date, many others have been perished in this tradition which has been existent for centuries. However, this tradition is a whole and thus it should be examined wholly to successfully comprehend. The district of Artvin hosts many valuable examples of this minstrelsy tradition. Literature review reveals that there are many studies on minstrels living in the region. However, there still exist many minstrels about whom there is no study. One of those secret treasures is Âşık Coşarî who has more than 400 poems. Some of these poems which are about different topics shed some light on the history of the region and describes the life styles. A large number of studies on minstrelsy literature were reviewed during this study. In addition, many studies dealing with the classification of the works of Âşık Coşarî were used. Thus, it is aimed to wholly examine the poems of Âşık Coşarî from the perspective of folk literature which does not have universal rules and which is expanding constantly. Several studies on koşma type were used during the examination of Coşarî who produced many works in koşma type. The work of Âşık Coşarî who lives in Artvin and has produced most of his works in Artvin is the reflection of the region's culture and life style. In this context, it is expected that this study will contribute to the understanding of the life style, history and the literary preferences of the people in the region.