Hearths tradation and folk medicine in Elmadağ

The healers and treatment rituals, arising from the need to maintain health throughout human history, have continued to evolve around a tradition that has shaped up until today. This study examines the folk medicine practices, lodges, and the rituals surrounding these lodges used in the treatment of various diseases and ailments in the Elmadağ district of Ankara. In this context, interviews were conducted with 95 resource persons identified in the field of folk medicine and the lodge tradition in the Elmadağ region. The study consists of five main sections and a conclusion. In the introduction, fundamental concepts related to folklore are explained, and general information about the research area, Elmadağ, is provided. The second section defines the concepts of folk medicine and the tradition of ocaklık, explaining the role of the kült within this tradition. The third section presents the healing rituals practiced by the ocaks in the Elmadağ district. The fourth section outlines the healing methods used in Elmadağ. Finally, the last section presents data from a survey conducted in the area regarding the attitudes of Elmadağ residents towards folk medicine practices. According to the findings, the local people continue to preserve and practice these traditional healing methods while maintaining folk medicine practices and the lodge tradition. Among the key informants identified in the region were healers practicing treatments for conditions such as pain binding, adenitis, tonsil diseases, copper press, bulgur sprinkling, paralysis rubbing, gelincik, belly pulling, eye boil, dog elbow, fear, köstün, neck cracking, lead pouring, evil eye, thrush, parpılama, jaundice cutting, warts, and temre. The data obtained from interviews with these healers have been evaluated within the framework of context-centered theories, including the performance theory and functional folklore theory. When considering the folk medicine healing rituals and the lodge tradition within the scope of traditional knowledge in the field of folklore, it was found that folk medicine practices and healing rituals associated with lodges continue in the villages of Elmadağ district. To transfer this traditional knowledge to future generations, qualitative research methods, such as unstructured interviews and observation, and quantitative research methods, such as surveys, were used. As a result of the study, it was determined that the folk medicine and lodge tradition continues in the Elmadağ district, and these rituals are diversifying and being preserved within the social context.