A cultural analysis on origins of folk dances of Kahta District of Adıyaman province ethimologic origin-scene-musical construct-cultural relation

In this study, a cultural analysis on the etymological origins of the folk dances in the Kahta district of Adiyaman province, its game scenes (choreography), its musical contents, and on the origins of the relations with other elements of the local culture has been carried out. Since culture is a humanitarian element, it constantly evolves by showing an organic feature in its region where it is lived. This development and movement is reflected in local folk dances as well. Folk dances are important cultural products in the whole world and they are a special subject which must be dealt with in the field of dance ethnology along with the ethnology of music, and they have very important cultural codes in their structure due to their visual and auditory qualities. The fact that the data of this thesis study belong to the Kahta region which is known to be close to Mount Nemrut where Godly elements are located in the Commagene Civilization uniting East-West mythologies and which is known to be close to Samsat (Samosat) -one of the oldest settlements in the Anatolian geography- further increases the importance of the study. The theoretical framework of this study consists of cultural analysis of the data of Kahta Folk Dances within the discipline of music and dance ethnology. The methods used in this study have qualitative and descriptive characteristics. The data of the study have been obtained by making literature review, interview, observations, content analysis and musical structure analysis in the framework of ethno musicological framework. The structural origins of the local dances of Kahta district are revealed by analyzing the cultural structures of the cultural codes in data obtained. In the Adiyaman region, Kahta district is one of the places where halay dances are seen most intensely. According to the data obtained from the findings, the folk dances of Kahta are structurally (within the meaning of executive tempo and word meanings) considered in three groups as 'Grani (Slow)', 'Düz (Straight)', and 'Dik (Vertical).' It has been seen that these dances are performed as 'women', 'men' and 'mixed' according to socially their gender roles. Proportionately the highest player gender has been found to be 'mixed.' This is due to the fact that agriculture, animal husbandry and all chores are carried out in the region by women and men collectively, and that the communities living in the region in large tribes share the joy and grief, and that this partnership is shared by both sexes in dance performances. It has been determined that in the subjects of dance performances; the themes of business and production relations within the agricultural activities, social relations, human and nature /animal relations, person names and clothes/jewelry/ accessories are included. It has been observed that the folk dances of Kahta have been performed in contact due to 'halay' practices. Etymologically; Kurdish, Turkish, Persian, Arabic and Greek words linked to ancient Greece/Rome have been found in dances, names and accessories. This situation is closely related to ethnic, demography and historical data in the region. The decision tone in the melody notes, strong voice (if available), changer sign(s), chord progression, volume sonore, method, the metronome used in execution, and the elements such as the sound sequence which constitutes the melody have been dealth with in such a way as to reveal cultural analysis in the analysis of musical structure of the melodies, in the forms of traditional Turkish folk music melody. In terms of musical structure, it has been seen that folk dance melodies of the Kahta region generally have 'A (La)' reversion sound, 'D (Re)' strong sound, 'Si flat2' changer sign, and accordingly 'Uşşak' chord progression, and that they are performed between the values of 5-6 sound width, with comprised of 2/4 scales and between 100 and 120 metronome values. It has been found that dance songs with verbal version have generally Turkish and Kurdish variants, that these words are not used in dance performances so often, that the melodic structure in melodies are in the foreground, and that verbal melodies are less preferred. Key Words: Adiyaman, Kahta, Folk Dances, Dance Ethnology, Cultural Analysis.