Cultural elements in Kastamonu folk songs

When we look at the process of humanity from the past to the present, it is evident that the geography they live in and the culture around them have shaped their lives. Traditions, customs, beliefs, clothing, eating habits, and other cultural practices are features that reflect the cultural structure. As humans exist within this culture from the cradle to the grave, they also carry this culture to future generations. Folk songs are important tool for expressing the joys, sorrows, pains, hopes, and despair of societies. In this study, the folk songs of the Kastamonu region, which constitute a part of the oral tradition and the most significant carriers and reflectors of Turkish folk culture, have been examined. The folk songs of Kastamonu, included in the "Repertuar Türküleri Külliyatı" (REPERTÜKÜL), were prepared based on the TRT Turkish Folk Music Repertoire, were identified and classified in terms of cultural elements. The purpose of the study is to contribute to future research on Kastamonu's regional music, Turkish culture, and Turkish folklore studies by analyzing these folk songs. In this context, cultural elements such as tradition, customs, clothing, eating habits, and beliefs found in the folk songs were analyzed. The thesis consists of twenty chapters: "Introduction", "Folk Song", "Transitional Periods", "Applications Related to Daily Life", "Entertainment", "Economy", "Clothing", "Folk Beliefs", "Officials and Social Layers", "Material Culture", "Folk Cuisine", "Folk Medicine", "War and Army", "Names", "Landforms", "Numbers", "Colors", "Idioms", "Vocabulary of the Kastamonu Region", and "Conclusion". In the "Introduction" section, the subject, aim, significance, method, scope, and limitations of the research were explained, and general information about the Kastamonu region was provided. In the second section titled as "Folk Song", the concept of folk songs, their characteristics, classification, functions, and their relationship with culture were discussed. In the main part of the thesis, which consists of sixteen chapters examining cultural elements in Kastamonu folk songs, the cultural elements found in the folk song texts were classified and presented in tables, their frequencies were determined, and interpreted. The "Conclusion" section presents the findings drawn from the folk songs. There are 83 broken air songs, 8 long air songs, 3 dance songs, and 2 non-repertoire songs from the Kastamonu region in the TRT repertoire. Since the lyrics of 3 dance songs and 1 non-repertoire folk song were not available, 92 folk songs were examined. Among the cultural elements studied in this research, "mountain" stands out. Due to the geographical conditions, the "mountain" is used in its literal sense. Tree species are rarely mentioned in the folk songs, while animal names are frequently used, with the nightingale standing out. It is often used alongside the rose. As for water, streams are most commonly mentioned. Among colors, black, white, and red are most frequently used, and the numbers, two and three are also prevalent. The abundance of words related to war and the army is also notable. Place names, primarily the name of Kastamonu and its districts, appear often. Among relative names, mother (ana/anne) is most frequent, and for time-related terms, evening, morning, and night are the most commonly used. The dialectical features of the Kastamonu region are preserved in the folk songs. Expressions used in Kastamonu such as "hanbar" (warehouse), "sergü" (tablecloth), "zabah" (morning), "ağşam" (evening), "yay" (bow), "gözel" (beautiful), "gövercin" (dove), "hozurda" (a buzzing sound), and "hadindi" (come on) have also been identified in the songs.