Transition period traditions and practices of Ankara Kahramankazan in the context of Turkish folk beliefs

This master's thesis, titled "Transition Period Traditions and Practices of Ankara Kahramankazan in the Context of Turkish Folk Beliefs", discusses the beliefs and practices formed during the transition periods in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara province. This study includes the compilation of the practices that took shape depending on Turkish folk beliefs, the classification of the practices according to the structural characteristics of the rites of the transition period, the interpretation of the practices by going down to their historical and mythological origins, and the evaluation of the practices with theoretical approaches. It includes the compilation of the practices shaped by Turkish folk beliefs, classification of the practices based on structural characteristics of the rites of the transition period, interpretation of the practices with historical and mythological origins, and the evaluation of the practices with theoretical approaches. In addition to determining the folk medicine treatment methods in the practices, and documenting the data collected in the field to be handed down to the next generations by defining the differences between the past and today, photographing various practices as a tangible cultural heritage are other elements that forms to the content of the study. The transition periods, which are the subject of the study, were determined as "birth, marriage, military service, pilgrimage, and death". The practices formed in the transition periods were separated and examined by following A. Van Gennep's three-stage model: preliminal, liminal, and postliminal periods. All the neighborhoods and villages of the Kahramankazan district of Ankara were included in the scope of the study. Various compilation activities were carried out in the settlements included in this scope, and in the meantime, the "observation" and "interview" methods of folkloristica were used. In the study, the interview data collected from the sample was recorded, and written resources were used. Naturalistic observation and participant observation were used for this. Visuals related to practices were taken from the field and included in the study. Within the study, comprehending all times, the determined beliefs and practices about the transition periods were associated with the past and today. The data between the historical period and today were compared and interpreted. This revealed what kind of changes the explored practices have undergone historically. Since the beliefs of the Turkic peoples, which constitute the context of the study, are the source of some practices, it benefitted from studies on Turkic mythology. Through this, the practices identified in the district were evaluated using mythology. Under the headings of the study, conceptual information is provided based on previous studies on the subject. It is aimed at sharing general information about beliefs and practices. Following this, in the context of Turkish folk beliefs, which is the subject of the study, the traditions and practices of the transition periods in Kahramankazan were analyzed. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the beliefs and practices related to the transition periods in the district have decreased and disappeared over time. This study is aimed to prevent the loss of values over time and to ensure that the data on the subject are recorded and bequeathed to future generations.