The cult of ancestors in the Turkish culture

This thesis deals with the structure and functions of the cult of ancestors in the Turkish culture and there are six chapters and a introduction. Studies on the cult of ancestors has been investigated in the first part of the thesis and these have been studied thematically. Domestic and foreign studies on the subject are discussed in this section and six themes have been identified as Theological, Psychological, Descent System/Genetics/Kinship, the Status of Character and Development of the Property Thinking. Also, these are handled chronologically in themselves. Theoretical perspectives examined in these themes have been evaluated with a critical and holistic approach. In the second chapter, a conceptual and theoretical framework has been created. The formation of cults is formulated on the basis of the concepts of center and environment. In this chapter, also, the issue of identity and gender of the ancestors with cult of dead and ancestor are considered in the context of critical approach. In the third part of the thesis, there is information about the cult of ancestors in Turkish myths and belief systems. Also, the relation between religions that Turks accept and the cult of ancestors have been examined in this chapter. In the fourth and fifth chapter of the thesis, the cult of ancestors in faith and practice and oral literature products have been examined and these separated by theme. In the sixth chapter, the state of ancestor cult has been determined in today's society life. In most of the studies dealing with the "cult" issue in Turkish culture, the context has been neglected. Text-centered approaches have been used in these studies. In this study was based on a holistic approach covering material, spiritual and social areas of society. Written, oral, visual, archeological and ethnographic materials as well as cult studies have been used during the research. However, Turkish culture has spread to a wide geographical area, so the materials are in fragments. This is one of the most important limitations of the research. In this framework, the samples representing the area have been selected and compared. As a result, The general structure of the cult of Turkish ancestors has been determined and its significance in mythological research has been put forward.