Abstract
A Mirror of the Karachai-Balkar People: The Poem of Aktamak
Karachay-Balkar Turks, a minor Turkic tribe, has a rich oral literature. However, their written literature began as late as in 1917 with Ismail Semen being one of most important and prominent Karachay-Balkar writers. Ismail Semen is considered to be the last major representative of oral literature, and is one of first authors of written literature at the same time. In fact, Ismail Semen, is also seen as one of the first artists of Karachay-Balkar literature through the topics of his works and their effect on his contemporaries, as well as his being a typical poet-singer because of oral reciting of his poems rather than writing them on paper. “Aktarmak” a poem that his wrote for his wife, Anisat, in a period of 22 years, is believed to be his seminal work. Even even some parts have been forgotten or lost, it is still a rather voluminous literary work. Besides expressing love for his wife, Ismail Semen also mentions Karachay-Balkar nation’s traditions, life views and lifestyles, as well as the geography of the region. For this reason, the poem Aktamak is significant in terms of introducing a nation that is devoted to the love theme. The poem is still widely used among Karachay-Balkar people, through reading and reciting in the same way their author did. This paper investigates Ismail Semen’s work in terms of traditions, beliefs, and life style of Karachay-Balkar people.<
Keywords
Karachay-Balkar Literature, Karachay-Balkar custom and usages, İsmail Semen, Aktamak.