Turkish Riddles - PowerPoint Presentation

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Turkish Riddles

Bilmeceler

Prepared by Mukades Sahin

A Deep Approach to Turkish Teaching and LearningWisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Riddling in Turkey has been viewed as a game, that is, as a leisure activity, by most folklorists: Riddling is a game; riddling is a mild, intellectual stimulus,” or “Riddling is a pure and innocent game activity of women and children.” (p.1)

[However] the more Turkish society is modernized, the more riddling loses its role in the society and develops into a mere pastime. (p.1)

The view which considers riddling as a leisure time activity is based on research made in large cities and observations of riddling in the more industrially developed part of society. (p.1)

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Riddling played a big role in traditional Turkish society. People of the countryside told riddles when they engaged in group labor

(imece)

, such as ginning cotton, picking hazelnuts, and cracking walnuts. People who tell riddles reported that riddling “makes work easy, and helps them to concentrate their energy.” (p.2)

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Women gathering, Karaburun, photo I. Druc 2010

Making bread, Karaburun, photo I. Druc 2010Slide4

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In Turkey, traditional riddling was a real contest between two teams, and a penalty was levied on the losers.

The side which failed to solve the given riddle would offer something real or symbolic value to the winners, such as tea, a dinner party or the key to heaven.

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In Turkish folktales and folk stories riddles are very important. Characters are given genuine rewards and penalties based on their ability to find the correct answer to the riddle. The heroes of Turkish folktales can save their lives or marry women of higher social status by correctly answering a very difficult riddle.

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Photo I. Druc 2009Slide6

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Riddling was an important part of social life in Istanbul as late as 20

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century. In coffee houses in Istanbul, men competed against each other in their riddle telling abilities in front of a sizeable audience. They were judged by their speed, effectiveness, and courage. These contests would take place during the month of Ramadan, and last until the time of early morning meal of Ramadan, a.k.a. sahur.

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Photo I. Druc 2009

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In the next couple slides, you will find a number of Turkish riddles. You can

read them to familiarize yourself with this literary canon,listen to the audio files to practice pronunciation, or

tease your brain to guess the answers to the riddles (they are given in slide 10). 7

Photo, I. Druc, 2008Slide8

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Kuyruğu var, at değil

Kanadı var, kuş değil

Dumanı tüter

İstese gider

Balık değildir

Denizde yüzer

Ben giderim, o gider

Önümde tin tin eder

Hacca giden hacıdır

Gitmeyen duacıdır

Dal verir budak vermez

Bu neyin ağacıdır

Avrupa’da yok,

Asya’da hiç yok,

Amerika’da bir tane,

Türkiye’de üç tane

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Dudağa değer ucu

Ne getirdin a bacı

Kuruyan ağızların

Hepsi sana duacı

Yarım kaşık

Duvara yapışık

Mavi atlas

İ

ğne batmaz

Terzi biçmez

Makas kesmezSlide9

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It has a tail, but it isn’t a horse

It has wings, but it isn’t a bird

(balık)

Its edges touch the lips

Hey (my) sister, what did you bring us?

All of the dry mouths

Pray for you

Her smoke rises

(and) she goes as she wishes

She is not a fish

(but) she swims in the sea

(gemi)

There isn’t one in Avrupa (Europe)

Not even one in Asya (Asia)

There is only one in Amerika (America)

(and) there are three in Türkiye (Turkey)

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(nokta)

A half spoon

(that is) attached to a wall

(kulak)

It goes with me as I go

It sounds like "tap tap" in front of me

(baston)

Blue atlas

(on which) a needle doesn't penetrate

(That is something) a tailor cannot saw

(or something) that scissors cannot cut

(gökyüzü)

The person who goes on a pilgrimage is a pilgrim

The ones who don't go, just pray (to be able to go)

It shoots branches, yet it doesn't bloom

What kind of tree is that?

(geyik)

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(bardak)Slide10

Here are examples on how riddles are used in contemporary times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKFs2r9lYCg

(A blurb from an old Turkish comedy that uses riddles)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKFs2r9lYCg (A song entitled Bilmece Bildirmece (1971) by a famous singer Ajda Pekkan.)

10İyi seyirler!Slide11

References

Numaralarına göre fotograflar:

1. Yılmaz, Fevziye. Bilmece Bildirmece

. İstanbul: Timaş Yayınları, 2005.2. En Güzel Bilmeceler. İstanbul: 2011.3.

Zeka Geliştirici Bilmeceler Tekerlemeler. Ünlü Yayınevi. 4. Sümer, Mehmet Kadri. Bilmece Bildirmece

. Ankara: Ünlü Yayınevi, 2007.5. Suavi, Cüneyt. Küçük Yaştaki Adamlara Büyük Boyda Bilmeceler

. İstanbul: Zafer Yayınları, 2000.

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Oldfield, A. C. and Tochon, F. V. (2011). Türkçe ve Azeri Arasinda Köprüler Kurmak / Bridging Turkish with Azerbaijani: Music and Musicians - Azeri Folklore in the 20th Century. Module 13 Advanced Level. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER). http://deepapproach.wceruw.org/index.html (February 15th, 2012).

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Tunç, Y. and Tochon, F.V. (2010). Turkish Cuisine and Culture / Türk Mutfaği ve Mutfak Kültürü. Module 5, Intermediate level. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER).http://deepapproach.wceruw.org/index.html (February 15

th

, 2012).

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February 14

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, <2012 http://www.parkdo.com/default.asp?id=71>. 

Information about Turkish riddles retrieved from the following

source

Başgöz

, İlhan. "Functions of Turkish Riddles." Journal of the Folklore Institute Vol. 2, No. 2 (Jun., 1965), pp. 132-147 06 1965. February 14th, 2012 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3813831>.

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