An Ethnopedagogical Examination of Ashik Senlik's Heroic Poems in Terekeme Culture

Abstract

Culture, which includes values ​​such as language, religion, history, art, music, sports, folklore, customs, traditions, economy, law, science, ethics, and aesthetics, contributes to the continuity of societies. Turkish culture is one of the oldest and richest cultures in world history. One of the important elements of our cultural values ​​is the folk poets. Folk poets have played a unique role in educating, enlightening, and guiding the people, making a unique contribution to cultural transmission. They have helped the young and adults of the society to grow up as individuals suitable for the ideal. The culture of the Terekeme Turks, a Turkic tribe of North Caucasian origin, is based on folk literature. This genre is a type of literature that emerged before the acceptance of Islam and was performed orally. One of the most important poets of the 19th century in Turkey is also Âşık Şenlik, of Terekeme origin. He addressed many subjects in his poems, from death, love, pain, heroism to the human inner world. The purpose of this study is to examine the theme of heroism in the poems of Âşık Şenlik from an ethnopedagogical perspective, by considering the cultural values, learning processes, and educational practices of the society he belongs to. In this research, which is a review article, four works of Âşık Şenlik have been examined. It has been revealed that these works include themes such as emphasizing national and moral values, strengthening patriotism, and developing the consciousness of defending the homeland in the young generations.