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The following is a post which I had linked to my previous one on Bursa and the Great Mosque, an exquisite example of Ottoman artchitecture. I received numerous comments in personal messages suggesting I should repost it. Much has changed since two years of my original post - the best of which has been my opportunity to visit Karagöz Müzesi in Bursa last July, and to delight in an up close look at not only the two main characters who have entertained millions of children and adults for centuries, but also their companions in their almost life-sized, colourful costumes.
Here is the story of Karagöz and Hacivat, followed by a demonstration of making these puppets out of leather. But first allow me to introduce some of the secondary characters.
Civan
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French Puppet
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Nigar
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Some of these marionettes were given as gifts by the ambassadors of other countries some of which are shown. They too have taken their place of honour along their forefathers, the unimitable, delightful, unforgettable duo, born in Bursa. Today they live not only in our memories, but also in a beautiful museum along with all their friends and their paraphernalia.
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Karagöz and Hacivat are part of the folklore of a brief childhood I spent in Turkey, and they make up the threads of tapestry of who I am today. Perhaps it is the wonder of my child's eyes, or the uniqueness of these outrageous characters which performed on a shadow stage that have influenced me so much that when I look back, I fill with nostalgia and amazement at the creativity and the origins that I never questioned when I watched them with my parents. As an adult, I like learning and spreading about my roots and culture as much as possible.
According to Evliya Celebi, a 17th century Turkish writer, Karagöz was first performed at the Ottoman palace during the reign of Sultan Bayezid I (1389-1402). These two characters are said to be based on real people who lived during the reign of Orhan Bey (1324-1360). At that time Bursa was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and a mosque was being built in the city. Among the labourers were Karagöz and Hacivat who kept distracting each other and the other workers by their witty repartee. The result of this was that the construction of the mosque took far longer than it was planned. When the Sultan heard about this, he was angry and ordered Karagöz and Hacivat to be executed.
This saddened the townspeople who dearly missed the duo. Thus a man named Seyh Kusteri made images of Karagöz and Hacivat from camel hide and started performing puppet shows.
Over time Karagöz came to represent the common man on the street- trying to look forthright and trustworthy. He is virtually illiterate, often unemployed, nosy, tactless, often deceitful and inclined to lewd talk. Like his European counterpart Pulcinella, he frequently resorts to violence, and beats Hacivat and the other characters.
Karagöz literally means “black eye”. He is the illiterate, uneducated but witty hero of the Turkish shadow play. He often gets the better of his gentle friend Hacivat, who, despite his education and refinement, is no match for Karagöz's wit and street savvy. These two characters have fascinated Turkish audiences for centuries by their antics, which on the surface look like simple everyday plots.
On a deeper level, however, they represent the society at large. Karagöz represents the public morals and common sense. He is the ordinary man in the street – straightforward, reliable but often kind of rude. One can recognize him by his turban, his bald head and his black beard. His character is dyed more in green tones. Illiterate and usually unemployed, he embarks on money earning projects that never work. He is not refined at all. Hacivat, on the other hand, is educated in Islamic theology, speaks an Ottoman Turkish and a literary, poetic language besides being extremely intelligent. The artists have selected more red dyes to distinguish him.
The shadow play puppets are semi-transparent, colored with Indian ink or natural dyes, and have jointed limbs. Light from a lamp behind the stage reflects their images onto a muslin curtain, around which there's a border of floral material. This curtain is known as the ayna (mirror) and the light as a sem'a (candle), which consists of an oil lamp with a cotton wick or a string soaked in beeswax.
The puppets are made from camel or water buffalo hide. The hide is worked until it is semi-transparent and then it's cut into the desired shape with a special knife, before it's painted with vegetable pigments. The joints are made by threading gut strings through the perforations made with a special needle. The puppets are usually 14 to 16 inches high.
Karagöz plays consist of four parts - the introduction with Hacivat's entrance moving to the rhythm of the tambourine; his singing a song and reciting a prayer; calling Karagöz to the stage for some entertainment and declaring that he is searching for a friend. Then Karagöz makes his entrance and the play and complication (entertainment) start. Of course, at some point in the play, there's always a fight.
There other characters such as the drunkard Tuzsuz Deli Bekir carrying a wine bottle; Uzun Efe with his long neck; Kanbur Tiryaki the hunchback opium addict with his pipe; Alti Karis Beberuhi the eccentric dwarf; the half-witted Denyo; the spendthrift Civan, and Nigar, who spends her time chasing after men.
There is one puppeteer, known as Karagözcü, assisted by an apprentice, who installs the curtain and presents the puppets in order of their appearance. The apprentice learns his craft from the master, and eventually sets up on his own. In the past, the apprentice was assisted by the sandikkar, responsible for the chest (or sandik) which held all the equipment.
The songs were sung by another member of the team, known as the yardak, and the tambourine was played by the dairezen. Before the advent of cinema and radio, Karagöz shadow plays were one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Turkey.
Today a limited number of artists continue the studies related to the art of Hacivat and Karagöz, and they are conducted by the Presidency of Turkey National Center of International Puppet and Shadow Play Union UNIMA and the Ministry of Culture.
My other posts on Turkish culture can be found here and here.
Here is a video demonstrating the making of shadow puppets from skin.
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All words and images are the intellectual property of Füsun Atalay© 2012
Location: Bursa, TURKEY
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Füsun Atalay ~ Author of Will of my Own - ©2009
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The original title of the post is "Out of the Shadows"
Below are the original readers' comments and my replies.
. . .
Comments
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FusanA is fun to say. The Great Post needs more attention.
I was in Turkey and tried to get to Israel. I was stopped tho.
Border guards said something about No Lebanon baloney?
I loved breakfast meals of yogurt, and tossed barley seeds.
Honey was extra golden with glistening sprinkles of seeds.
I thing folks thought I may be drunken wino T. Deli Beckir?
I still smell the markets. If I was young I'd wander back tho.
I tried to download Stellaa. It's slow. I'd ask scupper to go?
If we rented a canoe She's drift gentle hicks into safe haven?
I was naive in my twenties and oblivious to dangers. Protect?
She or Someone would be a great pilot who was at the helms.
The Global Empire's Greedy few - yes have ruined Everything?
Except those who have not sold the immaterial essence of`Soul.
And what is the name of the instrument that was playing throughout the video?
Little Kate: You are welcome. Every culture has something to offer. I just brushed the surface like an archeologist.
zanelle: Indonesian puppets must have been fascinating - that's how people keep their hisroey going, oral tradition. I'd love to visit Bali in my lifetime.
Thoth: I had a hunch you might like this because of your interest in Turkish culture. It's a tradition that still goes on during Ramadan and other important occasions.
Art James: I didn't know you have ben to Turkey. Then you share the nostalgia and the sounds, smells and tastes with me. Maybe I'll do a post on Tukish Delish by "Haci Bekir" - that's another centuries old story. Thank you for your visit.
bobbot: You are spot on. The stories are universal, they appeal to human conditions: good vs evil; humility vs greed, etc... we can all identify and laugh at ourselves - that's the appeal of these. How wise of you my friend. Thank you for dropping by.
Procopious: I'm so pleased that you stopped by to have a look. With your interest in history I hope to look at my other posts too. Thank you.
Lucy: Thank you, I love what I learn from you too, my friend.
Matt: The names are pronounced on the video clip - but I remember you may have some trouble with that. Actually, Turkish is a very phonetic language.
anna1liese: History and the lore are what give dimension to the puppets and enrich the imagination of the audience. Th eplots are really quite simple otherwise. Thank you for coming by.
Sheila: You are right, and every culture has its own form of expression for the common human experience. It's the human interpretation an imagination which make it it all so fascinating.
femme: Thank you for your support. As long as there is interest, I'll share.
Divorce Bard: A post just awaits for you.
Scanner: You are my best *student* :o) Thank you dear friend.
Jonathan W: Thank you, sir.
Dave: You can find much more on YouTube, if it interests you. Thank you for your visit.
Mimetalker: Apologies for the late reply. I'm so glad you dropped by because I was hoping you would.
Mary Ann: How lucky for your grandchildren ! I'm sure they'll enjoy Rome with you.
Tinkerer: Thank you for R.....ATING!!!!
Heysuz: It's good to see you here. How are you doing?
R
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Comments
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I really enjoyed the history lesson, the cultural aspect and a lost art. :)
Thank you :)
Esteemed Colleague:
I have always had a weakness for puppets, and I have always felt that people of all ages can love them. These two characters clearly represent archetypes that go far beyond their culture and genre, but thank you for showing that culture and genre to us.
No vacation for me this year, but it seems I am getting an interesting tour of Turkey. Thank you!
Puppet shows tell us a lot about what it means to be human.
Rated
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............... *•.¸.•* ♥⋆★•❥ Thanx & Smiles (ツ) & ♥ L☼√Ξ ☼ ♥
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Gorgeous puppets, fantastic history, fascinating video on the art of making those puppets. Thank you for sharing this wealth of knowledge.
Layered and textured.
There are many ways in which I never grew up, not all good, but in this I was most enchanted by the dolls and lingered over their photos. Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the best. I'm still catching up from a week away but am glad I did. Thank you for the post and a few moments of enchantment.
No justification needed.
Thank you dear Lady.
“Arifeniz mubarek olsun Füsun Hanim. Ramazan is now over and your piece was…”
4:47AM
“Füsun Hanim, merhaba Thank you for being a wonderful ambassador for our count…”
August 07, 2012 02:27PM
“Füsun Hanim, Birazdan Iftar açacaz. Karinlarimiz aç ama gö…”
August 02, 2012 01:03PM
“Füsun Hanim: You put up a very nice piece again. You are a lovely ambassador…”
July 31, 2012 02:49PM
“Füsun Hanim, it was an honor meeting you in Konya and finding about your wri…”
July 27, 2012 10:05AM
still rating yourself with alters then.. must be as addicting as heroin or cigarettes for you. but yes, you are very important, precious... special
Off to click on the video link. Thank you for reposting for those like me who missed the first round.