Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Village plays

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Strengthening collective wisdom and solidarity in the community. Celebration of natural cycles, transmission of socio-cultural values, and entertainment in traditional communities.

Village plays (Koy Seyirlik Oyunlari), known as “villager theatre”, are ceremonial plays performed to celebrate the new year, and for wealth and health under the name of “making play” “performing a play” on certain days of the year. These plays are performed in homes in winter as well as in open spaces. Village plays, with a structure of presentational theatre, are presented all together. In other words, they are played to villagers by villagers who deal with this activity. Therefore, the audience is in the play.

As they are played continously on certain days, for specific aims, the villagers know the subjects. These plays, which have been inherited from traditional societies, were consciously performed to generate and sustain a productive life, and for expressing gratitude to supernatural forces, to God, or the gods.

These plays, which are based in different beliefs and myths, have traces of old Anatolian civilizations, of cultural elements that people living in Anatolia have brought from Middle East, and the those of a cultural synthesis of Islamic elements that have been combined with other elements following the acceptance of Islam. These shows are examples of traditional theatre. These are functions in social and religious aspects rather than the art aspect.

These shows are made up of plays in which daily activities (such as the tinner, barber, ploughing etc.) and the animals (camel, bear, fox, eagle etc.), are imitated. Plays that are performed for the change of seasons and years, and plays that are performed for generating wealth and fertility (collecting sheep taxes, ceremonies of adding a ram, jamel play etc.), and plays to make the rain fall (rain charm bride). For example: Jamel Play: is played on the first day when the seed is thrown into the soil.

Adding a ram: is controlling the period of bringing forth young of the animals’ babies, since they are vulnerable to cold and hunger in winter. This is kind of a season celebration. Face of the camel, face of the sheep is played when the baby in the womb of the animal is beginning to grow fur. Also plays are played in order to spend time and entertain largely in the winter months. Village plays continue to feed the culture of local people by having fun and spending time together, adding new values in times of changing circumstances.

Reference: KARADAG, Nurhan Köy Seyirlik Oyunlari (Village Plays) Is Bankasi Cultural, Tisa Printing House, Ankara 1978.

• Culture
  • Art & Celebration

• http://www.turkishculture.org/performing-arts/theatre/folk-plays/village-plays-667.htm?type=1
• http://dergiler.ankara.edu.tr/dergiler/13/905/11574.pdf
• http://turkoloji.cu.edu.tr/HALKBILIM/erman_artun_koy_seyirlik_oyunlari_muzelenmesi.pdf