Zeitschrift für die Welt der Türken (Dec 2016)
VOWING IN ANŞA BACILILAR
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to assess the ritual of vowing with a functional approach in the case of Anşa Bacılılar. The paper also aims at revealing the functions carried out by the ritual of vowing in the community life. The study has been conducted with a ethnographic method in the villages of Tokat-Zile and Yozgat-Çekerek, all of which are affiliated with the community of Anşa Bacılı. The ethnographic field survey has been performed in two separate periods of time. Having been carried out between April 2009 and April 2012, the first generally took the daily life of Anşa Bacılılar as topic. The second one between May 2014 and July 2015 mostly focused on the vowing beliefs and rituals of Anşa Bacılılar. The data was compiled with participatory observation and in-depth interviews for both the field surveys. Having been classified according to the determined categories, all the data was then characterized and assessed with a functionalist point of view. In the offerings of vow and lokma among Anşa Bacılılar, a kind of exchange the essence of which depends on the principle 'do ut des' is observed, and it is concluded that there is a mutual agreement between the individual and holiness via a sanctified gift. At the end of this agreement, thanksgiving sacrifice is applied.
