Laments of Women Minstrels

Abstract

The tradition of lamenting is as old as the history of the Turkish nation. This article aims to explain the tradition of lamentation and focus on the places where  lamentations were performed by female minstrels. Investigated Minstrels and Poets are primarily Makbule Leman, Yaşar Nezihe (Bükülmez). Nigâr Hanım, İhsan Raif Hanım, Şükûfe Nihal, Emine Hanım, Hasibe Ramazanoğlu, Hasibe Hatun, Dudu Karabıyık, Âşık Derdimend (Fatma Oflaz). Fatma Behice Batur, Ozan Şah Turna, Minstrel Sürmelican (Kaya), Gülhanım Yıldırım, Hatçe Ana (Hatice Şahinoğlu), Dikmenli Emine Şener, Kamanlı Minstrel Emine Bacı, Minstrel Fatma İnan, Pir Sultan's Daughter Sanem, Minstrel Kevser Ezgili,  Minstrel Ayşe Çağlayan,  Minstrel Yeter Yıldırım, Minstrel Gülhanım Yıldırım, Âşık Nurşah (Durşen Mert). Women minstrels and poets who lived in the last century in Turkiye have contributed to the survival of this tradition by lamenting the painful events that affected them very much.