TÜRK HALK KÜLTÜRÜNDE ÖTEDÜNYA TASAVVURU

Abstract

One of the most prominent questions asked from the beginning of humanity is what happens after death. The answers given to this question by divine religions as well as by primitive communities led to emergence of myths. Mythical heroes ran after dead and looked for remedies for it on behalf of all human beings. Throughout the human history, belief in afterlife has always been present among people. Imaginations of the other world in Turkish cultures have always been rich and systematic. Some of these beliefs are in compliance with Islamic belief. The universe consists of three parts being heaven, earth and underworld. The life goes on in the middle world. The periods before birth and after death are experienced in the other world. Soul comes from the other world and goes back there. In the pre-birth processes and after-death processes, souls of underground and heavens are involved. In folk beliefs, it is seen that there are some souls making birth difficult and facilitating it. After death, the mediator person comes to the scene once more. It helps the journey of the soul. As-sirat (the straight bridge) has been mentioned in the Muslim religion and soul should be helped to pass over it. There are many rituals performed among the folk to please the soul of the dead. There are many precautions taken based on beliefs in afterlife.

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