ABSTRACT:
also available at
http://aton.swco.ttu.edu/kilavuzlar.asp
This work is intended to explore Kelošlan, an archetype in Turkish Oral Narrative. All archetypes are created by people from the intellectual wealth of their environment. The process may be akin to crystals forming in nature. Upon a seed character, structurally kindred layers may be deposited, over time, to enlarge the entity until it reaches the heights of international renown. Many an archetype is known and loved around the world. In West Texas, where the Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative is located in the bosom of Texas Tech University, some archetypes are more immediately recognizable: Maverick (of San Antonio), Judge Roy Bean (of Pecos), Thomas Lubbock (the Colonel of Texas Rangers during the Civil War, brother of Francis Lubbock, the Governor of Texas), all of the well known Texans pre- and post-Alamo, Will Rogers (a satirist from the neighborhood of South Plains), The Masked Rider (mascot of Texas Tech) immediately come to mind.
All of the South Plains archetypes listed above are all drawn from real flesh-and- bones type of individuals. Moreover, all were men of action. The archetypes of the Turkish Oral Narrative generally have a longer historical background, and, as their tales attest, are compelled to take action against real or perceived injustices. In most cases, the Turkish archetypes primarily function as teachers or teaching tools, continually adapting to changing conditions and periods.
