The Legend of MEVLANA

In generosity and helping others BE LIKE A RIVER, In compassion and grace BE LIKE SUN, In anger and fury BE LIKE A DEAD, In concealing others faults BE LIKE NIGHT, In modesty and humility BE LIKE EARTH, In tolerance BE LIKE SEA, EITHER EXIST AS YOU ARE OR BE AS YOU LOOK
In his dream, TOMTOM sees himself in totaly white clothes and revolving around himself endlessly with the joy of a peaceful music. While still in his dream he sees an exotic wise old man who is also revolving like Tom Tom himself and telling him: O son, listen to my wise seven advices , take them and propagate them to all the children of the world for whom I hold a profound love:

And Tom Tom wakes up from his pleasant dream and in a big wonder he makes a research for his dream to learn that the wise old man in his dream is Mevlana, a Turkish sufist philosopher whose name was declared to be the year of Mevlana for the year 2007 by UNESCO.

Tom Tom wants to learn more about Mevlana and Turkey, thus sets on a journey to Turkey. Tom Tom comes to Turkey and visits Mevlanas tomb in Konya( a city in central Anatolia).

The Legend of Nasreddin Hodja

While strolling in this city, TOMTOM comes across with another wise old man who is a legendary humorist Turkish character: Nasreddin Hodja( Hodja means Teacher in Turkish).

Tom Tom sees this man putting yoghurt from a pot into the lake. He approaches in wonder and asks Hodja what he is trying to do and gets the answer: I am yeasting yoghurt into the lake. Tom Tom is really perplexed with this answer and tells Hodja that he cannot yeast the lake with yoghurt. Hodja gives a humorous and thought provoking answer: What if it happens and all the lake turns into yoghurt.

Tom Tom likes Hodja, because he is humorous and philosophical, and wants to travel with Hodja in Turkey and listen to some legends and stories from Hodja.

Hodja says okay to Tom Tom, but wants to learn Tom Toms name, because names and their meanings are important in Turkish culture says Hodja and hereupon begins to tell Tom Tom the legend of BOGACHKHAN.

The Myth of Boahan

. In ancient Turkish culture,

children werent given a name unless they achieved a triumph or something appreciated to prove that they deserved a name. One of the ancient Turkish tribe leader had such a nameless child.

This boy once encountered with a very strong bull( in Turkish: BOA) which could kill anybody, and began wrestling with the bull. The bull was forcing the child fiercely. The child was about to fall down, then he thought that it would be the best to use his brains, and he began to pull at the bull toward himself as possible as he could. He pulled and pulled the bull and then suddenly let it fall down, so he defeated the bull and deserved a name, thus they named him BOGACHKHAN( Khan was an old name given to the tribal leaders meaning: an exalted person).

Tom Tom loved this legend and thought that Turkish children are

brave and intelligent. Then Hodja told Tom Tom another legend somehow similar to this one. This was the legend of Tepegoz.

The Myth ofTepegz

Many years ago people in Oghuz people (Ancient Turkish) lived happily in their tents.

There was an OLD WISE MAN. People called him DEDEKORKUT. He played Turkish musical instrument KOPUZ and gave important messages.

Tepegoz was a half human half monster kind of creature. He was called Tepegoz because he had only one eye on his head. He was a giant and he frightened people, ate them and their sheep. The people were harassed by Tepegoz. Nobody could do anything.

One day, a boy called Basat fought against the TEPEGZ and he killed him, thus he saved all people.

While traveling, Tom Tom and Hodja encounter with people and children playing happily and revolving around a campfire. Tom Tom wonders why these people are revolving around the fire and singing songs and enjoying themselves. Hodja tells that this is Newruz Festival which is also a legend about the arrival of the spring. Newruz means a NEW DAY, so people celebrate it every spring with dances and joy.He begins to teel the legend.

The Legend of ERGENEKON NEVRUZ

According to this legend, while the ancestors of Turks were migrating to Anatolia, they came up with high mountains. They lit a huge fire and melt the iron of the mountains and made a hole so that they could cross the opposite side of the mountain.

When they passed through the mountain on 21st of March,the SPRING came, the nature revived and they started a new day = NEVRUZ.Namley, they started a new life.

From then on, every 21st March is celebrated as SPRING FESTIVAL called NEVRUZ = NEW DAY by Turkish people. People rejoice the revival of the spring becasue this means a new life. In this festivals, they come together, kids play games happily and they have picnics,prepare traditional foods light fire and cherish around it.

TOMTOM listened the story and liked spring fastival = NEVRUZ.

23rd APRIL CHILDRENS DAY

TOMTOM come across a lot of children, all wearing colorful clothes and enjoying happily. There are nearly every child from every nation, and they all are in Turkey and celebrating 23rd April Childrens Day, which is a formal special holiday bestowed to children by the founder of Turkish Republic, Atatrk, and is celebrated every year by the children in Turkey with the participation of some children all over the world.

The Legend of CHAYDA-CHIRA

After traveling a lot and listening to many interesting legends and stories Tom Tom and Hodja arrive in Elaz, an eastern city in Turkey where we the Turkish team come from. Here Tom Tom sees that a group of man and woman are wearing traditional clothes and dancing with candles in their hands, but with a sad music.

TOM
TOM danced AYDA IRA, too.
Hodja says Yes, this is a traditional dance in memoriam of a sad legend.

According to this legend long years ago, near the Lake Hazar two lovers meet secrectly at nights.The girl is one side of the lake, the boy is at the across. The girl lit a tinder ( a kind of candle) in order to show her place to her lover. The boy swm through the lake and they meet. One day the cruel father of the girl saw his daughter going to the lake at night and learnt their relationship and made a insidious plan and put out the fire of the tinder with some water. The boy couldnt see his way and he drawn. The girl saw this and cried, then she jumped to the lake and she drawn, too. Everybody in the village was very sorry for the lovers and they continued this tradition by AYDA IRA DANCE AND ITS MORNFUL MUSIC.

Tom Tom was happy because of being in Turkey and visiting diffrent places and listening to interesting legends. He thanked Hodja and said that Turkey is a very beautiful country with its historical places, traditions and culture and brave and intellient children.

GOOD BYE!

Thank you Hodja, I like Turkey, see you!