Âşık Veysel

Âşık Veysel
Photograph of Âşık Veysel, c. 1950
Background information
Birth name	Veysel Şatıroğlu
Born	October 25, 1894 Sivrialan, Şarkışla, Sivas, Ottoman Empire
Died	March 21, 1973(1973-03-21) (aged 78) Sivrialan, Şarkışla, Sivas, Turkey
Genres	Turkish folk music
Occupation(s)	Ashik poet
Instrument(s)	Bağlama
Years active	1894-1973
Spouse(s)	Esma Hanım (m. 1919) Gülizar Ana (m. 1927)

Âşık Veysel (Turkish: [aː'ʃɯk βej'sel]; born Veysel Şatıroğlu (Turkish: /ʃa:tɯ'ɾoːɫu/); 25 October 1894 – 21 March 1973) was a Turkish Alevi ashik, bağlama virtuoso, and folk poet. He was born and died in the village of Sivrialan, Sivas Province, in the Ottoman Empire (later Turkey). Blind since the age of 7, Veysel's songs were typically melancholic, and dealt with a range of themes revolving around morality, love, faith, life and death, patriotism, nature, and his own perception of the world as a blind man.

Veysel is considered one of the most prominent icons of Turkish folk music and literature. Among his most popular folk songs are "I Walk on a Long and Narrow Road" (Turkish: Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım); "Black Earth" (Turkish: Kara Toprak); "Let My Friends Remember Me" (Turkish: Dostlar Beni Hatırlasın) and "Your Beauty is Worth Nothing" (Turkish: Güzelliğin On Para Etmez). In 2022, Veysel was posthumously awarded a Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the "loyalty" category. In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Veysel was recommended to UNESCO for a year of commemoration, backed by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Biography

Family

Veysel Şatıroğlu was born in Sivrialan, an Anatolian village in Sivas Province, on 25 October 1894, the son of Gülizar Keçecigillerden and Ahmet "Karaca" Şatıroğlu, a farmer. He was his parents' fifth child. These included two elder sisters, both of whom died in infancy of smallpox; and two brothers, one of whom died in infancy, and the other in a childhood accident. Only one brother, Ali, survived to adulthood. Veysel's birth was later followed by that of a younger sister, Elif.

Veysel's ancestry is not well-known. His ancestors are known to have migrated to Anatolia from Central Asia, eventually settling in Sivrialan when his grandfather, Ali, established a farm there.

The family surname was initially Ulu, but was legally changed in 1934 to Şatıroğlu, the family nickname, after the passage of the Turkish Surname Law.

Childhood: 1894–1904

Veysel's exact date of birth is disputed. It is typically given as 25 October, but the precise day is unknown; the best estimates suggest he was born in the autumn of 1894. He spent his entire childhood in his home village of Sivrialan.

Birth

According to Veysel's mother, Gülizar, she gave birth to Veysel on the way home from milking cows. Unable to reach Sivrialan in time, she delivered Veysel by the roadside and cut the umbilical cord herself, using a rock.

As all but one of Gülizar and Ahmet's previous children had died of smallpox, their newborn son was taken to Mount Beserek, a nearby mountain mentioned in local folklore. There, he was named Veysel, after the 6th century Islamic martyr Owais al-Qarani (called Veysel Karanî in Turkish)--Veysel's parents thought this name would compliment their older son Ali.

Blindness

In 1901, a smallpox outbreak struck Sivas. Veysel, aged 7, had received new clothes from his mother, and went to a nearby house to show it to a friend, Muhsine Kadın. On the way home, Veysel slipped in the mud, hurting his hand, and was unable to get up. It was discovered that Veysel had contracted smallpox. A smallpox scar developed in his left eye, leaving him blind on that side. Not long after this, Veysel's father Karaca, returning home one day from milking cows, accidentally pierced his son's right eye with a stick he was holding (probably a cattle prod), rendering Veysel completely blind for the rest of his life. In later life, Veysel also speculated that the blindness of his right eye was exacerbated by the additional strain placed on it by the left.

Veysel's parents were advised to see an ophthalmologist in nearby Akdağmadeni, 71 km (44.1 miles) from Sivrialan, but were too poor to do so. In a 1950 interview with the folklorist İhsan Hınçer, Veysel recollected the incident differently; in Veysel's memory, the ophthalmologist came to Sivrialan and inspected his eyes, but did not have the necessary tools to help, advising Veysel's parents to go to Sivas for medical aid. Before the trip could be made, however, Veysel was accidentally blinded in the right eye.

Introduction to the saz

Four different sizes of bağlama, or saz. The terms are generally used interchangeably.

Veysel's blindness meant that he was unable to work a farm, one of the only professions in Sivrialan at the time. Unable to attend school, he never learned to read or write. The newly-blinded Veysel relied on the support of his younger sister Elif, who helped him to walk and provided him with constant support. However, Veysel struggled to come to terms with his blindness, and became increasingly withdrawn.

Veysel's situation was a source of constant worry for his father, Ahmet, who feared that his own passing would leave no one to take care of Veysel as an adult. In an effort to console his son, Ahmet read him poems.

In 1904 or 1905, in Ortaköy, Sarkisla, Ahmet bought Veysel a broken three-stringed saz. Asking what it was, Veysel was told that the saz was a gift for his own amusement. He first learned saz from a neighbour, Molla Hüseyin. Whilst he enjoyed the sound, Veysel initially found the saz too difficult to learn, and tried to throw the instrument aside. Ahmet, however, insisted that his son learn; unable to plow, sow, or harvest, the saz was the only way in which Veysel could earn a living. Knowing this, Veysel renewed his efforts.

Early years: 1904–1931

At the age of 15, Veysel was instructed by his father's friend, Çamışıhlı Ali Aga, who taught Veysel the works of Pir Sultan Abdal, Karacaoğlan, Dertli, Rühsati and other great Alevi poets and ashiks of Anatolia. Veysel learned how to use a plectrum, and how to sing and play simultaneously. Having learned to play saz proficiently by the age of 20, Veysel's early years were spent playing the saz for his entertainment alone.

World War I

On 31 October 1914, the Ottoman Empire officially entered World War I. All eligible men between the ages of 20 and 45, including those from Sivrialan, were conscripted and mobilized to the front. Veysel, though desperate to fight, was ineligible due to his blindness, and was obliged to stay home with his parents and saz, whilst Veysel's peers and brother Ali all left the village. Veysel would later describe his inability to join the military as one of the two greatest regrets in his life (the other being when he was denied the chance to meet Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, later President of Turkey). Veysel's misery at having been left behind is commemorated in one of his many poems.

First Marriage

By the end of the War, Veysel's parents were very old. Veysel was by now 25 years old. Continuing to worry about their younger son's future, Veysel's parents arranged a marriage for him with Esma, the daughter of a relative living in the village. Veysel had two children by Esma; their firstborn, Ali Şatıroğlu, died aged just 10 days. Their second child was a daughter, named Elif.

Veysel's mother died on 24 February 1921, followed 8 months later by his father. When Veysel's older brother Ali, also married, had a child of his own, Ali hired a farmhand (ırgat) to help with the housework. One day, when Veysel was sick in bed and Ali was out collecting milkweed, Esma ran away with the servant, leaving Veysel and his six-month-old daughter behind. The child died at the age of two.

Second Marriage

Veysel met Gülizar Ana in a lodge in the Hafik District of Sivas, and married her that same year. They had seven children together, though their son, Hüseyin, died when he was a few months old. The marriage was happy, and lasted until Veysel's death.

Rise to fame: 1931–1935

Veysel met the Sivas National Education Director, Ahmet Kutsi Tecer. Tecer, a literature teacher at Sivas High School, helped to found the Association For Preservation of Folk Poets in 1931. Veysel, whose skill with the saz gave him the potential to be known more widely, caught Tecer's interest.

Sivas Folk Poets Festival

First known photograph of Aşık Veysel, aged 37, taken at the Sivas Folk Poets Festival, 1931.

Tecer organized the Sivas Folk Poets Festival in 1931, inviting many prominent poets and minstrels, including Veysel.

Ankara

In 1933, the Republic of Turkey, which had replaced the Ottoman Empire, was approaching its 10th anniversary. At the behest of Tecer, Veysel, a staunch and lifelong Republican, wrote his first poem, "Atatürk is the Revival of Turkey" (Turkish: Atatürk’tür Türkiye’nin İhyası); prior to this, he had been hesitant to write any poetry. For his effort, Tecer gave Veysel a certificate identifying him as a folk poet.

By this time, Veysel wished to present his poem to Atatürk in person. He and his friend Ibrahim travelled to Ankara together on foot, arriving there after three months of travel. However, Veysel was denied the chance to meet Atatürk . His photograph and an article about his poem were instead published in a local newspaper, Hâkimiyet-i Milliye, on April 3, 1934.

Stardom

Having been denied a meeting wit Atatürk in Ankara, Veysel played saz in other cities and villages to earn a living, also attending minstrel meetings in Çorum, Tokat, Yozgat, Kayseri, Konya, Mersin, Adana, and Istanbul. He was also featured on the radio, making his first appearance with İbrahim on April 15, 1936, and continuing to make appearances in which he recited his poetry, which Veysel had continued to write. One of his radio appearances was attended by Ataturk himself, who was so impressed that he telephoned the radio station from Dolmabahçe, requesting to see Veysel. Veysel, however, could not be found, despite the police's best efforts; by the time Veysel heard the news, it was too late to obtain a meeting with Ataturk.

Saz Teacher: 1941–1946

In 1941, Tecer appointed Veysel as a saz teacher at the Arifiye Village Institute. Veysel also taught saz at the village institutes of Hasanoğlan (1942), Eskişehir Çifteler (1943), Kastamonu Gülköy (1944), Yıldızeli Pamukpınar (1945), and Samsun Ladik Akpınar (1946). Veysel also gave concerts at the village institutes and local community centers.

Later years: 1946–1970

In 1946, Veysel left his post as a saz teacher to establish an orchard in his native Sivrialan.

Commemoration

A jubilee was held for Âşık Veysel in Istanbul (1952) under the leadership of the Turkish Folklore Research Journal (İhsan Hınçer) and with the support of various institutions and organizations. On this night, Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, Bedri Rahmi Eyuboğlu, Mes'ut Cemil, Eflatun Cem Güney and Behçet Kemal Çağlar introduced various aspects of Âşık Veysel. Vedat Nedim Tör, Yaşar Kemal Göğçeli, Ercüment Behzat Lav and Orhon Arıburnu presented examples of the minstrel's poems at the night. A similar jubilee was held in Ankara.

In 1965, Âşık Veysel was rewarded by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with a pension, "for his services to our mother tongue and national unity, from the national service scheme for as long as he lives". Âşık Veysel, II. Sivas Folk Poets Festival (30 October 1964) and Konya II. He participated in the Lovers' Festival (28-30 October 1967). Konya II. He did not participate in the competition on Lovers' Day and served as a jury member. Âşık Veysel fell ill after the concert he gave in Hacı Bektaş district of Nevşehir province on 15 August 1971 and died on 21 March 1973. After his death, 335 thousand liras were collected in a very short time within the campaign launched by Hürriyet newspaper, and 200 thousand liras of this money was used to build Veysel's statue, while the remaining money was used to meet the needs of the school in his village. The house of Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu, located in Sivrialan village, was expropriated by the Ministry of Culture and opened to visitors as a museum in 1982. In 1990, it was decided by the Council of Ministers that Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu's wife, Gülizar Şatıroğlu, who was in need, would be given a pension based on national service.

Final years: 1970–1973

Veysel, who participated in programs organized in various parts of the country on various occasions for years, gave his last concert in Hacıbektaş on 15 August 1971. Veysel, who has become weaker day by day, was diagnosed with lung cancer during his examination. He passed away at 3.30 am on a Nevruz morning on March 21, 1973.

1930s

He met Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, a literature teacher in Sivas High School, who along with his colleagues founded the Association For Preservation of Folk Poets in 1931. On 5 December 1931 they organized the Fest of Folk Poets, which lasted for three days. Veysel's meeting with Ahmet Kutsi Tecer thus marked a turning point in his life.

Until 1933, Veysel played and sang the poems of master ozans. In the tenth anniversary of the Republic, upon the directives of Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, all folk poets wrote poems about the Republic and Mustafa Kemal. Veysel submitted a poem starting with the line "Atatürk is the revival of Turkey...". This poem came into daylight only after Veysel left his village.

Ali Rıza Bey, the mayor of Ağcakışla to which Sivrialan was then affiliated, had much appreciation for Veysel's poem and wanted to send it to Ankara. Veysel said he would like to go to visit the nation's leader, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and traveled to Ankara on foot with his faithful friend İbrahim under tough winter conditions. They arrived in Ankara three months later. Veysel resided with his hospitable friends for forty five days in Ankara. Sadly, he was unable to present his poem to Atatürk. His mother Gülizar said that "He felt bitter regret for two things in life: first not having been able to visit the great leader, and second, not being able to join the army…". However, his poem was printed in a printing house named Hakimiyeti Milliye in Ulus, and was published in the newspaper for three days. Then, he started to travel around the country to perform his poems.

Veysel said the following about this time in his life:

We left the village. We could arrive in Ankara only in three months after having passed through the villages of Yozgat, Çorum and Çankırı. We did not have enough money to stay at a hotel. We thought a lot about "What to do? Where to go". People told us, "Here lives a Pasha from Erzurum. He is a very hospitable man". The Pasha had a house built in the then called Dağardı (that is now known as the Quarter of Atıf Bey). We went there. This man really put us as a guest in his house. We stayed there a couple of days. At that date, there were no trucks or anything in Ankara, like today. Everything was run by horse carriages. We met a man named Hasan Efendi who had horse carriages. He took us to his house. We stayed at his house for forty-five days. During our stay there, we used to go out, ramble around and return to the house, and we used to see that he prepared our dinner, our bed and everything. Then I told him:

―Hasan Efendi, we are not here to ramble around! We have a tale. We would like to give this to Mustafa Kemal. How can we do that? What can we do?

He said:

―To tell you the truth, I don't know about such things. There is a deputy here. His name is Mustafa but I cannot remember his surname. We have to tell this to him. May be, he can help you.

Then we went by Mustafa Bey and told him the issue. We said that we have a tale that we want give to Mustafa Kemal. We asked for help!

He said:

―My God! This is not the right time to lose time with poetry. Go and sing it somewhere else!

We said:

―No, this is not possible! We will sing our tale to Mustafa Kemal!

The deputy Mustafa Bey said "Okay, sing it to me first!". We sang him and he listened. He said he would talk to the Newspaper named Hakimiyet-i Milliye that was being published in Ankara at that date. He said "Come and visit me tomorrow!". We went by him the other day. He said, "I can not do anything!". We thought a lot about what to do. At last, we decided to go to the printing house ourselves. We had to renew the strings of the instrument. The bazaar in Ulus Square was then named Karaoğlan Bazaar. We walked to that bazaar to buy strings.

We had sandals on our feet. We were wearing woolen baggy trousers and woolen jackets. We braced a big cummerbund on our waists. Then came the police. He said:

―Do not enter! It is forbidden!

And he did not let us get in the bazaar to buy strings. He insisted:

―I say it's forbidden! Don't you understand what I say? It is crowded there. Do not get into the crowd!

We said "Okay, let's not get in there". We went on walking pretending as if we got rid of him. He came by, and rebuked my friend İbrahim:

―Are you nutty? I say do not get in! I'll just break your neck!

We said:

―Gentleman, we do not obey you! We are going to buy strings from the bazaar!

Then the police said to İbrahim:

―If you are going to buy strings, then have this man seated somewhere first. And then go and buy your string!

Then, İbrahim went and bought the strings. But in the morning we could not pass through the bazaar. Finally, we found the printing house.

―What do you want? Said the Director.

We said:

―We have a tale; we want to have it published in the paper.

He said:

―Play it to me first, I want to hear it!

We played the tale and he listened.

―Woo! Very well done! I liked it a lot. He said.

They inscribed the tale, and said "It will be published tomorrow. Come and take a paper tomorrow". There, they gave us some money for the copyrights. The other morning, we went there and took 5-6 copies. We went to the bazaar. The policemen came by and said:

―Oh! Are you Âşık Veysel? Relax sir! Get in the coffeehouses! Take a seat!

And they started making compliments. We rambled around in the bazaar for a while. But still we could not take any news about our visit to Mustafa Kemal. We said to ourselves: "This is not going to come true". But they published my tale in the paper for three subsequent days. Again nothing about my visit to Mustafa Kemal. .. We decided to go back to our village. But we did not have any money for the traveling expenses. We met a lawyer in Ankara. He said:

―Let me write a letter to the mayor. The municipality can meet your traveling expenses.

Then he gave us a letter. We went to the municipality with the letter. There they told us:

―You are artisans. You can go back the way you came!

We came back to the lawyer. He asked us what we did. We told him. He said "Let me write another letter to the governor this time". He wrote a letter to the governor. The governor undersigned the letter and told us to apply to the municipality. we went to the municipality. But they said:

―No! We don't have any money. We won't help you.

The lawyer got offended and yelled out:

―Go! Go away! The municipality of Ankara does not have any money to spend for you!

I felt sorry for the lawyer.

We thought about what to do, how to solve the problem. And then we decided to stop by the Community Center. May be something useful would happen there! "If we can not visit Mustafa Kemal, let's go to the Community Center", we thought. This time the doormen did not allow us get in there. As we were standing by the door, a man came by and said:

―What are you doing here? What are you looking for?

―We are going to get in the Community Center but they don't let us, we replied.

―Let them get in! These are well known men! This is Âşık Veysel! He said.

That man who came by us sent us to the director of the literature department. There people said:

―Oh, please come in!

There were some deputies in the Community Center. The director called them:

―Come here! There are folk poets here, come and listen to them!

Necib Ali Bey, one of the ex-deputies said:

―Well, these are poor men. Let's take care of them. We have to have good clothes sewed for them. They can give a concert at the Community Center on Sunday!

They really bought us a pair of suits. That Sunday, we gave a concert at the Community Center of Ankara. After the concert, they gave us some money. We returned from Ankara to our village with that money.

Teacher of the Village Institutes

Upon the establishment of the Village Institutes, an initiative from Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, Âşık Veysel worked as a bağlama teacher in the Village Institutes of Arifiye, Hasanoğlan, Çifteler, Kastamonu, Yıldızeli and Akpınar.

Later life and legacy

In 1965, the Turkish Grand National Assembly resolved upon allocating a monthly salary in 500 TL to Âşık Veysel in return for "his contribution to our native language and national solidarity." On 21 March 1973 at 3:30 am, Veysel died of lung cancer in Sivrialan, the village he was born in, in a house that now serves as a museum.

In 2000, a compilation album of Âşık Veysel's songs named Âşık Veysel Klasikleri was released. In 2008, Joe Satriani's album Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock featured two songs called Âşık Veysel and Andalusia, which were dedicated to Âşık Veysel. In the same year, a remixed version of Âşık Veysel's song Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım was featured as the main theme in a Turkish film series, Gece Gündüz.

Personal Life

Family

Through his marriage to Esma, Veysel had two children, a son and a daughter; Veysel's son died ten days after birth, and his daughter died aged six months. Both children were unnamed.

Throuh his second wife, Gülizar, Veysel had seven children, four sons and two daughters; Zöhre Beşer, Ahmet, Hüseyin, Menekşe Süzer, Bahri, Zekine, and Hayriye Özer. Gülizar passed away on 29 October, 1991. She and Veysel are survived by 22 grandchildren.

Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım (lyrics)

"Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım" (English: "I'm on a Long and Narrow Road") is one of Veysel's best known works and is still popular among fans of Turkish folk music.

Turkish Lyrics Uzun ince bir yoldayım, Gidiyorum gündüz gece, Bilmiyorum ne haldeyim, Gidiyorum gündüz gece. Dünyaya geldiğim anda, Yürüdüm aynı zamanda, İki kapılı bir handa Gidiyorum gündüz gece. Uykuda dahi yürüyom, Kalmaya sebep arıyom, Gidenleri hep görüyom, Gidiyorum gündüz gece Kırk dokuz yıl bu yollarda Ovada dağda çöllerde, Düşmüşüm gurbet ellerde Gidiyorum gündüz gece. Düşünülürse derince, Uzak görünür görünce, Yol bir dakka miktarınca Gidiyorum gündüz gece. Şaşar Veysel iş bu hale Gah ağlaya gahi güle, Yetişmek için menzile Gidiyorum gündüz gece

English Lyrics I'm on a long and narrow road Day and night, I wander on What state I'm in, I do not know Day and night, I wander on From when into this world I came I started walking all the same But two doors has this inn, for shame Day and night, I wander on Asleep or not, I'm on my way I look for grounds on which to stay While watching others walk away Day and night, I wander on Forty-nine years on this road Valleys, peaks, and deserts flowed In foreign lands I seek abode Day and night, I wander on If you take the time to think It seems so far your heart may sink But you'll arrive before you blink Day and night, I wander on Veysel marvels at this state After laughter, tears await My only goal, to meet my fate Day and night, I wander on

Selected works

• Anlatamam derdimi (5:24)
• Arasam seni gül ilen (4:18)
• Atatürk'e ağıt (5:21)
• Beni hor görme (2:46)
• Beş günlük Dünya (3:58)
• Bir kökte uzamış (4:55)
• Birlik destani (1:42)
• Çiçekler (3:05)
• Cümle âlem senindir (6:44)
• Derdimi dökersem derin dereye (4:51)
• Dost çevirmiş yüzünü benden (3:12)
• Dost yolunda (4:43)
• Dostlar beni hatırlasın (6:02)
• Dün gece yar eşiğinde (4:28)
• Dünya'ya gelmemde maksat (2:43)
• Esti bahar yeli (2:41)
• Gel ey âşık (5:35)
• Gonca gülün kokusuna (5:24)
• Gönül sana nasihatim (6:40)
• Gözyaşı armağan (3:32)
• Güzelliğin on para etmez (4:31)
• Kahpe felek (2:58)
• Kara toprak (9:25)
• Kızılırmak seni seni (4:58)
• Küçük dünyam (5:17)
• Murat (5:13)
• Ne ötersin dertli dertli (3:05)
• Necip (3:16)
• Sazım (6:02)
• Seherin vaktinde (5:01)
• Sekizinci ayın yirmi ikisi (4:43)
• Sen varsın (4:01)
• Şu geniş Dünya'ya (7:27)
• Uzun ince bir yoldayım (2:23)
• Yaz gelsin (3:02)
• Yıldız (Sivas ellerinde) (3:16)

See also

• Turkish folk literature
• Turkish language
• Aşık Veysel Meslek Yüksekokulu

Sources

• Yıldırım, Nihal (2016). Türk Saz Şairleri Antolojisi. Istanbul: Etkileşim Yayınları. ISBN 978-605-162-434-1.
• Sarı, Emre (4 August 2006). Ünlü Halk Ozanı Aşık Veysel. Nokta Ekitap.
• Dönmez-Colin, Gönül (4 December 2013). The Routledge Dictionary of Turkish Cinema. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 9781317937265. ISBN 1317937260

External links

Media related to Aşık Veysel at Wikimedia Commons

• (in Turkish) Âşık Veysel's village
• (in English) A biography Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
• (in English) Âşık Veysel: Biography and Discography with Samples
• (in Turkish) Sivrialan village is Âşık Veysel's hometown
• (in Turkish) Âşık Veysel's poems