THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURE OF  THE DOUBLE HEAD EAGLE IN TURKS
Creators: name: Karaoğlu, Gülay
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: Abstract

In ancient times; usually in the villages and neighborhoods of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, in crowded family environments, in sofas, divans were set up, using balance beige harmonious words, they used to present the past events, epics, chants, hymns and stories orally with strong throat powers. The elders, who had lived experiences or knew the epic stories of history, and "SEYIDS", who had a say in the region, would tell stories, epics, wars, myths, folk tales in the myths, epics, wars, myths and folk tales that had Literary Values so that these stories, epics, myths and heroisms could be remembered. These stories and legends would grow in the Anonymous Folk Literature together with the myths over time and merge into epic stories. Every single legend in these Literary Stories transmitted by word of mouth; In his own narrative, it tells listeners and learners that what they are looking for in their search for the future is themselves, and that the real journey is a journey to oneself, to oneself.

During my studies on "Healthy, Sustainable Agro-park-Tourism Development Models Preserving the Ecological Balance in and Around the Lake Van Basin", which I made in Tatvan as a result of a coincidence, I reached verbal findings about the "Double Headed Eagle". The childhood and adolescence of "Eyüp Caner Cengiz", a craftsman, furniture and stone master from Van, (The Man Who Processes the Tree), passed in these divans. These doctrines guided them in their upbringing and understanding of the past and the future. According to what Eyüp Caner's grandfather told; “The information about the Great Seljuk State and the Seljuk Eagle was available in the library established by the great scholar and mystic, the blessed person, “Sayyid Abdulhakîm Arvasi” in Van, Başkale. However, during the First World War, the Baskale Library was burned by the Armenians, who occupied the region and massacred the Muslims in the region in cooperation with the Russians. And the Persian manuscripts that will submited the knowledge to us about the past world were destroyed in this fire.”

The eagle comes after the lion among the animals that have been seen as the epitome of power, might and nobility throughout history. Accordingly, a relationship has been established between the monarch and the eagle in almost every society. Ömer Hayyâm also pointed out this subject in the chapter he devoted to the eagle in his work called Nevruznâme, “The size, nobility and cleanliness of the eagle, its behavior and attitude are similar to sultans. The ancients said that the king of meat-fed soldering irons is the eagle, and the king of grass-fed animals is his horse. For this reason, the eagle is special to sultans rather than ordinary people.”. The figure of the Double-Headed Eagle, the messenger of God, which has an important place in Turkish Culture and in the belief of the Gok-Tengr-i before Islam, represents the eternal power of existence from the past to the future, to rule the east and west, and to all the people with the authority given to them by the divine power. It symbolizes the authority to dominate all the world. Tugrul Bey (Malikul-Meşrik and Magrib) was declared the ruler of the east and the west on (25 Dhu al-Qada 449 Saturday / 23 January 1058). In the east, they established a symmetrical and strong administrative bond with the Seljuk Meliki of Horasan, Çağrı Bey,  by taking nations under their wings, they set free all the public in their religious rituals and cultures in a fair manner.  In the legend of "Tuğrul Bey, ( Tuğrıl Kuşu / Zümrüdü ANKA) and Çağrı Bey" (Doğan / Çakır Kuşu), which also reflects the mythological reality, both kings are sultans identified with their names and beliefs. Carrying their essence and beliefs from the past to the future, they were agile, courageous, and fearless on their eagle-speed horses in their valiant and impulsive, patient and loyal struggles. 

Tuğrul Bey and Çağrı Bey  became the "Double-headed Eagle" of the Great Seljuk State by protecting their people with their powerful horses and their bows and arrows that find the target. Then they both took their place in living oral and written legends throughout their lives.

Key Words : Double-headed Eagle,Turks, Seljuks, Tuğrul Bey