About the customs of the tatars in the Dobruja Region
Nevzat Yusuf Sarıgöl and Nermin Yusuf
Traditions and customs define a people, a community. It represents the identity of the community and distinguishes it from other groups of people. From ancient times the Tatars of Dobruja have kept their customs, but unfortunately, in modern times many of them have been lost and are no longer practiced.
For the Tatar community in Dobruja, starting a family has a special significance. The family head is the man, and the woman his life partner. In the past, two families that were friends decided to become related through the engagement of their children, if one family had a daughter and the other family had a boy. They got along when the children were still in the cradle (Beşĭk kertme, Etek Cırtma, Etek Cırtışma). It was a custom to engage young children. The mothers of the two children took an oath by tearing off the hem of their dress, that they will marry their children when they grow up.
The Wedding (Toy). In all the Turkish communities, wedding traditions and customs are similar, with some local differences. It is an opportunity to gather the whole community to share the joy of the bride and the groom and also of their families. It has a social, aesthetic and economic significance. In the past, weddings took place either in the spring or in the fall, after the harvest.
The wedding ceremony goes through several stages:
The wooining (Ayttırıp barmak). Cawşılar are sent to the bride’s house from relatives, friends, in charge of negotiating the marriage
The engagement (Nışan) takes place at the girl’s home. Gifts are handed to the bride and her family by the groom’s family (clothes, coffee, sugar, etc.).
The duration of the wedding ceremony was taking 4 to 5 days. On the first day, Wednesday, kawe tüymek took place at the girl’s house, that meaning the women were grinding coffee. On the second day, Thursday, the girls’ party was held, when köbete was served, a meat pie. On Friday evening, kına toy, kına gecesĭ took place in the bride’s house. Kına (hinna in Arabic) was obtained by a powder coming from the crushing leaves of a tree that grows in the Middle East.
A pasta was made from the scarlet powder in order to grease the palm fingers to the bridge of the palm, the middle of the palm, the heels of the feet, the hair. The significance of this ritual would be the bride’s acceptance to marry. In the evening, the young people performed sıns, rhythmed lyrics, representing the way of communication between the young pairs, seated face-to-face, guarded by a kart agas ı (the oldest of the young people), who made sure that the two groups would not get too close. On the fourth day of the wedding the religious ceremony, nikâ, was officiated by the old woman vekil and the witnesses, in the girl’s house, without the presence of the groom.
The bride was in the next room, hidden behind a veil, responding to the request for consent to marriage only the third time. While in the house of the bride was celebrated the religious wedding, in the house of the groom was taking place koraz telemek (the adornment of a rooster). A rooster was roasted and was adorned with colored strips of paper, then placed in the middle of a tip, surrounded by other traditional dishes.
This tray was carried by kartagası (the oldest of the young men) and placed in front of the guests. This habit represents the separation of the bride from the parents in order to start a new family and the bachelorhood ending for the groom. The rooster has a special significance in the faith of the Muslim Tatars of Dobruja. According to their faith, every morning, at sunrise, a holy white rooster, in the muslim heaven, showed his gratitude to Tanrı (the Creator), folding his feathers. Then all the roosters in people’s yards begin to sing, announcing the light, the sunrise. In the fifth day of the wedding (morning time) begins üyken toy (the big wedding).
A group of relatives, friends, men and women from the groom’s side start towards the bride’s house. The men were wearing mendîl (fine handkerchiefs at the edge with laces crafted by the bride’s hand). With such handkerchiefs were adorned the ears, the tails of the horses of the bride’s wedding group. On the side of the girl kuda and kudagıy accompany the bride and the wedding group to the groom’s house, a custom usually called kelρn tüşrmek. An old custom was for the young people of the bride’s village to meet those who came from the groom and ask for an amount of money to let them pass.
The bride was carried on the arms towards a covered carriage, mögedek, and the wedding group was starting to the groom’s house. Near his place was a group of young people who were offered tokız, composed of nine objects made by the bride. The bride was greeted by a song kelîn awası (the bride’s song), and above her head was rotated three times a living rooster, which signified obedience to the husband’s will.
One of the habbits during the wedding is kiyew canı. This means that next to the groom,( the night before the wedding) in the groom’s house gather young bachelors or newly married and party. It is also then when it takes place kiyew tıraşı ( the groom’s shave) made by the oldest person in the group kartagası. Through this customs the young people say goodbye to the one who was until then bekâr (bachelor).
The walls of the bride’s room were adorned with handcrafts, made by the bride herself, mendĭl, şewre, headkerchiefs, etc., and the bed was hidden by a curtain, gerdek.
In the folklore of the Tartars from Dobruja there is a song about the decoration of the rooster:
Korazımnı kaşırdılar They ran after the rooster
Damdan damga aşırdılar They looked for him everywhere
Suwına pĭlaw pĭşĭrdĭler A good rice- food they cooked
Kursakların şĭşĭrdĭler. Their bellies they bulged
Ki-ki-ri ki-kim kik koraz Ki-ki-ri ki-kim rooster
Çi-çi-ri çi-çim çik koraz Çi-çi-ri çi-çim rooster
Korazşıgım bekâr edĭ My beaked rooster was
Awullarda uşar edĭ He flew through the yard
Şöplĭklernĭ şaşar edĭ Through the garbage always searching
Kalawlarda öter edĭ Perched on the fence he sang
Ki-ki-ri ki-kim kik koraz Ki-ki-ri ki-kim rooster
Çi-çi-ri çi-çim çik koraz Çi-çi-ri çi-çim çik rooster
The Birth (Tuwmak, Doğırmak, Bala Tapmak). The birth of a child in any family brings great joy. The pregnancy period is called gebelĭk, yüklĭ bolmak, awır ayaklı bolmak, hamile bolmak. In the past, women gave birth at home helped by a ebanay women, who attended the birth, cut the ombilical cord and, before giving it an official name, gave the newborn a provisional name (ebedi kündĭk adı, ebanay adı). After 10-15 days from birth, the baby was given a name. The Imam or a close relative, who knows the Quran very well, takes the child in his arms and whispers for three times in his ear the name accompanied by Ezan (prayer that announces the time of namaz – meaning the prayer).
The woman after birth, for forty days, is not allowed to go out, to visit or receive visits. After this period it follows the kırkından şıkma, then the loksa toy (lauza wedding) is organised, in which only the women participate. When the baby’s first teeth begin to appear, tĭşmĭsĭr (corn-tooth) takes place.
But what can be the connection between a child’s baby teeth and the corn kernels? In the Tatar language there are three names for corn grains: 1.Sarı, sert mĭsĭr (yellow, hard grains); 2.Uzun, beyaz mĭsĭr-at tĭş ĭ (long whitish grains resembling horse teeth); 3.Patlak mĭsĭr (corn grains from which popcorn is made). The baby’s first teeth are compared to beyaz mĭsĭr grains. Relatives, friends, who come with gifts are invited to the tĭşmĭsĭr ciyĭn party
The young girls offer the child various handmade clothing items. The hosts serve with börtmeş the participants for the event, which is obtained by boiling whitish long berries, sweetened with bekmez (a kind of sherbet obtained by crushing and boiling the core of melons and watermelons). When the child’s baby teeth begin to fall out, they are not simply thrown away, but are buried in the bread crumbs and thrown on the roof of the house, with the following incantation: Al karga saga şürük tĭş / Ber maga altın tĭş! (You crow, have a broken tooth / Give me gold dinners!).
The Circumcision (Sünnet) An important event in the lives of male children belonging to the Islamic religion is the circumcision. In the tradition of the Dobrujan Tatars, the event is called sünnetke otırmak, sünnet bolmak and takes place when the male child turns two or seven years old. The cause of this intervention is religious and hygienic. When someone of another religion wants to adopt the Islamic faith, the sünnet is mandatory.
Even in the most difficult periods, the Tartars from Dobruja respected this custom. Through circumcision, the boy becomes a man.
Many times in the country side, several families with boys of similar ages would come together and celebrate the sünnet toy together. The whole village took part in this event. In the past, in Dobruja, there were the so-called sünnetşĭler, sünnetşĭ akaylar. These were barbers specialized in circumcision surgery. Now everything takes place in a health institution, the intervention is done under anesthesia, under medical control. The child to be circumcised was dressed in a specific costume, walked around the village in a cabriolet with other children from the village, then brought to the house where the event was about to take place, being held in the arms of a close relative and taken in front of sünnetşĭ. The child received many gifts from parents, relatives and all the participants in the event.
As at weddings, a rooster was adorned at the circumcision ceremony.
The Death (Ölĭm). All the beings on earth are meant to die. There is no life without death but in the fairy tales. In the Tatar language there is a saying: Az yaşa, köp yaşa, kelĭr ölĭm er başka (If you live more or less, death still comes).
There are three moments with habits that define this sad event: habits that precede death, when a serious, incurable disease occurs; funeral customs (cenaze) and posthumous customs.
When a man lies sick, he is visited by relatives, friends, neighbors and is encouraged that he will heal. If the disease cannot be defeated and he dies, the relatives, the whole community are all with the grieving family saying Başınız saw bolsın (Be healthy), and those in the family answer Dostlar saw bolsın (Friends, be healthy!).
The one who has passed into eternity is ready for burial; it is taken to the mosque only by men (women are not allowed to attend the funeral), where he is washed, wrapped in a white shroud, without a coffin, then buried. The pit is dug, a lateral niche is made in the eastern part, where the dead man is placed facing Mecca. The entrance of the niche is covered with boards, and the pit is filled with earth. Above the tomb is placed türbe (the funerary monument) on which is written the name, date of birth and date of death. To commemorate the deceased, a memorial service is organized on the third, seventh, fortieth day after death, then one year later.
Religious holidays: The Feast of Sacrifice (Sacrifice) – Kurban Bayram and The Feast of Lent or Feast or Sweets – Ramazan Bayram or Sheker bayram.
Feast of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayram). It is said this holiday appeared when Tanrı asked the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son. As he was just preparing to sacrifice him, a ram was brought down on Earth from the command of the One Above. Since then, the custom to sacrifice an animal in order to obtain the mercy of the Lord remains. Thus, man does a good deed and is protected from all evil. The holiday lasts four days. On the first day, in Mecca, in the place called Mina, the animals are sacrificed by the hagii (a Muslim must, at least once in his life, go to Mecca to the hagialâc).
The Tartars from Dobruja usually sacrifice rams, reeds. The rams were adorned with colored ribbons, sometimes anointed on the forehead with henna. The meat was divided into three parts: one part was offered to the poor, who didn’t have the possibility to sacrifice an animal, another part was distributed to the relatives and friends, and the third part remained in the family. The slaughtered animal had to fulfill certain conditions such as: not to be blind , having all its teeth, not to have its ears cut off, not to miss its horns, not to have its tail cut off.
Among the Tartars from Dobruja, it was used that the oldest woman in the family soaks her index finger in the blood of the slaughtered animal and anoints the children’s foreheads to protect them from diseases, accidents, evil eyes.
After eating the meat, the bones aren’t thrown to the dogs, but buried in a corner of the garden. The mandible, the eyes, are kept from the animal’s head. If someone in the family gets sick, they are bathed in the water used for boiling the animal’s head. If a child becomes ill or is evil eyed, he is bathed in the water used for boiling the eyes of the slaughtered animal. The dry skull is exposed on the fence in front of the animals’ stable, to protect them from harm.
There is a custom of sacrificing an animal on other occasions: if someone got sick and then healed or if a happy event took place in the family.
The Feast of Lent (Ramazan Bayram), in Arabic language Eid-ul-Fitr, in Turkish language Iftar Bayram or Sheker Bayram.
It is the end of the fast, which lasts 30 days. Muhammad’s revelations took place in those days. The Quran was transmitted to him page by page. It is celebrated every year on the first day of the month following the fast of Ramadan and in the following days and lasts for three days. The Fasting is one of the obligations of any Muslim. The five obligations are the pillars of Islam: the testimony of faith, the prayer,the giving, the fasting and the pilgrimage. The Fasting is mandatory for those who have reached puberty and are mentally healthy. From dawn to dusk, food, water and smoking are prohibited. In the evening it is the iftar meal, and during the night a meal is served as abundant as possible.
The end of the difficult period of fasting is an occasion of great joy: the faithful congratulate themselves, wear new clothes, visits are being made, special sweets are prepared, the children are singing carols and receive money, sweets. People pay the special end-of-fasting gift before going to the mosque for prayer. Alms are distributed, the poor are invited to dinner.
Holidays that mark the spring coming
Nawrez (Nevruz in Persian) has the meaning of a new day. It is a holiday dedicated to fire and purity, which, according to the Iranian solar calendar, is similar with the first day of the year, March 21. The Nawrez holiday is celebrated by almost all Turkish people, who, especially during the nomad times, were engaged in animal husbandry. The Spring coming meant nature’s awakening to life, the appearance of the blade of grass, the main food of animals. Initially, a tradition of the ancient Iranians, the Persians throughout Navarrese history have acquired religious characteristics according to which:
-The great Tanrı created the world when the day was equal to the night (March 21st , the spring equinox);
-Our ancestor Adem (Adam) was created from clay in a day of nawrez;
-After Adem and Havva (Adam and Eve) were cast out of heaven because they ate the forbidden apple, then they were forgiven, they met on The Arafat mountain also on a day of nawrez;
-The prophet Noah (Nuh peygamber), being on the ark after the flood, sends a dove in order to find out if there is still land. The dove returns with a bay branch, which signifies the existence of a new world and the coming of spring. The day Noah steps on earth was a day of nawrez;
-The prophet Yusuf (Iosif) is thrown into a fountain by his brothers. Also on a nawrez day he is found and rescued by a merchant;
-Also on a nawrez day, the prophet Moses (Musa) saves his people by dividing the Red Sea in two parts with his rod
The Tartars from Dobruja were great animal breeders and the Nawrez festival represented the spring
Coming and the greening of pastures, this meaning food for the animals. With the arrival of spring, the agricultural work began.
Here is an example from Tatar folklore, a calling to work:
Doksan şıktı, kĭrdĭ Mart, The Spring had come, is March,
Ne catasın atay kart! Old man, don’t be lazy!
Şık ta şölge tuwın at! Go out on the field, throw the seed!
Nawrez, nawrezĭm mübarek! Nawrez, my saint nawrez!
Bereketlĭ yıl bolsın, May we have a rich year!
Küzde ambarlar tolsın, May the barns be full in Autumn!
Her şiyĭmĭz bol bolsın, May we have abundance!
Nawrez, nawrezĭm mübarek! Nawrez, my saint nawrez!
Once upon a time, the whole village was joining the Nawrez festival. The children decorated a tree branch with snowdrops (akbardak), then they were singing carols door to door(nawrez aytmak). They received money, eggs, biscuits, and the women who married recently hung on the branch scarves, handkerchiefs, handmade objects. Here are some examples of carols:
Nawrez keldĭ körĭnĭz, Here comes the nawrez
Körĭmlĭgĭn berĭnĭz, Give me something you saw,
Cennet bolsın cerĭnĭz, Heaven be your land,
A za nawrezĭm mübarek! Oh my holy nawrez!
The custom of giving eggs to children caroling nawrez is very old. In ancient Persia, red-painted eggs were offered by the occasion of nevruz (The New Year’s Eve) (see: Ivan Evşeev, Dictionary of Romanian Magic, Demonology and Mythology, Almacord Publishing House, Timişoara, 1997, pp.338-339). According to an old belief, heaven and earth were formed from the eggshell, and the sun was created from the yolk.
Kıdırlez (Hıdırellez) represents the rebirth of nature after a hard winter, when the preparation of the land for the new harvest begins. This holiday takes place on 6th of May. The whole village gathers in the courtyard of the mosque. After a religious service, everyone sits down at the table. Traditional dishes are served: lamb sorpa (soup), kalakay (cake), botka (pilaf), sarma (sarmale), sütlaş (rice pudding), etc.
The word kıdırlez consists of Hızır and Iliyas, the names of two prophets. Hızır roams the earth, and Iliyas, the seas, the rivers. The word hızır means green in Arabic. It is said that the prophets Hızır and Iliyaz, after roaming the earth and the waters all year round, met in a green place on March 6th and talked. Among the Tartars of Dobruja there is the belief that Kıdırnebi roams the field with a rod in his hand, leaving traces on the ground and praying for abundance. He metamorphoses, sometimes appearing as a poor man, sometimes appearing as a rich man or hoge, helping people in difficult times.
There is a legend that Hızır was a very handsome young man and Ellez a very beautiful girl. They loved each other very much, but could not meet. Eventually they meet on a kıdırlez day, but they both give up.
Here is what Viorel Bageacu writes in the Romanian version of Nouruz-Name by Omar Khayyam, a Persian poet known throughout the world: “Khezr- a legendary Muslim prophet, is not among the prophets of the Bible and the Quran, he is assimilated with Saint Elijah or Saint George in the Christian religion. Believers imagined him as a mysterious being, dressed in green, without divine character, but immortal. He was credited with the power to move mysteriously, thus coming to the aid of travelers who were about to die in the wilderness. (Nouruz-Name, introductory study, translation from Persian and notes by Viorel Bageacu, Ed. Kriterion, Bucharest, 2003)
The Kıdırlez Holiday is very old. It has its origins in Central Asia, where the ancestors of the Tartars, great animal breeders, led a nomadic life in the middle of the nature; therefore the coming of spring, the awakening of nature to life, the appearance of the blade of grass was celebrated with great joy. On the day of kıdırlez people are visiting the graves of the loved ones; they are cleaned, watered and flowers are planted on it. It is also the custom to visit holy places – Hacı Babalar, where different things are being asked, such as:
-defeating serious diseases;
-birth of a child in families that do not have any;
-returning well to those left far away;
– a prosperous life, successful work.
In Dobruja there are such holy tombs as : Ishak Baba (Isaccea), Sari Saltuk Baba (Babadag), Şehit Baba (Cernavoda).
Tepreş. The Tartars from Dobruja also celebrate the coming of spring by organizing a tepreş, which is a country celebration.
With the snow melting, the first signs of nature awakening appear (kımıldaması, tepreşmesĭ = to move, to come back to life) appear, and people rejoice at the sight of the first blades of grass. It is an occasion of celebration. The word tepreş appears in the work of Kaşgarlı Mahmud, the Divanii Lugat-it Türk with the meaning to move, to stir.
The Tatars from Dobruja have organised and participated in tepreş for a very long time. The event takes place in the forests near some places such as Basarab (Murfatlar), Azaplar (Tataru), Hacılar (Hagieni).
The preparations for tepreş are made in advance. The horses are woven, adorned with colored beads and ribbons, the carts are repaired, the traditional clothes are taken out of the dowry boxes. The day before, the dishes are prepared, especially kalakay (cake), which has a round shape and was rolled up from a hill, then shared to the ones around.
The young people were led by kartagası (the oldest of them) and on the green grass there was şınlaşmak (to say șin). Upon returning to their native village, the young people participated in koşı and şabışma, a horse race. There were also Tatar battles – küreş.
Küreş (Tatar battles). Tatar fights are practiced by the occasion of spring holidays or simply on country celebrations. This sport reveals the courage, the good intention, the manhood of the young people who practice it. The fight ends when one of the opponents is knocked down to the ground. Different tactics are used: şaltayak (quick obstacle), ırgaşık (hook), koyan koltık (bringing the opponent’s head under the arm), capalak (spinning), tĭzge almak (throwing the opponent with the knee). The winner receives: bayrak, kureş bayragı (a branch of a tree adorned with handcrafts: headkerchiefs, towels, a total of nine pieces), rams, then is walked around the village. Fighters such as Kayri Pelwan and Cumakay Pelwan were famous. The current meaning of bayrak is flag, banner. In the past, bayrak tĭkmek (to stick the flag) had the meaning of occupying a place in order to establish a settlement, a home, a country.
Sham atlamak (to jump over fire). It is a tradition related to the spring coming. The young people of the community gather one night, light a big fire, stand around the fire, then when the flames become softer , they start jumping over the fire. The significance of this ritual is to purify oneself of evil spirits, to burn all diseases, evil thoughts.
This custom is very old, from the time of the shamans and represents the respect of the tatars ancestors towards the fire, as the fire was vital for those who led a nomadic life.
Aşure (așura in arabic language) is the tenth day of the Muharrem month in the monthly calendar. Aşure is done at that time. It is related to the legend of the flood and to the prophet Noah (Nuh). After the flood, the survivors of Noah’s ark remain without food. They gather everything they can find and make an așure- soup. It’s also called Noah’s pudding. It consists of 10 ingredients: wheat, chickpeas, dried fruits such as apricots, figs, raisins, plums, dried beans, hazelnuts, walnuts.
Winter traditions. The four seasons of the year were marked by certain customs. If holidays related to the nature’s awakening were held in spring, the weddings took place in autumn, but certain customs were also held even in the winter time.
The ancestors of the Tartars led a nomadic life in the endless steppes of Central Asia. In these places the winter was long, the living conditions were harsh. Only united could they overcome the difficult moments in nature. In Tatar folklore there are some sayings: Sürüden ayrılgannı, kurt kabar (Whoever breaks away from the group is eaten by wolves); Kayda bĭrlĭk, a yerde tĭrĭlĭk bar (Where there is union, there is life).
During the long winter days, the people of the community, in order to fill their time, organized various activities: archery, archery competitions, Tatar fights, talaka, arefena, cıyın.
Talaka (gathering). It was a way to help each other, with women participating in wool weaving, quilting, whitewashing the houses. The young girls joined the preparation of the dowry for the future wives- girls, the old people were helped in the household activities.
Arefena was a fun way for girls to spend long winters. The friends gathered in someone’s house and each brought from home pies (köbete, ciyırma), sweets. The boys did not attend this party, but they came to the window and received what was brought by the girls.
Ciyın was also a party, but unlike Arefena, where only young girls participated, married women also took part in ciyın. Together they had fun, sang, danced. These parties took place especially when guests wete coming.
Şın (lyrics composed on the spot). The young people spontaneously composed lyrics for the girls in order to get to know them and waited for an answer, and the girls answered if they accepted. Examples of this kind of lyrics:
Mĭna selam alekĭm, bĭz de keldĭk,
Atımın başın acımay cĭbere berdĭk.
(A good day, here we came,
Giving free rein to the horse without mercy).
Mıradım şodır menĭm, bo yerge kelmek,
Tanış bolıp soraşıp adınnı bĭlmek.
(My will was to get here,
To know you, to know your name)
Sende dülber sını bar, manlayın cayık,
Köz tutkanın bolmasa, dost bolayık.
(You face is pleasent, your forehead is wide,
Let’s be friends if you don’t have someone else).
These are the „șin” composed by the girls:
Alekĭm selam, hoş keldĭn, sen ekensĭn,
Bahşalarda aşılgan gül ekensĭn.
Welcome, it was you, look,
Flowering rose in the garden).
Molla tuwıl kartbabam, erensĭz soyım,
Kayda barsam yaraşır boyım.
Molla is not the grandfather, I am not of a chosen race,
I can go anywhere, I don’t give up).
Cewabım şo, sözĭm şo, sendiy caşka
Gönĭl berdĭm, kĭmsem yok senden başka.
(That’s how I answer you, to a man like you
I gave my heart, I have no one but you).
Popular beliefs. Nazar (evil – eye spell). It’s a superstition. Especially breastfeeding women and young children can be eye-spelled with an admiring or envious look. Animals or plants can also be enchanted. People that are evil-eyed enchanted may have headaches, continuous yawning, fever. In the Balkans and the muslim countries, people are wearing talismans against spells in the form of an eye or of a prayer that is written on a piece of paper folded into a triangle and wrapped in a cloth. This talisman is permanently worn around the neck with a ribbon. Both the eye-shaped talisman and the prayer are called nazarlık.
In order to end the eye-spell, tuz patlatmak and kurşun kuydurmak are also practiced.
Tuz patlatmak. An elderly woman, that knows this procedure, takes three, five, seven pieces of salt, which she heats in a tray set on fire. The person who was eye-spelled or has gone through a great fright is lying with face up (covered with a cloth). A bowl of water is placed near his head. The overheated pieces of salt are thrown into the cold water in the bowl. As they touch the water the pieces of salt begin to explode. The louder the noise, the louder the eye-spell is.
Kurşun kuydurmak. Instead of salt it is used the hot lead which is thrown into cold water, taking various forms.
Pal-palcılık (The guessing ). The guessing is also a popular belief. This procedure was used to find out: the causes that led to an illness and also finding cures; if news from those from far away will be received; finding a lost or stolen object or animal; if it rains in the next few days. What were the guessing practices:
- Suga karama (looking into the water). The water is poured in a vessel and the one who guesses looks carefully and begins to interpret , depending on what he sees.
- Aynaga karama (looking in the mirror). The one who guesses looks in the mirror to find out where are the people who got lost .
- Kürek kemĭgĭ palı (guessing on the shoulder blade). The shoulder blade of an animal, usually a sheep, is well cleaned of meat, kept above the fire or in the sun, and, depending on the shapes shown, it will be guessed whether it will rain or be dry.
- Kawe palı (coffee guessing). This process is more recent, of course, after the coffee was discovered. After consuming the coffee, the cup is turned over and according to the ground traces, it is guessed.
Tılsım (spells). Over time, people have resorted to rites, such as charms, occult, superstitious practices regarding alleged, super natural, mysterious forces, that could be used as communicatiom tools by the people gifted with such mysterious abilities. In the Tatar language these people are called tılsımcı. It is a remaining practice from the time of shamans. There can be two types of charms: charms made with good intentions and charms with bad intentions.
Charms made with good intentions aim to correct situations, such as: bringing on the right path some people who started gambling, men who left their family for another woman, finding stolen or lost animals.
Charms made with evil intentions, against some enemies, so that they can no longer speak, to be blind, to make their animals in the yard sick, to have all kinds of misfortunes.
In order to make such charms prayers from Quran are used , a piece of clothing, a lock of hair, an egg set on fire until the crack, etc.
The text was conceived by the Tatar ethnographer Newzat Yusuf and the Tatar writer and translator Nermin Ysuf, based on Tatar essays on the traditions and customs of the Tartars from Dobruja, published in Tatar language in the magazine Karadeniz (Black Sea), during 1990-2016.