Folklore of the Turkish Black Sea Region

Horon is a communal dance form, which, in many variations, is widespread throughout the Balkans. The Turkish version, from around Trabzon on the Black Sea, is performed by young men only. No female dancers participate. The traditional costume consists of black boots, black trousers and a black waistcoat, all richly embroidered with silver thread and adorned with silver belts and coins. A white, long-sleeved silk shirt is worn underneath. The dance is performed at celebrations such as weddings.

The young men, often professional dancers, line up, clasp hands and shoulders and literally quiver to the sound of a traditional instrument called kemece, which is a violin with only three strings. They jump, kneel, rattle and stomp but do not move far from their original position. The dance requires a high level of skill, agility and speed as the movements increase towards an abrupt crescendo.

Alaturbi is a festival involving the sea. It's celebrated on different dates varying from 20th of May to 6th of July along the coast of the Black Sea. The festival has a double purpose. On the one hand it's to celebrate and honor the sea, on the other it's a pilgrimage, not unlike Lourdes, for people who suffer from pain, aches and epilepsy in search of healing and relief. Those who can swim, jump into the sea, those who cannot, take a bath in sea water. Yet others believe in the benefit of a boat trip along the river mouth.

To predict if a marriage will be successful, a bride, upon entering her new home, is asked to break a vine into three equal pieces. The pieces are planted into the earth and if they all sprout, the marriage will be a happy and fruitful one.

Small children who have trouble walking or learning to walk are believed to be hindered in their efforts by an invisible tie between their feet. Therefore, a shoelace is wound around their ankles and the oldest child of the family or the first person to leave the mosque after Friday prayer cuts the shoelace, thus breaking the bad luck.

According to Black Sea folklore, there seems to be a very simple remedy for the following three afflictions: a woman who can't get pregnant, a cow in the same situation and, strangely, children wetting their beds. They are all required to walk under a blackberry tree- and all will be well!

A last resort for desperately ill people is to be shown to the moon on a shovel. "Showing to the moon" has its origin in pagan worship of the moon as a god who either cures or takes a life. It's however unknown, where the wooden shovel comes from.

Kolot is the name of a bun. It's prepared with salt, flour and oil. To work its magic, the ingredients have to come from seven different houses, the water to make the dough has to be brought from seven different rivers and seven different pieces of wood, cut from seven different hedges need to be burnt in the fire to cook the very salty bun. No easy feat, but once accomplished, legend has it, that young girls who eat the finished product will see their future husband in their dream that night. It's unknown what happens if they eat more than one bun!