@article{2014,title={A Türkü/ Ballad Which Employs The Traditional Practice In Anatolia},abstractNode={Ballads in Anatolia are reflections of traditions, customs, and art as in all other ethnic groups. In Turkey, “Türkü,” which is used as a substitute of “Ballad,” is a kind of folk poetry that is sung along with instruments. Ballads and Türküs are similar in terms of style and content. Traditionally, people have expressed their feelings in their lyrics and music for centuries. These oral songs carry the traces of the historical and geographical features, social and political conditions and developments of that certain area. In Türküs, one can find the reflections from the milestones (birth, marriage, death) of people’s lives. An Anatolian Türkü titled “Ceviz oynamaya mı geldin odama” (Did you come to my room to play with walnut?) is an example of an arranged marriage between a young girl and her much younger cousin. Although this kind of marriage is often common in rural areas for concerns of keeping the family estate intact, these unions may also bring dissatisfaction to the parties involved. In this marriage, She is unhappy but she has no choice but to accept her uncle’s decision. While marriages depending on a mutual agreement between couples are more common in cities where cultural change is more profound, “prearranged marriages” and “consanguineous marriages” still prevail in rural areas where traditions are observed keenly. These forms of marriages are generally arranged by mutual agreement between the in-laws without necessarily the bride or groom’s consent. Thus, personal unhappiness has no meaning against the wishes of the larger family unit. In this particular Türkü, the young girl finds herself in a prearranged “consanguineous marriage.” This paper will focus on her feelings and aspirations. The lyrics will be examined through a sociological approach to comment on the institution of marriage in the rural areas of Anatolia.},author={Ayten KAPLAN},year={2014},journal={Journal of Turkish Studies}}