The surname of Abdi as a sample of old Turkish Prose

Abstract

The Surname of Abdi is one of the several examples of the 'surname' genre in Old Turkish Literature. This genre takes the royal festivities as its subject matter and includes examples in both poetry and in prose. Different aspects of the festivities may be in the fore-ground in each 'surname', such as the presents, or names of guests, or the spectacles and garnes, or the procession of various guilds. The Surname of Abdi is written in prose. It is about the royal festivities that took place on the occasion, of the circumcision ceremonies of the two sons of Mehmed the 4th and the wedding ceremony of his daughter, in Edirne in 1675. This 'surname', although it mentions all the aspects of the ceremonies, dwells majorly on the guests and the presents brought by them. Thus the motive, it seems to be, is to demonstrate the wealth of the palace. There is a great resemblance between this 'surname' and that of Hazin, written forty-five years later, both in terms of style and form. This resemblance is so great that it makes one think whether Hazin took the Surname of Abdi as a model for his own 'surname'. There is not much information about the author, but considering his style and use of language, it is not very difficult to say that he has not gone through the 'medrese', which is the muslim theological school. The 'Surname of Abdi' is written in the semi-artistic style, a common style used by many writers of old Turkish prose. Apart, from its lingual and stylistic significance the 'Surname of Abdi' is an important resource on Turkish customs where one can find the kinds and amount of food eaten, who gave what present to whom and the general order and manner of the festivities.