Ethnographics Gallery University of Kent

Turkish Village

Copyright 1965, 1994 Paul Stirling. All rights reserved.

Paul Stirling
CHAPTER ELEVEN

GROUPS, FEUDS AND POWER

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Page 242


door by Ziya's father's brother's sons, Kemal and Süleyman, on their retur to the village from work in the town, attracted these visitors away from Ziya's. The new company included also another young agnate, and one or two other occasional visitors. I never saw Kemal or Süleyman in Ziya's guest room, nor he in theirs, though his brother who more or less shared his household and his own sons were often there.

Very near to this guest room was that of Haci Osman (H) Several neighbours were regular visitors, including two agnates, but of his sisters' sons (p. 163), only the one he had adopted as a member of his own household. Between this group and that cenring on the guest room of Kemal and Süleyman (S) there was some overlap. Moreover, besides these, many men of the upper quarter came casually, including Ziya the carpenter himself, though none of them were close kin. Haci Osman's old mother of about ninety, and sometimes his wife were to be found in this guest room. They said nothing when the men were talking, and no one took the least notice of them except occasionally during the day when it was almost empty.

All these guest rooms were used as part of the household living space; male members of the household ate in them and the old men and unmarried boys slept in them. This was also the case with Zeynel's (G), which I shall discuss last, but less so with the other three.

The four remaining guest rooms all had larger and more regular attendances. One, belonging to an elderly member of V lineage, was used mainly by members of that lineage. Small, airless and lit not by a proper oil lamp, but only by a small one-candle-power lamp made locally out of petrol cans, it was nevertheless always crowded. Those of the lineage living at some distance did not use it. The households on the spot, on the other hand, attended regularly almost to a man. One young and two old men, close neighbours, but not kinsmen, were regular visitors. Before Nureddin's guest room opened several of the men from the lower quarter also went there, especially members of K lineage. Ismet's son (T) was seen there, but on one occasion it was to play cards, on another to get advice from old Hamit (V) on his water buffaloes' constipation.

The communally owned D lineage guest room also had a very definitely lineage following. Hither came all members of D and

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