Hymn, Ritual and Woman: The Case of Bogazliyan

This article aims to explore the multifaceted interactions between hymns, rituals and social structure and cultural meanings system on the basis of women in the case of Bogazliyan. Hymns are sung in the context of rituals such as the rites of passage and the rites of affliction, so they are sacralised on the basis of rituals as well as rituals strengthen their effects and meanings on conveying and organisation of cultural meaning system and social structure by means of this cooperation. Thus, rituals collaborate with hymns in conveying the cultural meaning system and organisation of social structure; hymns help ritual dramatize the social and cultural model of social life. As a result of collaboration between rituals and hymns, hymns attain a sacred form and content depending on ritual context. For, a great deal of Turku are transformed to sacred form and content in the context of ritual and sung as a hymns during the participation of rituals. Consequently, hymn, which is sacralised depending on ritual context, conveys and dramatises the cultural meaning system and represents the social structure; furthermore, it organizes the social structure according to cultural meaning system in the context of rituals. Participant observations and in-depth interviews are employed during the fieldwork, in addition; Bogazhyan is chosen as a research area since it represents a traditional cultural meaning system and structure as well as traditional folk religiosity