Koroğlu

Köroğlu on Soviet Stamp

Koroğlu (Turkish: Köroğlu, Azerbaijani: Koroğlu, Uzbek: Goʻroʻgʻli) is a semi-mystical hero and bard among the Turkic people who is thought to have lived in 16th century. The name of "Köroğlu" means "the son of the blind", "the son of ember" or "the son of the clay" (the clay refers the death) in Turkic languages. His real name was Ruşen Ali in Turkish or Rövşən in Azerbaijani.

Legend in Turkey

He is known with his epic poems during the Jelali revolts as a rebel whose father blinded by the landowner of Bolu, Bolu Beyi. According to the Turkish legend, Bolu Beyi asked Köroğlu's father a horse and he thinks that the horse is not good enough for him and he punished Köroğlu's father.

Legend in Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, Koroğlu is believed to be the son of a mother who conceived by the light and who killed by burying alive. Koroğlu can remain alive by coming to his mother's grave and whom breastfeed by his death mother.

About

He was one of the leaders of Jelali revolts. Peasant movements flared up in several regions of Turkey and Azerbaijan In mid-16th and 17th centuries. Koroghlu one of the leaders of Jelali groups in Azerbaijan. Rumor has it that Koroghlu's real name was Rovshen. There are very few written sources of information about Koroghlu and his friends. Some researchers say that Koroghlu lived in Azerbaijan, others claim that he was in Khorasan. Another group of people note that he lived in Anatolian land.

Legends and stories about Koroghlu were reflected in the Epic of Koroghlu. Koroglu was introduced as brave warrior, a talented poet and ashug who is the author of a perfect qoshma have been preserved as historical truth in the epos. The majority of names of people (Giziroglu Mustafa bey, Kosa Sefer, Jafar Pasha, Hasan Pasha Etc.) in the epos are historic people. One of the main headquarters of Koroglu was Chenlibel castle (there are many places titled Chenlibel in different regions).

Köroğlu in popular culture

• "Köroğlu" movie by Atıf Yılmaz, 1968: IMDB tt0183368
• "Üç Anadolu Efsanesi" (Three Anatolian Legends) novel of Yaşar Kemal
• "Koroğlu" movie by Əfrasiyab Məmmədov, 1960
• "Koroğlu" movie by Rövşən Almuradlı, 2003
• "Koroğlu" opera by Üzeyir Hacıbəyov

See also

• Epic of Koroghlu