The tradition the political ideology invented : Karagöz

Abstract

Richard M. Dorson coined the neologism "fakelore" in 1950 for the inauthentic products which don't occur in oral tradition and which aren't obtained during a fieldwork. He claimed that the inclusion of these inauthentic products in folklore as if they were genuinely traditional would harm folklore studies. Many articles were written on this issue following Dorson's argument and different neologisms such as "the invention of tradition", "pseudo folklore" and "folklorismus/ folklorism" were coined due to varying approaches. "Fakelore", which was conceptualized by folklorists like Dorson, Dundes and Fox can be utilized to comprehend the seven Karagöz plays which were written by writers commissioned by C.H.P. (Republican People's Party) in 1941. A study like this indicates that the Turkish shadow play Karagöz which is an important cultural heritage was inoculated with the dominant ideology of the era and that an invented tradition was offered to the society. The plays ordered by C.H.P. caused a significant change in the characters, the texture and the function of Karagöz, the history of which extends to the 16th century. The aforesaid seven plays supply a profitable research area for folklorists who will study fakelore in Turkey.