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Traditional games have been among the basic elements of culture since the beginning of human history. Games have physical, biological, individual, social, and cultural aspects. At the origin of many games, there are rituals, ceremonies, and practices. Mythic elements can be seen through the verbal textures of the games. These features of the games have been remained in the background over time, and each game action has continued to exist as just a game, especially in the traditional world and socio-cultural structure of children. In addition, in some traditional games, the gameplay exhibits similar qualities with the mythical elements and revives the mythology. With all these features, the game is a cultural phenomenon that located outside of daily life but has functions for daily life. Traditional games embody the mythical accumulation and way of thinking of the community that accepts and plays that game as their own, in a way that is oriented towards real life. The mythical features of a play and functional interpretation of gameplay will show what the play means. These features of the games also stand out in the traditional games of the Turkic World. In this article, "Mor Menekşe, was chosen as the paradigm in terms of showing and exhibiting these features. The verbal texture and gameplay of the game were functionally examined within the context of myth and life. Firstly, the mythological origin and features, and life-related qualities of traditional games are stated. Then, the general features of "Mor Menekşe" were briefly mentioned and information about its verbal texture were given. Later, the features of the verbal texture of the game were specified in accordance with the Turkish mythical thought. In this paper, it is stated that the in-game rhyme of the "Mor Menekşe" game carries the views on nature and the universe of Turkish mythology, and it is stated that "Mor Menekşe" game has a symbolism related to plants and tree cult, and the verbal texture of the game has the symbolism of nature, life, unity, togetherness, abundance and fertility, chaos, and cosmos. Then, information about gameplay were given and examined, and through examination process, the game was handled in the relationship between the individual and the society, and based on the game, the individual's selfproofing, group belonging, cooperation with the group, relations between social groups were examined and a symbolic analysis of chaos and cosmos was conducted. The mythical background of the game's rhyme that function as battle of words in the verbal texture of the play is about life. And the gameplay is a rehearsal for the player's life. For this reason, the mythical meaning in the verbal texture and the interpretation of the real movements in the actions of the play were considered non-separate. The game has been analyzed in two parts, which are verbal texture and gameplay, based on word and action. While determining the features in the verbal texture and gameplay, it has been classified depending on the situations that we can call "micro-cosmos" and "microchaos", which can be defined as the establishment and disruption of order at every stage. These features in the parts of the play depending on the word and movement have been associated with the establishment and disruption of the order, and have also been evaluated in relation to the mythical meaning. As a result, the game, shows the knowledge about life and nature in Turkish mythology both in its verbal texture and in its gameplay, and that the game is a rehearsal that functionally prepares people for life in terms of individual and social integrity with an accumulation that in Turkish culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study essentially aims to put forward the conceptual framework for a transmission project for safeguarding the traditional dances of the people of Circassian origin living in Turkey. Today, due to modernisation and urbanisation, these dances are less and less known and practiced by the members of younger generations, and therefore, a transmission project which would bring different generations together is required. When structuring such a project is in question, significant questions such as what kind of transmission approach is to be chosen and which values must be given importance and priority in this approach emerge. In order to provide answers to these questions, the article identifies as its guides the basic principles in UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as the contextual approaches in dance studies which bring up criticisms regarding certain points in the convention. According to the convention, safeguarding intangible cultural heritage elements such as traditional Circassian dances begins with safeguarding the conditions that ensures the viability of these elements. Besides, UNESCO places particular emphasis on the involvement of local communities, which have until now kept these elements viable and have considered them as part of their identity, to this process of safeguarding. The article first discusses how these dances are viable within the Circassian community at their habitual cultural context, and deduces that these dances are shaped by the concepts of play and xabze that are peculiar to Circassian community. Xabze is the name given to unwritten rules and regulations, which determine almost all social behaviours in Circassian community. With the purpose of maintaining a social order that is based on respect, love and kindness, xabze sets forth strict rules, but it also has a flexible structure that is open to the transformation of these rules in order adapt to changing conditions. Being determined by xabze to a great extent, Circassian dances also provide a convenient environment for the transmission of xabze through generations. On the other hand, the dances in question are referred to with the term "play" both in Circassian languages and Turkish, and the way they are practiced bears the primary qualities of play and playing. As a result, in a project for safeguarding Circassian dances, this study proposes to embrace a transmission approach which prioritises before anything else the safeguarding of the two fundamental contextual elements that shape these practices: xabze and playfulness. At the end of the article, a proposal for a transmission project which follows this conceptual framework and which will be led by the members of Circassian community is presented in outline. In this proposed project, the researchers would act as catalysers of the communication of dance knowledge through generations rather than authorities who exercise control over this knowledge. In conclusion, the article aims to contribute to the fields of dance studies and intangible cultural heritage studies, as well as suggesting a conceptual framework for prospective transmission projects for safeguarding traditional Circassian dances and/or similar cultural elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the science branches of culture, which has a wide range of meanings; civilizations, a product of the educational process, fine arts and material production, cultivation, kultur etc. many definitions have been made. It can also be said that culture, which can be described as a phenomenon learned, preserved and transmitted to the future through education, is the most original form of self-expression of societies. Games, which is one of the fields of folklore's study and constitute an aspect of cultural transmission in ensuring intergenerational continuity, is one of the most basic vital activities for humans. Mental, social, linguistic and culturally indispensable action for individuals and society, games are often used for educational purposes. Each society has its own traditional games that it has adopted over the years and passed on from generation to generation. These games, which are part of folklore, have many different functions like other elements of folklore. These games, which tend to settle subconsciously or spontaneously, have a very important role in the development of children. Considering that a lot of information is learned through mutual interaction from our close environment, the effect of games played in childhood becomes more prominent. For this reason, 24 traditional games presented to children as online videos by Turkish Supreme Council of Radio and Television have been examined in this research, depending on the four functions of folklore offered by W. Bascom as “Pleasant Time Passing, Entertaining and Making Entertainment” and “Teaching Education or Culture by Transmitting to Future Generations”. In the research, primarily, the relationship between game and traditional game has been examined, and the relations between the cultural, personal skills and education between traditional plays developed by children in line with the functions of folklore have been examined. In the last part of the research, the rules of these games examined and the content analysis findings of the 95-minute image recording in total are included. As a result of the research, it can be stated that traditional games will play an important role in providing a number of skills that will shape both the social and educational life of children. It is observed that the games examined for children who see life as games and entertainment, especially at a young age, perform the entertainment function. However, given the rules in the games, the process of applying the rules and the relationship between rules and games, the games have a great function in learning social rules, following the rules and developing a control mechanism related to the rules. Considering the relationship between games and language skills, it can be said that activities such as nursery rhymes and counting-out game, which are the production of hundreds of years of folk culture, can be used especially to improve speaking and listening skills. By using the words, music and movement elements in the games together, a sense of harmony and rhythm improves, as well as improvement in areas such as acting together, being part of the group and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Playing is not only a benefit for children’s psychological and social developments, but also a physiological need. Therefore, playing is a necessity for children. For this reason, children settle down to play whenever they need it, regardless of the convenience of environment or the moment. They never search “spare time” for playing. For edults, on the other hand, children should play only if they are idle. Unfortunately, this judgment is based on the idea assuming that “playing is a purposeless act” or “it is nothing but a waste of time”. Pedagogues took a look at the different aspects of this phenomenon and realized that all children have to identify the environment and the objects around them soon after they are born and they actually owe playing for most of their motor developments and skills. While children play, they discern the very basic behaviors and the capabilities of movements as well as the ways of control them. In this study, some of the children’s plays collected from the Çankırı province are tried to introduce. In this way, some of the non-tangible cultural elements will be conserved and transferred to the future generations. This will provide a connection to the upcoming pedagogues and the educationists between the past and today, so that they can benefit from their own cultural heritage. The study of compiling children’s plays took place in the Çankırı province and its adjacent neighborhoods, a beautiful central Anatolian city which tries hard to conserve its rich culture. The people from whom we have collected information were all middle-aged men and women with a deep knowledge of the cultural details of the region. Children’s plays which are unique to the region have been selected and included in our study as much as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artist, whichever art branch he is in, tries some ways to focus on the theme that he tries to describe, and expose the strength of art. Peculiar to human, art work naturally includes various human- specific elements. Play is one of these elements. So, poet as an artist tries some kind of techniques and plays to make his work more effective. In doing so, drawing attention not only with emotion and thoughts but also letters, words, sounds, lexis and his dominance on them; thus, the poet has the opportunity to display his arts and ability. That condition is same for the minstrel who at the same time is a poet. Minstrel with the aim of proving his art abilities, by performing sometimes prepared or unprepared, acts within the limits of the opportunities that the poetry provides. The use of the opportunities mentioned is proportional with the talents of the minstrels. Minstrel attracts attention to the extent of his success in the junction point of poetry and game. Consequently, the representatives of minstrel poetry use different variations of play in order to prove their abilities and difference. One of the plays that minstrels perform is dudakdegmez (lebdegmez) which is based on the disuse of some sounds during the performance. In world literature, the games that are played by omitting some sound-sound set, letterletter set are called lipogram. Lipogram's form in minstrel poetry style is dudakdegmez (un-touched lips). The distinctive characteristic of dudakdegmez among other games in minstrel poetry style is that every minstrel cannot perform this play. As a branch worthy of reward in minstrel competitions, dudakdegmez is of importance to this tradition. In this study, lipogram -a global game- forms in minstrel poetry tradition will be elaborated and ongoing dynamic structure of the tradition will be spotlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the works of Sunay Akin, who is known as a poet, researcher, and story teller, there are plenty of elements reflecting the 'responsible identity' of a poet-who says "I couldn't be the president of the poem republic but my bother was to be able to be 'the caring president"-such as children, game, toy, human, life, past, warand peace are primariesof this. Sunay Akin has worked on these themes with the concept of 'children and their belongings' by this means he has provided to make the culturel elements continue. According to Akin, 'toy' is the symbol of 'life' and only a sensible poet can convey the necessary message to his readers by using this symbol. Only the poet/writer touching on everything about life in an excited and sensible way can mention about 'children and toys' in his works and articles. His aim is to convert the world into a place which is worth for living. Aim of this article, to present where the poet's world and children's world come together in our culture, what kind of a life it creates, and it also aims to present the role in this culturel transposability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plays are important components within the framework of cultural sphere for both children and adults. A child accepts the life just like a mirror, and learns everything around him by imitation since he is born. He integrates into the life by turning the real life into a play. That is to say, all incidents such as going to the hospital and being vaccinated or going to the supermarket, playground etc., and attitudes, behaviors he shows in the atmosphere which he is in are animated in his small world as a game again and again. Plays -not unique to human- can be observed among animals. They have constant and unchanging rules. Plays, which are inseparable parts of society and culture, and constitute an important part of oral culture, appear similarly in the societies of the same cultural sphere. Children representing the acquisitions and the world in which they live in plays reflect the past, the present and the culture into the plays. In the present study, dealing with the similar aspects of children's plays of two distant branches of Turkish cultural sphere-namely Bashkir and Turkey Turks- we focus on the rules of the plays, on the ways how they are played, and on the rhymes told during those plays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]