Epic of Koroghlu
| by folk | |
| Country |
 Azerbaijan,  Iran,  Turkey,  Turkmenistan,  Uzbekistan
|
|---|---|
| Language | Oghuz Turkic |
| Subject(s) | The legend typically describes a hero who seeks to avenge a wrong. |
| Genre(s) | Epic poetry |
The Epic of Koroghlu, (Azerbaijani: Koroğlu dastanı, Turkish: Köroğlu destanı, Turkmen: Görogly dessany, Uzbek: Ko‘ro‘g‘li dostoni) is a heroic legend prominent in the oral traditions of the Turkic peoples. The legend typically describes a hero who seeks to avenge a wrong. It was often put to music and played at sporting events as an inspiration to the competing athletes. Koroghlu is the main hero of epic with the same name in Azerbaijani and Turkish as well as some other Turkic languages. The epic tells about the life and heroic deeds of Koroghlu as a hero of the people who struggled against unjust rulers. The epic combines the occasional romance with Robin Hood-like chivalry.
The legend first began to take shape sometime around the 11th century AD. The epic of Köroğlu exists in many variants in a number of different Turkic languages and is common to several different cultures. The story has been told for many generations by the Ashik bards of Azerbaijan and Turkey and has been written down mostly in the 18th century.
A theme common to nearly all versions is that of the hero—Köroğlu, literally "son of the blind man", or more directly translated as 'Blindson' (analogous with the English surname Richardson, sons of Richard), defending his clan or tribe against threats from outside. In many of the versions, Köroğlu earns his name from the wrongful blinding of his father, an act for which the son takes his revenge and which initiates his series of adventures. He is portrayed as a bandit and an ozan.
A number of songs and melodies attributed to Köroğlu survives in the folk tradition. These songs and melodies differ from most other Turkic folk music in two aspects: they follow a rhythm of 5/8 (ONE-two ONE-two-three) and they depict heroic acts and persons.
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Wikipedia