Fatma TEKİN

Ever since the individual came into existence, one of the most basic social needs of the individual has been to be able to securely continue his/her existence. For this purpose, they have turned to various rituals and practices to make the unknown known, to make the right choices in life, to have an idea about the future, and to eliminate the discomfort brought by uncertainty in the future. In this regard, fortune telling, in the simplest meaning, has taken place as a cultural element among the traditional practices applied to obtain information about the future. In general, fortune telling, which is among the common cultural elements in the Turkic World, is also widespread in the culture of Kazan-Tatar Turks. In this study, the fortune-telling culture of Kazan-Tatar Turks is introduced and the place of fortune-telling in the culture of Kazan-Tatar Turks is tried to be revealed. In the fortune-telling culture of Kazan-Tatar Turks, there are 42 types of fortune telling such as fortune telling with the Quran, fortune telling according to Jabbar Sadiq's book Falname, jackstones fortune telling, button fortune telling, ring fortune telling, spoon fortune telling, garbage fortune telling, blood fortune telling, rooster fortune telling, star fortune telling, mirror fortune telling, fire fortune telling, needle fortune telling, egg fortune telling, shadow fortune telling, and leaf fortune telling. Some of these fortunes, which are told by using books, celestial bodies, and various objects, reflect the traces of ancient Turkish beliefs, while others were shaped by the influence of Islamic culture. Although these horoscopes are mainly used to get information about the future or important milestones of life such as marriage, it has been observed that these horoscopes are also used as a game by Kazan-Tatar Turks, especially on winter nights and traditional festivals such as Nardugan.

Keywords: Turkish World, Kazan-Tatar Turks, Culture, Fortune telling, Folklore.