Erdoğan ALTINKAYNAK

In folk literature, the issue of Minstrel Literature texts analysis has been ignored and these texts have not been explained or worked out. In order to set an example for future studies, in this study four poems composed by Reyhani, who is one of the most famoust minstrels of our century, are analysed. During textual analysis, the geographical location where the minstrel lived and the economic reflection of his lifestyle are taken into account. The minsterl, whose real name is Yaşar Yılmaz, was born in 1932 in Alvar village, Hasankale town, Erzurum. As can be understood from his poem, he had to leave Erzurum and settle in Bursa, where he died on 10 December, 2006. He had plural masters. The place where he was born is a rich region in terms of oral cultural tradition. In addition to some famous minstrels whose songs are still performed, he learned tradition and style from such masters as Huzuri, Nihani, Cevlani, Efkari and Gülistan Çobanoğlu. In other words, his first master was the environment he grew up in. He also had a piece in which he said he mutuallyhad word play with Minstrel Nihani. Although the place where he was born and lived until he was 18 years old is known, from then on that he visited different cities both in Turkey and abroad influenced his poetic vision and percetion of art, and broadened his horizons. The periods changing with the leaders in Turkey, intellectual movements, world views also influenced the structure of minstrelsy tradition, and Reyhani became a part of these movements as regards the content of his poetry. In this study, the analsis of poems composed by Reyhani is made in accordance with the economic structure where he lived. Keywords: Minstrel literature, Reyhani, lifestyle, Erzurum, Livestock,