TURKS AND VIKINGS

1.Norse Mythology

The so-called Scandinavian communities include the human communities that today live in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Nowadays, Scandinavians are incorrectly referred to as Vikings. However, it is seen that the Scandinavian culture was formed much earlier than the Viking age (750-1070). The starting point of this culture probably dates back to the Bronze Age (M.D. 1600-450) dates back to. Although there are no written sources about the early Scandinavian culture, the findings of stone and metal work, god and goddess motifs, ancient myths and rituals tell us something about it[1]. According to Lindau, M.D. archaeological records dating back to 2 thousand years provide the origins of the Scandinavian culture[2].

When Scandinavian mythology and Viking beliefs are examined, we encounter the fact that Turkish culture has also influenced this part of the world. Moreover, those who revealed this cultural relationship for the first time are important people from Scandinavian society. For example, one of the people who said that the Swedes were very influenced by Turkish culture is Prof. Who is considered the founder of Swedish history. He is Sven Lagerbring[3].

The traditional stories of the Vikings are about gods, giants, creatures. Most of these stories tell myths about the creation of the world. These are known as the Viking sagas. In Norse mythology, the gods were mortal, not immortal. So they look more like people. Their giant size distinguishes them from humans. Gods also have the same feelings of loving and fearing that humans have. The things they do like people can end in failure. They can be defeated as well as defeated. There are nine worlds in Norse mythology. These are realms such as: Muspelheim, Niflheim, Helheim, Jotunheim, Asaheim, Vanaheim, Alfaheim, Svartalfaheim, Mannaheim. For example, Midgard, where people live, is located in Mannaheim. Besides, the name of the place where the gods live is Asgard. This is where heaven is. Odin's palace Valhalla is located here. Scandinavian mythology is quite rich in terms of gods. For example, Aegir is the god of the ocean and the seashore. When he gets angry, he creates storms. Balder is the god of love and knowledge and is the son of Odin and Frigg. The god of poetry is Bragi. The god of day is Dagr. The goddess of health is Eir. Loki is the brother of Odin and is the god of fire. Fenrir is the son of Loki and the female giant Angerboda. One of the sons of Loki and Angerboda is a snake called Jormungand. In Norse mythology, the apocalypse is the snake that will be killed by Thor in the time of Ragnarok, but will also bite him. Freya is the goddess of love and beauty. Frigg is the sky goddess, Odin's wife. Heimdall is the god of dawn[4].

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2.Claims About the Turkish Origin of the God Odin

In Snorre Sturlesson's Edda, Odin's journey from Turkland to the north is described. Sturlesson not only writes that Odin came from Turkland, but also writes that he brought customs in accordance with Turkish traditions to Scandinavia, that the Turkish language influenced the Scandinavian language and even the English language. Moreover, he also says that Yngve, the son of Odin, is the king of Sweden. For example, the following words are mentioned in the Ynglinge Saga: “(...)Sveigder inherited the country from his father. He promised to visit the abode of the gods and the first Oden. Together with him, twelve comrades traveled around the world. He came to the Turkish country (Turkaland) and Greater Sweden (Svitjod det stora). He found many relatives there. This journey took five years. Then he went back to Sweden (Svitjod).”[5]. In the Hervavar Saga, we come across the following sentences: “(...)At that time, Asians and Turks came from the East and settled here in the North. The name of their leader was Oden. They had eight sons. They all became big and strong men.”[6]. In the Bosa Saga, it is also stated that Odin came from the Asian lands: “(...)A king named Ring ruled Eastern Gotland. He was the son of Göte, the grandson of king Oden of Sweden. Oden had come from Asia, and the most famous royal dynasties of the North were his descendants.”[7].

Of course, it is not only the Eddas that mention Odin's Asian origin. Many writers and historians have not been able to pass by without touching on this topic in their works. For example, one of them is Carl J, author of the work “A Modern Theory of Language Evolution”. Becker. In this work, Becker emphasizes Odin's Asian origin as well as the fact that the word “Od” means “fire” in Turkish: “Odin, together with the Aesir gods, brings a new experience from Central Asia, from Asgard to the experience of the northern peoples. In Scandinavian traditions, Gok-Turks, Scythians and/or Sarmatians remind of the white Elves in Alfheim. The king of the white elves in Alfheim is Freyr. These elves, like the black dwarves of Swartalfheim, have a talent for metalworking. This situation is also seen in the Turkish tribes living in the Taurus valleys in Eastern Anatolia. (...) When Odin returned from the east, he brought with him the knowledge of metalworking. "Od“ means fire in Turkish, and the word ”wood“ means ”wood (firewood)". In this case, ”Odin the Ygg“ turns into ”Good and young wood".”[8]. In the work ”Norse Mythology A Guide To Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs“, he said, "We also see him (Oden) in the first part of the Ynglinga Saga. In this chapter, we understand that Odin, as the leader of his people, brought them from Turkland to Scandinavia,” the lines are emphasized[9].

Turgay Kürüm gives the following information about Odin's Turkish Origin: “In the light of historical information and other information in the said work, Odin's, M.S. 3. yy.it is understood that he is one of the Goths who came to the north of the Black Sea, that he is the leader of the Goth tribe that dominates between the Don and Decile rivers, that he returned with his tribe to Scandinavia (Gotaland), his motherland, preserving the pagan faith during the period after Germanik became a Christian, before the Hun raids on Europe began, and founded the Viking kingdom in Scandinavia.”[10]. In their article titled ”Alps and Elves: The Phenomenon of Heroism in the Turkish and Scandinavian Worlds" Assoc. Dr. Osman Karatay and Emre Aygun share interesting information about Odin. According to Karatay and Akgun, Odin, who migrated from Turkestan to Scandinavia, was later deified and became the chief god of the northerners. According to them, the name of Odin's people is Az, that is, the people in the Kyrgyz neighborhood on the Abakan steppe, who appear as “Az budun” in the Göktürk inscriptions. Again, according to what Karatay and Aygun quoted from Nizamuddin Shami, Timur paid a visit to the tomb of Öden Ata in this region before going on an expedition, prayed and made wishes[11]. Assoc. Dr. Osman Karatay also explained the Turkish origins of Odin in his article ”King Odin's Migration from Turkland to Scandinavia"[12].

According to some sources, the acceptance of Odin as a god is due to his supernatural powers or rather shamanic characteristics. This raises the possibility that Oden Ata is a shaman (kam) as well as a leader. If so, the Scandinavian people, who saw the shamanic characteristics of Oden Ata, may have elevated him to the rank of a god. Odin's shamanic soul journeys have been well documented. According to the Ynglinga Saga, Odin was able to send news to distant lands when he appeared to other people asleep or close to death. In the Eddic poem "Baldur's Dreams", Odin rides his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and with this horse he could make a journey to the underworld like Eurasian shamans[13]. According to Mircae Eliade, Odin had two ravens named Hugin and Munin, just like shamans all over the world have[14].

3.The Tree of Life of Norse Mythology: Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil is the sacred tree of life in Norse mythology. It is also called the ”World Tree". Yggdrasil connects the 9 worlds through the branches of the realm. At the top of Yggdrasil is the eagle Vedrfolnir. This eagle looks at the whole world from here. Odin hung on the branches of Yggdrasil for nine nights in order to learn the secret of the runes (runic writings). Yggdrasil usually represents long life, fertility, rebirth and knowledge in mythology[15]. According to the story in the Edda, Yggdrasil is a lofty tree that extends from the bottom of the earth to the sky. Yggdrasil has nine branches that cover the whole world and three roots whose ends start in the heavens. Each of these roots receives its water from a spring. One of the roots is under the Asgard (the abode of the Asians), where the Asians live[16].

The presence of holy water under the roots of Yggdrasil reminds us of the “water of life” of the world tree of Turkish mythology. In Turkish mythology, the world tree is sometimes combined with the belief of the ”water of life". For example, in some of the Altay legends, the “tree of life” is the 12th of heaven. this “water of life”, located in the pit below the “beech tree” on top of the “world mountain” that rises up to its floor, sometimes gave immortality or a new power, sometimes health or youth (Ögel, ss:106-107)[17]. The concept of ”tree of life“ or ”World Tree" also has an important place in Turkish mythology. The tree of life has been used quite widely as a motif in carpet and rug patterns in Turks. It is even possible to see the tree of life motifs even on the tombstones. In the Turks, shamans used to reach the god of heaven using the tree of life. In Altay mythology, the God Mr. Ulgen used to sit on top of this sacred tree. The tree of life was also depicted on the shaman drums. The tree of life of the Turks also had 9 branches (like Yggdrasil). Interestingly, at the top of the Turks' tree of life, there was also a bird representing human souls. According to mythology, the human soul used to wait as a bird at the top of this tree before it had even come to earth. A boy among the Turks of Telut believed in a sky bird whose right wing covered the Sun and left wing Decked the Moon. In Siberia, next to cities and dormitories, there was a long pole and a wooden bird on it. This bird is called the sky bird, and the pole is called the sky pole. This pole is considered the tree of life. This unites the earth and the sky[18].

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