Hüseyin Nihâl Atsiz
Encyclopedia
Hüseyin Nihâl Atsız was a prominent Turkish nationalist
writer
, novelist, poet
and philosopher. Nihâl Atsız was a fervent supporter of the pan-Turkist or Turanism
ideology. He is author of over 30 books and numerous articles. He was in strong opposition to the government of İsmet İnönü
, which he criticized for co-operating with the communists. He was accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
, ancient Turkic
traditions. He is among the authors that influenced the Turkish nationalist movement, which is called Ülkücü movement, (translated as "idealist"), a nationalist movement of Alparslan Türkeş
, which breaks with his ideology of Turkism on the grounds that it reconciles with Islam instead of denouncing it as "Arab religion". Atsız worked on Turkism as an ideologue
and activist
but never joined any party or political group because he considered politics to be a way to corruption. He and his comrades published several Turkist magazines such as Otuken, Yeni Hayat and Orkun. He wrote strong articles which criticized the oppressive government of İsmet İnönü
and his alleged tolerance of communism
in the country.
literature and history. His essays about history are gathered and published as a book under the name of Türk Tarihinde Meseleler (Several Issues in Turkish History). He served as a literature teacher for a number of years.
Atsız is also an important novelist and poet. His historical epic novel Bozkurtların Ölümü (Death of the Gray Wolves) is one of the most popular historical novels in Turkish literature
. The book is concerns the last days of first Gök Türk Empire
and the impossible rebellion of Prince Kür-Şad and his forty warriors against the Chinese
invaders.
Its sequel Bozkurtlar Diriliyor (Revival of the Gray Wolves) tells the story of Urungu, the unknown son of Kür-Şad and the beginning of the second Gök Türk Empire.
His third novel Deli Kurt (Mad Wolf) is about the mystic romance between a Sipahi
warrior and a mysterious shamanist nomad woman in the early Ottoman Empire.
His last novel Ruh Adam (Soul Man) is considered to be one of the best psychological novels. The book has a spiritual and mystical atmosphere, full with surrealistic, allegorical
figures such as Yek (who symbolizes Satan
) and Lieutenant Şeref (who symbolizes Honour). It has a complex story, which is generally about the forbidden platonic love
affair between an alcoholic ex-army officer and a diabolical, mysterious young high school student. The story developed on the reincarnation of two lovers, which was a warrior banned from the army because of his love to the girl was greater than his love to his country in ancient nomad times.
Atsız wrote one satirical
political comedy about İnönü government in the 1940s. Z Vitamini (Vitamin Z) is about a fictional special vitamin, which gives immortality
to the dictator and his government. Dalkavuklar Gecesi (Night of The Sycophants) is a historical allegory, which tells the story of political corruption, allegedly during the Hittite
era but actually referring to the injustices and arbitrariness of Atatürk's rule during early 1930s.
Atsız is also a famous poet. His poems are in the style of Pre-Islam
ic literature and his common themes are idealism, honour, forbidden love, war and history. His complete poetic works have been published under the name of Yolların Sonu ("End of Roads")
, Istanbul
. His father was navy commander Mehmet Nail Bey, from Çiftçioğlu family of Torul
, Gümüşhane
; his mother was Fatma Zehra, daughter of navy commander Osman Fevzi Bey, from Kadıoğlu family of Trabzon
.
Nihal Atsız had two sons from his second wife Bedriye Atsız: Yağmur Atsız, a left-wing journalist and writer, and Prof. Dr. Buğra Atsız, academician and nationalist writer, and daughter Kaniye Atsız. He also had a younger brother Nejdet Sançar
, also a notable writer and publicist.
Atsız dedicated his entire life to his children and especially to his most beloved grand daughter Maviş Atsiz, the daughter of Kaniye Atsiz. Nihâl Atsiz is remembered by his grand daughter as a kind and gentle person with children, his free time he would always dedicate reading and educating his grand children.
Turkish nationalism
Turkish nationalism is a political ideology that promotes and glorifies the Turkish people, as either a national, ethnic or linguistic group and puts the interests of the state over other influences, including religious ones.-Pan-Turkism:...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, novelist, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and philosopher. Nihâl Atsız was a fervent supporter of the pan-Turkist or Turanism
Turanism
Turanism, or Pan-Turanism, is a political movement for the union of all Turanian peoples. It implies not merely the unity of all Turkic peoples , but also the unification of a wider Turanid "race", also known as the controversial Uralo-Altaic "race," believed to include all peoples speaking...
ideology. He is author of over 30 books and numerous articles. He was in strong opposition to the government of İsmet İnönü
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
, which he criticized for co-operating with the communists. He was accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
Politics
Nihâl Atsız is firstly known for his nationalist views and his active campaign against Turkish communists and his embracing of shamanisticShamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, ancient Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
traditions. He is among the authors that influenced the Turkish nationalist movement, which is called Ülkücü movement, (translated as "idealist"), a nationalist movement of Alparslan Türkeş
Alparslan Türkes
Alparslan Türkeş was a Cypriot-born Turkish nationalist politician who was the founder and former president of the Nationalist Movement Party party...
, which breaks with his ideology of Turkism on the grounds that it reconciles with Islam instead of denouncing it as "Arab religion". Atsız worked on Turkism as an ideologue
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
and activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
but never joined any party or political group because he considered politics to be a way to corruption. He and his comrades published several Turkist magazines such as Otuken, Yeni Hayat and Orkun. He wrote strong articles which criticized the oppressive government of İsmet İnönü
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
and his alleged tolerance of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in the country.
Literary work
Atsız majored in History of Literature and published several academic essays about OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
literature and history. His essays about history are gathered and published as a book under the name of Türk Tarihinde Meseleler (Several Issues in Turkish History). He served as a literature teacher for a number of years.
Atsız is also an important novelist and poet. His historical epic novel Bozkurtların Ölümü (Death of the Gray Wolves) is one of the most popular historical novels in Turkish literature
Turkish literature
Turkish literature comprises both oral compositions and written texts in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman form or in less exclusively literary forms, such as that spoken in the Republic of Turkey today...
. The book is concerns the last days of first Gök Türk Empire
Göktürks
The Göktürks or Kök Türks, were a nomadic confederation of peoples in medieval Inner Asia. Known in Chinese sources as 突厥 , the Göktürks under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan The Göktürks or Kök Türks, (Old Turkic: Türük or Kök Türük or Türük; Celestial Turks) were a nomadic confederation of...
and the impossible rebellion of Prince Kür-Şad and his forty warriors against the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
invaders.
Its sequel Bozkurtlar Diriliyor (Revival of the Gray Wolves) tells the story of Urungu, the unknown son of Kür-Şad and the beginning of the second Gök Türk Empire.
His third novel Deli Kurt (Mad Wolf) is about the mystic romance between a Sipahi
Sipahi
Sipahi was the name of several Ottoman cavalry corps...
warrior and a mysterious shamanist nomad woman in the early Ottoman Empire.
His last novel Ruh Adam (Soul Man) is considered to be one of the best psychological novels. The book has a spiritual and mystical atmosphere, full with surrealistic, allegorical
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
figures such as Yek (who symbolizes Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
) and Lieutenant Şeref (who symbolizes Honour). It has a complex story, which is generally about the forbidden platonic love
Platonic love
Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...
affair between an alcoholic ex-army officer and a diabolical, mysterious young high school student. The story developed on the reincarnation of two lovers, which was a warrior banned from the army because of his love to the girl was greater than his love to his country in ancient nomad times.
Atsız wrote one satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
political comedy about İnönü government in the 1940s. Z Vitamini (Vitamin Z) is about a fictional special vitamin, which gives immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
to the dictator and his government. Dalkavuklar Gecesi (Night of The Sycophants) is a historical allegory, which tells the story of political corruption, allegedly during the Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
era but actually referring to the injustices and arbitrariness of Atatürk's rule during early 1930s.
Atsız is also a famous poet. His poems are in the style of Pre-Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic literature and his common themes are idealism, honour, forbidden love, war and history. His complete poetic works have been published under the name of Yolların Sonu ("End of Roads")
Personal life
Nihal Atsız was born on January 12, 1905 at KasımpaşaKasımpaşa (district)
Kasımpaşa is a quarter within the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is a low-lying area north of the Golden Horn in the European part of the city. Neighbouring quarters include Dolapdere and Kurtuluş.-History:...
, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. His father was navy commander Mehmet Nail Bey, from Çiftçioğlu family of Torul
Torul
Torul is a town and district of Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 12,385 of which 4,421 live in the town of Torul. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of .-External links:* * * *...
, Gümüşhane
Gümüshane
-Features:Gümüşhane has a rich historical background so there are many historical places, mosques, churches, castles. Ancient city of Satala in the modern village of Sadak was the most important military camp of the ancient Roman Empire in the east. This place was ruled by the Hittites, Assyrians,...
; his mother was Fatma Zehra, daughter of navy commander Osman Fevzi Bey, from Kadıoğlu family of Trabzon
Trabzon
Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
.
Nihal Atsız had two sons from his second wife Bedriye Atsız: Yağmur Atsız, a left-wing journalist and writer, and Prof. Dr. Buğra Atsız, academician and nationalist writer, and daughter Kaniye Atsız. He also had a younger brother Nejdet Sançar
Nejdet Sançar
Nejdet Sançar was a Turkish literature teacher who became one of the prominent personalities of the Pan-Turanism school. He was the brother of another notable Turkish nationalist, Hüseyin Nihâl Atsız.- Politics :...
, also a notable writer and publicist.
Atsız dedicated his entire life to his children and especially to his most beloved grand daughter Maviş Atsiz, the daughter of Kaniye Atsiz. Nihâl Atsiz is remembered by his grand daughter as a kind and gentle person with children, his free time he would always dedicate reading and educating his grand children.