Bey Böyrek Folk Song
The story of “Bamsı Beyrek” occupies an important position in the Turkish oral culture tradition. “Kam Püre Oğlu Bamsı Beyrek” which is the third and the longest of Dede Korkut Stories is known as “Alıp-Manaş” in Altai, “Alpamıs” in Kazakhistan and Karakalpak, “Alpamış” in Uzbekistan and “Alıp Memşen” in Tatar as an epic tradition. As a result of the social and geographical changes, “Kam Püre Oğlu Bamsı Beyrek” which turned into a folktale and story form is still known as “Bey Böyrek”, “Bağ Böyrek”, “Bey Beyrek”, “Bey Bira”, “Bey Bayram” in Anatolia. Societies have always given voice to their joys, sufffering, bliss, sorrows and achievements in different ways one of which is folk song. A folk singer can both compose a song or make use of a product among oral tradition. He can turn a product such as an epic, a folk tale, a legend or a requiem into a folk song form in accordance with people’s needs. The folk song, “Bey Böyrek” is a production of such transformation. In our article, we will first compare “Bey Böyrek”, compiled from Mehmet Sıtkı Işıtır, with poems in various tale variants and then review the song’s place among Turkish folk song repertory.

Keywords
Bey Böyrek,folk tale, folk song