Emotional immunity Codes of melancholy Cultural memory Maqam Turkish folk music

Abstract

The primary problem of this study is the frequent misinterpretation of the concept of “melancholy” in Turkish folk music as merely a simple state of sorrow or pessimism, and the insufficient articulation of this musical heritage’s function in constructing a societal “emotional immune system.” The research aims to examine the codes of melancholy through a holistic approach situated at the intersection of aesthetics, psychology, and musicology. Adopting a qualitative research design based on the case study model, the study analyzes 35 folk songs registered in the TRT repertoire that embody the aesthetic of melancholy, employing document analysis as the primary method. The findings reveal that melancholy in folk music represents an “aesthetic discipline” reflecting the individual’s maturity and unshakable resilience in the face of life. The analyzed works predominantly feature the Hüseyni, Uşşak, and Hicaz maqams, whose structures correspond psychologically to notions such as surrender and inward reflection within the collective memory. In conclusion, the codes of melancholy in Turkish folk music function as a “cultural defense mechanism” activated during periods of social crisis and displacement, transforming individual suffering into a shared cultural heritage and thereby contributing to social cohesion.