Chris Gratien, Georgetown University
With each holiday, the children of late Ottoman Istanbul could look forward to the special dishes, sweets, gifts, and gatherings associated with the feast days. One of the simple pleasures that came with the celebrations were the traveling swings or carousels that were erected in the center of neighborhoods where children could pay a small bit of pocket money for a ride.
Yet even during the holidays, there were those who sought to corrupt the innocent young minds of the good boys and girls of Istanbul. This exchange between the Ottoman education ministry and the police from spring 1902 describes the nefarious actions of the men who operated these rides: the salıncakçıs. In order to entertain the children, these men would lead them in songs, which according to the report here, contained indecent language and inappropriate jokes (münafi-yi edeb lakırdalar).
While the letter indicates that a copy of the dirty songs was attached, unfortunately these were not included in the file at the Ottoman archives. But the report does mention one song called “Ya Fellah,” which is a derogatory term for Arab peasants in the Ottoman context. Despite the song's title, it is safe to assume that the carousel songs of Istanbul's youth did not involve deep analysis of late Ottoman agrarian transformations. Instead, these songs probably contained some sexual innuendo, as they were deemed especially inappropriate for girls who were “still children (henüz senn-i tufuliyette).”
Even worse, the inappropriate lyrics of these songs - described as inimical to “a glorious Islamic upbringing (terbiye-yi celile-yi islamiye)” - circulated on scraps of paper, meaning they were passed around to many more children than initially went around on the merry-go-round. These papers were to be “taken and torn up (ahz u şakk)” by teachers should they be found. It is interesting to see educators turning to the police intelligence networks to root out the dirty songs that apparently infiltrated the schools after the holiday. But it should have been some consolation for the dedicated teachers that the boys and girls of Istanbul had developed their own independent literary culture. Only, instead of reciting classical poetry or prayers learned in the classroom, students were repeating the raunchy lyrics of foul-mouthed carnies.
Even worse, the inappropriate lyrics of these songs - described as inimical to “a glorious Islamic upbringing (terbiye-yi celile-yi islamiye)” - circulated on scraps of paper, meaning they were passed around to many more children than initially went around on the merry-go-round. These papers were to be “taken and torn up (ahz u şakk)” by teachers should they be found. It is interesting to see educators turning to the police intelligence networks to root out the dirty songs that apparently infiltrated the schools after the holiday. But it should have been some consolation for the dedicated teachers that the boys and girls of Istanbul had developed their own independent literary culture. Only, instead of reciting classical poetry or prayers learned in the classroom, students were repeating the raunchy lyrics of foul-mouthed carnies.
Source: BOA, MF-MKT 621/14, no. 1 (24 March 1902).
Great story! I wish someone can find all dirty songs in future.
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