Death Among the Altaic Turks (Altay Türklerinde Ölüm) is a Turkish translation of a 1963 work by the French Turkologist Jean-Paul Roux. Published in November 2023 as part of Dergâh Publications' History series, the work provides a comprehensive analysis of the understanding and practices of death among the Altaic peoples.

Subject and Content

The book addresses how death is understood in Altaic societies and the social function of beliefs and rituals related to death. Roux emphasizes that in this culture, death is not regarded as an end but as a different form of existence. Death is discussed in conjunction with the individual's life, the continuity of the soul, and social solidarity. The text is structured around three main themes: death, the soul, and funeral rites.

Themes

• Ritual and Sociality: Death is addressed not only as an individual loss but as a social rite of reunification.
• Belief in the Soul: The passage of the deceased's soul to a different realm or form of existence is examined.
• Ceremonial Practices: The structure of graves, funeral rites, and the role of the community in this process are described.

Narration and Style

Roux uses an academic language to synthesize anthropological, historical, and archaeological data. The book is notable for its ethnographic examples and ritualistic analyses. The author presents the meaning of death for the Altaic people with a systematic and critical perspective.