Structured Abstract
Introduction: Saddle was first developed around the eighth century BC by the nomads of the Eurasian Steppe, who lived largely on horseback. The Russian archeologist Sergei Rudenko’s research in 1951 on the frozen burial graves of the central Asian nomads at Pazyryk, Siberia, produced actual examples of two types of saddles from the fifth century BC—the simpler consisting merely of two felt cushions designed to lie on each side of the horse’s backbone and the latter having padded wooden frames to act as a pommel and cantle. These saddles were used on top of large, gaily decorated saddle clothes and secured by a breast band, girth, and cupper; however, they lacked stirrups. The earliest depiction of the Turkish saddle, however, was found on a sixth- or seventh-century stone engraving during the excavations of burial sites in Kudryga in Eastern Altais from the period of the Turkic kaganate of the Gokturks. This type remained the same in central Asia and was brought to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in the eleventh century by nomadic Turkish tribes. The Turkish saddle is characteristic in shape with its broader seat, high pommel and cantle which hold the rider securely. It does not lie on the back of the horse with its full weight, but rests on it with the weight distributed on both sides. It does not require strong strapping because of its lightness and relatively small size, consequently it decreases the burden of the horse, and makes quick movement possible, providing warriors with balance, movement, and maneuvering capabilities. Historical records note that the Turkish saddle has additional functions and offers certain advantages: it supports archery or dressage; allows one to hang a steel club, lasso, or saddlebag on the front pummel; it also supplies soldiers with pillows to sleep on. During the Ottoman Empire, horses with gorgeously ornamented Turkish saddles made of gold or silver were the preferred gifts. Saddles were also used to indicate the social and financial status of the bearer or to convey some possible symbolic meanings.
Objective: This article aims to present a cultural history of the Turkish saddle from a broad perspective.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, equestrian resources together with the accounts provided by European travelers visiting the Ottoman domains and medical textbooks printed in different languages between sixteenth to eighteenth centuries were examined.
Results and Discussion: European travelers who visited the Ottoman lands on diplomatic, scholarly, and commercial enterprises produced a diverse range of printed works on Ottoman equitation and harnesses. The travel writing literature of the sixteenth century, in treating Ottoman lands, is filled with European travelers’ astonishment and admiration of the richness and elegance of Turkish saddles. It appears that this type of saddle became widely known in this century, and writers preferred to portray its beauty, including its glamorous beaded jewelry. Likewise, many European painters (i.e., Hans Eworth, Melchior Lorck, and Jean Victor Adam) produced visual records of Turkish saddles. In terms of medicine, sella turcica, Latin translation of the term “Turkish saddle”, defines a superior depression of the sphenoid bone where the pituitary gland sits. The sella turcica originally comes from the Latin words sedes or sedula (meaning seat, stool, or saddle) and turcica (referring to the Turks). According to this analogy, the sella turcica comprises the tuberculum sellae (pommel of the saddle), the hypophysial fossa (pituitary fossa), and the dorsum sellae (cantle of the saddle). The term was introduced to the anatomical nomenclature by the Flemish anatomist, physician, and botanist Adrianus Spigelius (1578−1625) in De Humani Corporis Fabrica, which was published two years after his death. In subsequent centuries, many books, especially medical dictionaries, included entries for sella turcica or its literary equivalent in different languages; hence, the term became quite widely known.
Conclusion: Emergence of the sella turcica as a medical term during the first half of the seventeenth century coincides with the golden age of Italian anatomy, when a great deal of changes were made to Latin terminology. But more importantly, the time when the Ottoman military power was at its peak and consequently had become a serious threat to Europe produced an enormous body of printed materials in circulation with informed opinions about the Turks. Therefore, offering sella turcica as a medical term should be attributed to the “image” of the Turks of that century. Furthermore, introduction of this Turks-related terminology by Spigelius should also be considered as one of the forerunners of Turquerie, the widespread orientalist fashion in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries imitating several aspects of Turkish daily life, art, and culture.
Key Words: Turkish saddle, sella turcica, anatomy, terminology, Turqueire, travel writings
Cite: Tekiner, Halil., Keleştimur, Fahrettin. “A cultural history of the Turkish saddle,” Turkish Studies, 10(5), (2015): 319-328, DOI: 10.7827/TurkishStudies.8071.
Link: http://turkishstudies.net/Makaleler/1232240197_18TekinerHalil-vd-trh_S-319-328.pdf
Introduction: Saddle was first developed around the eighth century BC by the nomads of the Eurasian Steppe, who lived largely on horseback. The Russian archeologist Sergei Rudenko’s research in 1951 on the frozen burial graves of the central Asian nomads at Pazyryk, Siberia, produced actual examples of two types of saddles from the fifth century BC—the simpler consisting merely of two felt cushions designed to lie on each side of the horse’s backbone and the latter having padded wooden frames to act as a pommel and cantle. These saddles were used on top of large, gaily decorated saddle clothes and secured by a breast band, girth, and cupper; however, they lacked stirrups. The earliest depiction of the Turkish saddle, however, was found on a sixth- or seventh-century stone engraving during the excavations of burial sites in Kudryga in Eastern Altais from the period of the Turkic kaganate of the Gokturks. This type remained the same in central Asia and was brought to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in the eleventh century by nomadic Turkish tribes. The Turkish saddle is characteristic in shape with its broader seat, high pommel and cantle which hold the rider securely. It does not lie on the back of the horse with its full weight, but rests on it with the weight distributed on both sides. It does not require strong strapping because of its lightness and relatively small size, consequently it decreases the burden of the horse, and makes quick movement possible, providing warriors with balance, movement, and maneuvering capabilities. Historical records note that the Turkish saddle has additional functions and offers certain advantages: it supports archery or dressage; allows one to hang a steel club, lasso, or saddlebag on the front pummel; it also supplies soldiers with pillows to sleep on. During the Ottoman Empire, horses with gorgeously ornamented Turkish saddles made of gold or silver were the preferred gifts. Saddles were also used to indicate the social and financial status of the bearer or to convey some possible symbolic meanings.
Objective: This article aims to present a cultural history of the Turkish saddle from a broad perspective.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, equestrian resources together with the accounts provided by European travelers visiting the Ottoman domains and medical textbooks printed in different languages between sixteenth to eighteenth centuries were examined.
Results and Discussion: European travelers who visited the Ottoman lands on diplomatic, scholarly, and commercial enterprises produced a diverse range of printed works on Ottoman equitation and harnesses. The travel writing literature of the sixteenth century, in treating Ottoman lands, is filled with European travelers’ astonishment and admiration of the richness and elegance of Turkish saddles. It appears that this type of saddle became widely known in this century, and writers preferred to portray its beauty, including its glamorous beaded jewelry. Likewise, many European painters (i.e., Hans Eworth, Melchior Lorck, and Jean Victor Adam) produced visual records of Turkish saddles. In terms of medicine, sella turcica, Latin translation of the term “Turkish saddle”, defines a superior depression of the sphenoid bone where the pituitary gland sits. The sella turcica originally comes from the Latin words sedes or sedula (meaning seat, stool, or saddle) and turcica (referring to the Turks). According to this analogy, the sella turcica comprises the tuberculum sellae (pommel of the saddle), the hypophysial fossa (pituitary fossa), and the dorsum sellae (cantle of the saddle). The term was introduced to the anatomical nomenclature by the Flemish anatomist, physician, and botanist Adrianus Spigelius (1578−1625) in De Humani Corporis Fabrica, which was published two years after his death. In subsequent centuries, many books, especially medical dictionaries, included entries for sella turcica or its literary equivalent in different languages; hence, the term became quite widely known.
Conclusion: Emergence of the sella turcica as a medical term during the first half of the seventeenth century coincides with the golden age of Italian anatomy, when a great deal of changes were made to Latin terminology. But more importantly, the time when the Ottoman military power was at its peak and consequently had become a serious threat to Europe produced an enormous body of printed materials in circulation with informed opinions about the Turks. Therefore, offering sella turcica as a medical term should be attributed to the “image” of the Turks of that century. Furthermore, introduction of this Turks-related terminology by Spigelius should also be considered as one of the forerunners of Turquerie, the widespread orientalist fashion in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries imitating several aspects of Turkish daily life, art, and culture.
Key Words: Turkish saddle, sella turcica, anatomy, terminology, Turqueire, travel writings
Cite: Tekiner, Halil., Keleştimur, Fahrettin. “A cultural history of the Turkish saddle,” Turkish Studies, 10(5), (2015): 319-328, DOI: 10.7827/TurkishStudies.8071.
Link: http://turkishstudies.net/Makaleler/1232240197_18TekinerHalil-vd-trh_S-319-328.pdf
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