Takam
Encyclopedia
Takam is the name of the king of goats, a male goat, in the folklore
of Azarbaijan, Iran
. Takam's effigies are made out of wood and ornamented with coloured glass beads and cock's tail feathers. A pole affixed to a Takam is passed through a hole in a plank which is held horizontally, from below which the Takam is moved as though it is dancing on the surface of the plank. While doing so, the person playing the Takam, who is referred to as Takam-Chi
(تکم چی), or Takam Gardān (meaning, the one who turns around the Takam), chants special poetry which in Azari
is called Sāyā
(سایا). The tradition of playing the Takam is millennia old and invariably in all Sāyās reference is made to natural landscapes, pastures and the native domestic animals. At present, the tradition of playing the Takam is strongest in Ardebil. Takams were originally played as messengers bearing the tiding of the arrival of the Spring
. In modern times, Takams are also played in connection with a variety of other special festive events. It is conceivable that Takam and Pan
, the Greek god
of shepherds and flocks, may have a common historical origin.
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of Azarbaijan, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Takam's effigies are made out of wood and ornamented with coloured glass beads and cock's tail feathers. A pole affixed to a Takam is passed through a hole in a plank which is held horizontally, from below which the Takam is moved as though it is dancing on the surface of the plank. While doing so, the person playing the Takam, who is referred to as Takam-Chi
Takam-Chi
Takam-Chi , or Takam Gardān , is the person who plays the Takam. Both Takam and Takam-Chi are Turkic-Azari words....
(تکم چی), or Takam Gardān (meaning, the one who turns around the Takam), chants special poetry which in Azari
Azari
Azari may refer to:*Āzari or Azeri, anything related to Iranian Azerbaijan** A person from the Iranian Azarbaijan** Azari Language, an Iranian language related to Iranian Azerbaijan** Azerbaijani language, a Turkic language...
is called Sāyā
Saya (poem)
Sāyā is the type of poem or song that a Takam-Chi chants while playing a Takam. The words Sāyā, Takam and Takam-Chi are Azari words.-References:* The Anthropological Museum of the Tribes of Azarbaijan, Sarāb, , ....
(سایا). The tradition of playing the Takam is millennia old and invariably in all Sāyās reference is made to natural landscapes, pastures and the native domestic animals. At present, the tradition of playing the Takam is strongest in Ardebil. Takams were originally played as messengers bearing the tiding of the arrival of the Spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
. In modern times, Takams are also played in connection with a variety of other special festive events. It is conceivable that Takam and Pan
Pan (mythology)
Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
, the Greek god
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
of shepherds and flocks, may have a common historical origin.