top of page

şahmeran

I've been obsessed with this form of a mythological figure for years now. I had grown up seeing her and living her story but never acknowledged until leaving Turkey.

 

This story would arrive upon your ears as told through oral tradition by a bard as;

[I was told this story by hüsamettin koçan, a turkish artist and educator, most recently whom I have deemed as the bard of the story you are able to read here today as there are many different tellings of it ]

 

“Şahmaran… is this half woman, half snake entity who is a healer… In a village, there is a king who has caught the disease of the time… and in order to heal they must find Şahmaran, cut her up and boil her flesh, and drink her water. But, whatever they do no one can find Şahmaran. Meanwhile, the naughty kids of the village are playing in a field. While playing around these kids find a well of honey. They decide to let the most naive one go down the well. He brings out all the honey in the well, then the other kids close the well with a stone and the boy is stuck inside with no honey for him. This boy is called Camsab. He cries a little, after the fact, he looks around and notices a bug. A scorpion. Going towards a way. He digs towards a way and a light shines in. He looks to see an incredible garden. He enters the garden with excitement. Walks a little further and sees someone sitting on a throne, as he moves closer he notices the snake-woman; Şahmaran. As soon as he sees her, he faints.  Şahmaran, being a humanist, takes him in, tells him not to be afraid of her. She works to show him she can do him no harm. 

Şahmaran takes Camsab 7 levels below and above living level in order to entertain him. HE takes him to the kingdom of pigeons. One day, the fun is over and Camsab misses his family. Şahmaran does not wish for him to leave, people are two-faced. She tells him to forget where he came from as he would expose her now that he knows where he lives. Camsab insists. She gives in. Tells him to go but to keep in mind that you are human, you will harm me, if possible do not tell anyone you have seen me. He goes back. The king is still sick. The prophet declares various prizes yet they come across no clues to find Şahmaran. However, has the brilliant idea that people who have seen Şahmaran get scales on their skin. So they take everyone to the hamam (bath). Where they discover the scales across Camsab’s body. Camsab being the stupid boy that he is reveals where Şahmaran is. They go there and find her. Şahmaran’s last wish is for Camsab to carry her. He takes her in his lap, when she says to him: 

“Dear humanity, didn’t I tell you you are not to be trusted, look you have been the cost of my life. For this they are going to take me, cut me open and drink my water, they will make you drink the first cup… Don’t. Make the prophet drink the first cup. You drink the second one and the king the third… and let this be proof of how  much I am on the side of humanity, but also scared of it. ” They do as told. The prophet drinks the first cup and ends up dying, he drinks the second cup and starts seeing the future, beyond the mountains and the past. The king tells Camsab… “Wish whatever you want from me”! Camsab asks to marry the beautiful daughter of the king… We understand a stupid little boy being stupid but since he no longer is. Now that he is full of knowledge, how did this man end up living with himself knowing of his mistakes.”


 

Today, here as we stand in saint martins, it is the birth of a male, whom we may identify as Camsab from the story,  

 

from Şahmaran’s womb,

half of a woman, half of a snake, 

 

It is said that maybe Şahmaran is the son of Loqman Hekim, 

the all-knowing Wiseman that has all the knowledge that the story opens up with,

Şahmaran passes and leaves all her power and knowledge to Camsab who therefore 

 

is perhaps the son of Şahmaran the daughter of Loqman Hekim.

 

Rituals, as I have come to learn, consist of repetition, and the enjoyment of comfort that allows one. 

Şahmeran is a ritual for me. Not only because I have been drawing this image of a mystical embodiment of a woman for about a year with extreme repetition, but because I grew up with her image which has been ingrained in my mind. 

 

The form was always familiar even when the story was not. I believe it is that way for many.

As I drew her, I discovered various stories within the lines, ones of my own experiences of being watched, love, betrayal, knowledge, and folklore. 

 

Which is how I have ended up with a largely interpreted Şahmaran image differing from the iconography that is still the very same raw emotion at its heart in front of your eyes today.

 

Duru Bebekoğlu, 2022

Hoginsan

image.png
image.png

Dressed to the metamorphosis (2022)

MURAL

 200 x 300 cm

image.png

Then I became her.

image.png
image.png

Pregnant of a mit (2023)

Manipulated image

image.png

Untitled (2022)

Acrylic

130x30

image.png
image.png
image.png
image.png
image.png
image.png
bottom of page