13 th. century Anatolia.
The Kayis are on the move, seeking fertile land to settle and
raise their herds, a place their people can call home. Suleyman Shah, the
tribe’s leader, and his wife, Haime Hatun, have four sons. The eldest is missing,
feared dead. The next is an upstanding guy, a stickler for rules, a bit of a stuffed shirt. The third
son is Ertugrul, brave and fearless, a born leader, willing to risk the
approval of the tribe and of his family for what he knows to be the way forward
for all of them. The forth son is still young, a warrior in training.
Life is precarious on the Steppes. The Kayis are beset with threats – Crusaders to the west, Mongols to the east, enemy infiltrators worming their way into trusted positions within the tribe – no shortage of clashing swords or accurately aimed arrows. Who can you trust?
They long for a land of their own and a peaceful life.
Of the two middle sons, the stuffed shirt seems destined to be the law
enforcer. Ertugrul, though he doesn’t seek power and importance, with his vision, will likely
take his father’s place as head of the tribe. Meanwhile, he and his three most
faithful ‘alps’ take care of hunting, protection of the tribe from their
enemies and training of the younger warriors.
21st. century - 2017, Florida.
It is hot and muggy. No threats from marauding Mongols or
bloodthirsty Crusaders. Our biggest worries are a new president who is not presidential, but
mercifully far away in Washington, and mosquitoes who are right here and
hungry.
One evening in June the OC happens on a show on Netflix. Not much
of a television fan, I am nevertheless drawn to sit and watch awhile. ‘Resurrection:
Ertugrul’ is the title. The next evening he turns it on again. Drawn as by a magnet, I
sit and watch. Three episodes. Next evening, the same. And so it went, for a month. Serious addiction. How did that happen? Me, who has always viewed soap operas with disdain, addicted to a show with definite soap opera
overtones?
13 th. century Anatolia.
Ertugrul is out riding one
day with his three faithful Alps, Turgut, Bamsi and Dogan. They come upon a man
and his son and daughter being abducted under suspicious circumstances. Swords
are drawn, a battle ensues and, in true hero style, they fend off the villians,
rescue the family and bring them back to their tribe’s settlement. The man turns out to be a Seljuk prince. His young
son is Yigit (whom we fondly call Eegit, for our inability to wrap our tongues
around the correct Turkish pronunciation) and his beautiful daughter is Halime, simplified
by the OC for American consumption to “Holly-Mae.”
This sets the stage for a never-ending saga. We’ve watched the
first two seasons and I’m in serious withdrawal as it will be a while before
season three is available. The show reminds me of tales, learned long ago in
school, of good against evil, of Cuchullain, the Hound of Ulster, Oisin, Niamh
and Tir na nOg and other stories from Irish mythology.
21st. Century, 2017, Florida
Hugely intrigued by the total abandon with which I’ve immersed myself in this story, I
said as much to some friends one day at
lunch. We're talking serious addiction here.They looked at me and – both together, with ‘Duh!’ undertones -
said “Because you were there!”
Seriously?
Could it be? They were not joking. They were almost matter-of-fact, almost "how-could-you-not -figure-that-out-for-yourself?" Educated women with their feet on the ground and lifetimes of experience.
Temporarily
suspending my skepticism, I’ve been entertaining that possibility. Maybe that is why the show appeals to me on such a gut level. Maybe
the universe is the biggest recycler
of all and I have been there in a
previous life. It epitomizes so many things that resonate with me. First of all
is the feeling of community and continuity, how everyone in the tribe pulls
together; how members of the tribe know, and live, with the same group of
people from birth to the grave. Secondly, the pace of modern life is too fast for me. A walking pace would suit me just fine. Horseback would work. I wouldn't be as skittish as I am if I'd been born to it! I love how their lives are ruled by honor,
integrity, bravery and respect for their traditions, along with generous
helpings of skullduggery, backstabbing traitors, evil plotters and scheming
women. All of human life. There is romance
too, conveyed in an understated way that doesn’t make me squirm in my chair or
turn me into a Peeping Tom. I like that in a show.
And, wonder of wonders, I haven’t heard one of the four letter
words that are so liberally sprinkled throughout most American TV shows. Directors
of our shows seem to believe that foul language is cool and essential for good
ratings. Ertugrul is in Turkish so I can't say for sure, but, it doesn’t
show up in the sub titles! I’m fine with that too.
The Kayi women weave and spin, appliqué and embroider. Their beautiful
textiles and rugs are in high demand for trading at the caravansaries. Their yurts are
insulated with animal skins and richly woven tapestries. The costumes are
stunning, the colors brilliant, the womens' beaded headdresses works of art, the theme music divine. All of which, for me, was a feast for the eyes, but I’m
sure it was the sword fights, of which there were many, that kept the OC tuning
in, along with heavy doses of political intrigue.
In the modern world,
though I’m a believer in trusting people until, and unless, they prove
themselves untrustworthy, it is becoming more and more difficult to tell the
good guys from the bad. Paris, London, Brussels, Istanbul, Manchester….We were
horrified by 9/11 but now we’re accustomed to horror. Where will it end? What kind
of world will we leave for our grandchildren?
Maybe it’s a longing for transparency and honesty in our
politicians. Maybe we could send them on a journey back in time where, along
with sword fighting, Ertugrul and his alps could school them in honor, service,
integrity, and the like, not to mention horsemanship!
Maybe it’s escapism, a thirst for good, rollicking, old fashioned stories.
Maybe it’s a naïve belief that we may still have heroes among us who will save
us from the villains. A quote from my current read says it best……
‘In my perception, the world wasn’t a graph or formula or an
equation.
It was a story.’
It is a story.
Roll on season three!
