Princess Saljan

Princess Saljan (Azerbaijani: Şahzadə Selcan, Turkish: Prensesi Selcan) is a character in the Book of Dede Korkut and other Turkic mythology. The character of Saljan has also been adapted as 'Selcan Hatun' in the Turkish TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman in a similar manner to Bamsi Beyrek.

In the Book of Dede Korkut[]

" [tr]" is considered the most romantic story in Korkut Ata's book. Kanli Koja eagerly attempts to marry his son off immediately, but his son has very high standards for a wife:^[1]

Before I rise to my feet she must rise; before I mount my well-trained horse she must be on horseback; before I reach the bloody infidels' land she must already have got there and brought back a few heads.^[1]

Kan Turali then finds a girl who he thinks meets his standards, Saljan, although her father was the infidel king of Trebizond. Kan Turali rides off to the Byzantine castle, where he has to face all sorts of challenges including having to kill a lion, a bull, and a savage black camel to win the hand of the king's daughter Princess Saljan. After refusing to enter the bridal's tent before receiving his parent's blessing, Kan Turali heads for the land of the Oghuz with his betrothed. After regretting to give his daughter to Kan Turali, the king of Trebizond sends an army to kill the couple. Caught off guard, Kan Turali is nearly about to die in the fight and Princess Saljan saves him, as while Kan Turali sleeps, Saljan realises that other potential suitors for her may come and kill Kan Turali. Therefore, she takes Turali's horse and dons his armour and spear, and takes a high ground to be on the lookout for enemies.^[2] Saljan eventually wakes up Kan Turali after her father's soldiers arrive, saying:

Wake up! Raise your head, O warrior!

The foe has come, the enemy is here! Why do you sleep? Arise, warrior!

My part was to rouse you; yours, to fight and show your skill.^[2]

Saljan fights off her father's soldiers and saves Turali's life.^[2] This leaves Kan Turali furious as he has been saved by a woman. He threatens to kill her, whereupon she promises not to boast about saving him, but still, he is furious. Annoyed, she asks if they could handle the matter with their bows. She shoots first and fails to kill him because she failed to remove her finger from the arrow that she was holding. The couple embraces and reconciles after they now learn that they truly love each other and it is impossible for either of them to kill each other. Returning to the Oghuz lands, away from the infidels, they hold a grand wedding feast where Dede Korkut sings the sixth legend (this story).^[1]

TV adaptation[]

This section documents her adaptation into Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman, where she is known as 'Selcan Hatun'. All information relating to Selcan's husband Gündoğdu and sister Gökçe is also documented here.

Selcan Hatun
Diriliş: Ertuğrul character Kuruluş: Osman character
Didem Balçın as Selcan Hatun in Diriliş: Ertuğrul
First appearance	"Pilot" (Diriliş: Ertuğrul) (2014)
Based on	Princess Saljan (homage)
Adapted by	Mehmet Bozdağ
Portrayed by	Didem Balçın
In-universe information
Full name	Alptekin'ın kızı Selcan Hatun [nb 1]
Alias	Selcan Ana (transl. Mother Selcan) (in Kuruluş: Osman)
Position	Hanım
Affiliation	Kayı tribe
Weapon	Sword
Family	Alptekin Bey (father) Süleyman Şah (adoptive father/father-in-law) Hayme Ana (adoptive mother/step-mother-in-law) Gökçe Hatun (sister) Ertuğrul Bey (adoptive brother/brother-in-law) Sungurtekin Bey (adoptive brother/brother-in-law) Dündar Bey (adoptive brother/brother-in-law)
Spouse	Gündoğdu Bey
Children	Süleyman Alp (son) İltekin Bey (son)
Relatives	Halime Hatun (sister-in-law) Tuğtekin Bey (brother-in-law) Gündüz Bey (nephew) Savcı Bey (nephew) Osman Bey (nephew) Aygül Hatun (niece) Bala Hatun (niece-in-law)
Religion	Islam
Nationality	Oğuz Turkish

Background[]

Selcan Hatun is shown in Diriliş: Ertuğrul as the orphaned daughter of Alptekin Bey, who was killed by Süleyman Şah as a punishment for a failed revolt. She, along with her younger sister, Gökçe Hatun, are then adopted and raised by Süleyman Şah and his wife, Hayme Hatun, alongside their children, Gündoğdu, Sungurtekin, Ertuğrul and Dundar. Selcan is later married to Suleyman Sah's eldest son, Gündoğdu Bey.

Season 1[]

Kaan Taşaner and Burcu Kıratlı as Gündoğdu and Gökçe respectively in Diriliş: Ertuğrul

Despite Süleyman Şah wedding her to his son, Gündoğdu, Selcan still bears a hatred for her adoptive father and seeks to avenge her biological father, Alptekin, often seeing him in visions. She has an immediate dislike towards Halime Sultan, a Selçuk princess, upon her arrival at the tribe. She seeks to marry her sister Gökçe to Ertuğrul to boost her influence in the tribe, manipulating Gökçe's unrequited love for Ertuğrul. Seeking to make her husband Gündoğdu the Bey of the Kayı tribe, she allies with Kurdoğlu Bey, Süleyman Şah's adoptive brother and a traitor working with the Templars. She also aborts her conceived baby and slanders Aykız Hatun with responsibility. Later, Gündoğdu tricks Kurdoğlu and secures his father's re-election as the Bey, which initially angers Selcan, but later causes her to repent for her sins with the help of İbn-i Arabi. Selcan asks for forgiveness from Aykız, Halime and the rest of her family for her sins. Selcan and Halime then grow close and view one another as sisters. Meanwhile, Gökçe is wounded and rendered infertile indirectly through Kurdoğlu after saving Ertuğrul's life. Gökçe then blames Selcan for this as she collaborated with Kurdoğlu before her redemption. Gündoğdu is also angered with Selcan for a period of time after she reveals her sins. Gökçe eventually asks Süleyman Şah to end her engagement with Ertuğrul as she realises he is in love with Halime. Eventually, Selcan is forgiven by her family for her sins and conceives another child. Towards the end of the season, Kurdoğlu is beheaded, with the pregnant Selcan being wounded by Komutan Titus but later recovering. Gündoğdu later beheads Titus for revenge, with the help of Ertuğrul.

Season 2[]

The Kayı take refuge with the Dodurga tribe after a Mongol attack, in which half the tribe, including Aykız, is killed. Selcan, having had three miscarriages, faces the devious Aytolun Hatun of the Dodurga tribe. However, Selcan fails to prove Aytolun's evil to her family, and is ostracised by Gündoğdu and Gökçe, who think she is still evil. Aytolun's step-son Tuğtekin eventually falls in love with Gökçe, despite her still loving Ertuğrul. Gökçe therefore becomes more jealous of Halime, and seeks to use Tuğtekin to take revenge on Ertuğrul and Halime, which Selcan scolds her for. After Selcan is kidnapped by Baycu Noyan, she is rescued by Gündoğdu, who has been named Alpbaşı (Chief Alp). Meanwhile, Selcan deals with the arrival of Aytolun's niece, Goncagül Hatun, who falls in love with and is engaged to Gündoğdu. However, with the help of Halime, Banu Çiçek and Ertuğrul, Selcan eventually proves Aytolun and Goncagül's evil to her family. Aytolun and Goncagül are later killed after attacking Selcan, Gökçe and Halime, whilst Tuğtekin marries Gökçe after Gökçe grows to love him, although they have a tense relationship due to Gökçe's infertility and previous love for Ertuğrul. Eventually, Gökçe, along with her husband Tuğtekin, are martyred by Baycu Noyan, devastating Selcan. At the end of the season, Selcan becomes pregnant again, whilst the Kayi Tribe splits between the feuding half-brothers Gündoğdu and Ertuğrul. Selcan stays with Gündoğdu in Erzurum, whilst Ertuğrul, Halime, Hayme Ana and Banu Çiçek leave for Bithynia.

Season 5 and Kuruluş: Osman[]

Following her tribe being ravaged by the Mongols and the devious Beybolat Bey, disguised as 'Albastı', she, Gündoğdu and their son Süleyman, along with their branch of the Kayı tribe, take refuge in Ertuğrul's tribe. She has tense relations upon her arrival with Hafsa Hatun, the wife of Bamsi Bey, who has been managing the tribe after Halime Sultan's death. Hafsa is misled by Sirma Hatun, Beybolat's sister. Eventually, her issues with Hafsa are resolved, whilst Sırma is killed. She is devastated upon the martyrdom of her son Süleyman by Beybolat. However, Süleyman is later avenged by Ertuğrul and Gündoğdu. After her son's death, Selcan grows close with Ertugrul's sons, particularly Osman who craves a mother's love and they in turn view Selcan as a mother. Gündoğdu and Selcan later return to their branch of the tribe in Ahlat after receiving news of their son, İltekin, being wounded.

In Kuruluş: Osman, after Gündoğdu is martyred offscreen by Mongols, Selcan returns to Ertuğrul's branch of the tribe, where she is treated as a mother by Ertuğrul's sons Gündüz and Osman following the prior death of Halime and becomes the Hanim of the tribe, as the elder sister of Ertuğrul. She also faces the devious Zöhre Hatun, wife of Selcan's adoptive brother, Dundar Bey, and becomes a mother figure to Bala Hatun, Osman's wife. After Zöhre is killed, Selcan is treated as a mother by Dündar and Zöhre's daughter Aygül, who she trains to become an alp, and Gonca Hatun, Bala's best friend and the wife of Osman's loyal alp - Boran Alp. She is devastated upon the death of Ertuğrul, and supports Osman in becoming the Bey. She guides and advises Bala, who succeeds her as Hanim of the tribe upon Osman's appointment as Bey. Selcan is eventually sent by the new Bey, Osman, to convince her branch of the Kayı tribe to migrate to Söğüt and reunify.

Appearance and other information[]

After Selcan was sent to the other branch of the tribe by Osman Bey in order to reunify the Kayı, she was not expected to appear again in season 2. Selcan had temporarily left the series as the actress portraying Selcan, Didem Balçin, was actually temporarily leaving the show to allow for her pregnancy.^[3]

Reception[]

Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been well received in Pakistan. Didem Balçın, who plays the role of Selcan Hatun, signed a contract with Pakistani designer brand Maria B as a model for their winter collection.^[4][5] In 2017, she was also nominated for the Turkey Youth Awards in the category Best TV Actress.^[6][7] Kaan Taşaner, the actor who plays Selcan's husband Gündoğdu Bey, was also cast as the twins 'Markus' and 'Mitras' in the Turkish TV series Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu following his popularity from his role in Diriliş: Ertuğrul.^[8]

Burcu Kıratlı, the actress who plays the role of Selcan's sister Gökçe Hatun, partnered with Pakistani designer brand Ali Xeeshan Theater Studios following her popularity from Diriliş: Ertuğrul, modelling a designer Pakistani bridal dress in a viral photoshoot.^[9][10][11] Kıratlı was also noted in Pakistani media for her second marriage with the Turkish singer Sinan Akçıl.^[12][13][14] In October 2020, Kıratlı was noted in Pakistani media for winning the Turkish 'Those Who Carried Turkish Cinema From the Past to the Future' award for services to Turkish cinema.^[15][16][17] However, following the release of the series, Kıratlı has also received negative attention for her pictures on social media, which have been perceived as 'immodest',^[18] in a similar manner to her co-star Esra Bilgiç, the actress who played Halime Hatun.^[19]

See also[]

• List of Diriliş: Ertuğrul characters
• List of Kuruluş: Osman characters

Notes[]

References[]