Kurmanci Prayers and Gülbenks, Prayers to the Sun and the Moon in Dersim
In this video, Ana Didar Cenan examines the tradition of prayers and gülbenks in Dersim Alevism (Raa Haqi), with a particular focus on prayers addressed to the sun and the moon in the Kurmanci language. The narration makes visible the relationship between humans, nature, and sacred beings from within the cosmology, symbolic universe, and world of meaning of the Raa Haqi belief. Prayers directed toward cosmic entities such as the sun and the moon clearly show that in Dersim Alevism, nature is not perceived as a passive element but as a living being with whom relationships are established.
The video also shares examples of Kurmanci prayers and gülbenks recited when the çerağ is awakened. These prayers provide important insights into how worship and everyday life, ritual and collective memory, are deeply intertwined in the Raa Haqi belief. The examples conveyed by Ana Didar Cenan demonstrate that prayers are not merely verbal expressions, but part of a belief practice that encompasses emotion, intention, rızalık, and the maintenance of cosmic balance.
This compilation documents a belief memory, an affective world, and a cosmological imagination in Kurmanci that are at risk of disappearing. Through prayers and gülbenks, the holistic understanding of Raa Haqi belief in Dersim—one that thinks nature, humanity, and the sacred together—is conveyed from an internal perspective. In this respect, the video constitutes a highly important resource for both the preservation of oral culture and the understanding of the distinctive epistemology of the Raa Haqi belief.
This recording was made on 6–7 December 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne, Germany, within the oral history and visual archive project of the Alevi Encyclopedia, as part of the “From the Voices of the Path Leaders” series.
The video also shares examples of Kurmanci prayers and gülbenks recited when the çerağ is awakened. These prayers provide important insights into how worship and everyday life, ritual and collective memory, are deeply intertwined in the Raa Haqi belief. The examples conveyed by Ana Didar Cenan demonstrate that prayers are not merely verbal expressions, but part of a belief practice that encompasses emotion, intention, rızalık, and the maintenance of cosmic balance.
This compilation documents a belief memory, an affective world, and a cosmological imagination in Kurmanci that are at risk of disappearing. Through prayers and gülbenks, the holistic understanding of Raa Haqi belief in Dersim—one that thinks nature, humanity, and the sacred together—is conveyed from an internal perspective. In this respect, the video constitutes a highly important resource for both the preservation of oral culture and the understanding of the distinctive epistemology of the Raa Haqi belief.
This recording was made on 6–7 December 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne, Germany, within the oral history and visual archive project of the Alevi Encyclopedia, as part of the “From the Voices of the Path Leaders” series.
Interviewer
- Ahmet Kerim Gültekin
