Cem / Cevat

The Meaning of Cem in the Raa Haqi Tradition ^[1]

Cem is one of the fundamental forms of worship through which the Yol is socially and ritually reconstituted in the belief world of Raa Haqi. Those who participate in the cem must be purified. For this reason, before the cem begins, the pir questions his talips. Those who have committed wrongs are judged before the community; those who are estranged are reconciled; injustices are discussed; and necessary sanctions are imposed on those who have moved away from the Yol. In this way, cem assumes a function much broader than individual worship. It becomes a space in which social justice, rızalık, and moral order are established.

In this respect, cem in Raa Haqi is not only a religious ceremony. It is also a ground for social reckoning and purification. The fact that the community begins worship as a purified collective is regarded as one of the basic conditions of the cem ritual.

The Cem Space and the Order of Participation

In the house where the cem is to be held, the place of the pir or dervish who will conduct the ritual is prepared in advance. This place is usually located opposite the entrance door and slightly elevated. In this way, both the pir can see the community and the community can see the pir comfortably. Those who come to the cem also enter according to a particular ritual order.

Participants bring niyaz with them. When they enter with their niyaz, the pir or dervish greets them by slightly rising from his place or leaning forward; the community present also joins in this greeting. Participants pay attention to the cleanliness of their clothing and make sure that their collars are not open. Women cover their heads. Those who enter through the door are taken by the host or by a person responsible for the ritual to receive the lokma prayer.

The eldest person in the family receiving the prayer stands at the right-hand side, while the others line up to the left according to age. A candle is lit on the niyaz that has been brought. The big toe of the right foot is placed over the big toe of the left foot, and the prayer is received with a slight bow forward.

The Niyaz Prayer

The pir or dervish asks the community for permission to give the prayer by saying “Himet Kere” (Himmet eyleyin). The community gives permission by responding “Himet Haq ra” (Himmet Hak’dan). The niyaz prayer is then recited:

Jede ra senik ra
Vejiyo çesik ra
Qelvo pak ra
Zerre hast ra
Amo çever ra
Vineto dare ra
Dara sima nur bo
Niyaze sima qewul bo
Moğete sima xêr bo
Loqme sima az u uze simare qelxan bo
Berge çetin versano
Soginiya sima xêr bia ro
Neq u husku sima ra dürbe ro
Qetere des u di Imamura mevisiye
Xizir u Duzgin sima re olvoj bo
Haq sima na raye ra nivisno
Niaze sima qewule Haq bo

(Azdan ya da çoktan / Çıkmış keseden / Temiz kalp ile / Barışık ruh ile / Kapıdan girmiş / Dara durmuş / Darınız nur ola / Lokmanız kabul ola / Niyetleriniz hayırlı ola / Lokmanız size, soyunuza ve sopunuza kalkan ola / Darda yardımcınız ola / Sonunuz hayırlı ola / Hayınlıkları ve iftiraları size uğratmaya / 12 İmamların katarından sizi alı koymasın / Xızır ve Duzgı yardımcınız ola / Haq; sizi bu yoldan uzaklaştırmasın / Lokmanızı Kabul eylesin)

After the prayer is completed, the niyaz offerings are received. The burning candle is taken to the other candles, and those who have received the prayer join the community.

Community, Rızalık, and Knowledge of the Yol

In the cem, no distinction is made between women and men, or between elders and children. Children are given places at the front so that they can easily observe the cem. Once the community has gathered, the pir or dervish gives information about the Yol and offers counsel and advice. This part of the cem usually proceeds through mutual conversations, that is, through dialogue.

At this stage, the community is asked one final time whether there are any estranged persons, complaints, or unresolved injustices. If there is a problem, its cemat is also held. The views of those present are taken, and a collective decision is reached. Once unity and togetherness have been established, the pir or dervish performs Kılamê Haqiye, couplets, or deyiş with the accompaniment of the tanbur.

In cem rituals conducted by pirs, those who wish may perform semah. In dervish cems, however, semah is not performed. This distinction is one of the ritual differences between a pir cem and a dervish cem.

Tewt and Keramet

The climax of the cem is the trance state known as tewt. A pir who enters tewt gives news from botın (the esoteric realm). A dervish who enters tewt both brings news from botın and displays keramet. These keramets are usually associated with fire: entering and sitting in the fire in the hearth, placing one’s forehead against a burning stove, cooling a burning stove by licking it, turning the fire in the hearth into embers by licking it, placing fire taken from the hearth into one’s skirt, or bringing it down onto the bedding on which one is seated are among these forms of keramet. Stirring a cauldron of boiling meat on the hearth by hand or placing one’s hand into boiling water are also among the keramets displayed.

In this respect, tewt is one of the most intense moments of the cem ritual. It makes visible not only symbolic meaning but also a direct relationship established with the world of botın.

Lokma and the Table Prayer

After the ceremony conducted by the pir or dervish has been completed, portions from the niyaz are set aside for the sick and for those who could not attend the cem. The remaining lokma is distributed among the community. After the meal, the table prayer is given:

Himet kere
Xane Xizir bo
Çeme Muzir bo
Dost savo dismen kor bo
Wesiye ve wayiru do
Lokme sima qadayre qelxan bo
Tua ve dest u pauno sima me bo
Xizmeta sima hêçe mesero
Ma werd kerd kem Haq kem nikero
Ware sima senkero, hurend pırkero

(Himmet eyleyin / Xızırın hanesi ola / Munzur’un bereketi ola / Dostlar salim düşmanlar ise kör ola / Yedirenlerin hanesindan sağlık ve mutluluk eksik olmaya / Lokmanız kadalara kalkan ola / Elleriniz ayaklarınız dert görmeye / Hizmetiniz kabul ola / Biz yedik eksilttik, Haq eksiltmesin / Hanenize şenlik, sofranıza bereket versin)

After the prayer, the floor is swept. If there is time, conversation continues; if not, the community disperses.

Cem, Cıvat, and “Calling upon Haq“

In Dersim, the Kırmancki expression ‘Vengê Haq’ dayene is also used for cem. This expression means “to call upon Haq” or “to summon Haq.” When a pir or dervish comes to a village and participants are informed, people do not say “come to the cem.” Instead, they say: “Bêre pir/devres ama veng dano Haq”. (Gelin pir/derviş gelmiş Haq’ı çağıracak).

In Kurmanci, the term cıvat is used instead of cem. In Kırmancki, jivatiye means crying, lamenting, and supplication. This field of meaning shows that the cem ritual is understood not only as collective worship, but also as a form of supplication, invocation, and establishing a relationship with Haq.

The Language of Cem

Until recently, cems were conducted largely in Kırmancki and Kurmanci. It is sometimes claimed that the language of Dersim cems was Turkish. However, the Turkish deyiş performed in cems should be understood mainly as a development of the twentieth century. Turkish is not encountered in dervish cems. In pir cems, apart from Kılamê Haqiye and couplets sung in Kırmancki and Kurmanci, Turkish nefes appear only in some deyiş.

This demonstrates the historical importance of Kırmancki and Kurmanci as ritual languages in the Raa Haqi cem tradition.

Conclusion

Cem, or cıvat in Kurmanci usage, is the fundamental ritual space in the Raa Haqi tradition where worship, purification, rızalık, social regulation, the sharing of lokma, and forms of relating to the world of botın come together. Conducted under the guidance of a pir or dervish, cem combines individual religious practice with social responsibility. The questioning that takes place before the cem begins, the reconciliation of those who are estranged, the resolution of injustices, and the reconstitution of the community on the basis of rızalık reveal the social function of this ritual. Tewt, niyaz, lokma, prayer, Kılamê Haqiye, semah, and the language of cem show the rich layers of meaning that the cem ritual carries within Raa Haqi cosmology.