Herdu Dewreş, Xızır/Hızır, Duzgı, Munzur, Dersim, Raa Haqi, and Kırmancki Prayer – Pir Haydar Boğa
In this video, Pir Haydar Boğa offers a detailed explanation of Herd-u Dewreş (the land or abode of the dervish), one of the key concepts in Dersim Alevism (Raa Haqi), accompanied by Kırmancki (Zazaki) deyiş, prayers, nefes, and gülbenk. He demonstrates that this concept does not merely denote a spatial belonging but refers to a multilayered universe of meaning intertwined with belief, the yol, and cosmology.
A central focus of the narrative is the role of the Kırmancki language in the belief world of Raa Haqi. Classified by UNESCO as an endangered language, Kırmancki is shown to be not only a means of communication in Dersim Alevism but a fundamental language of belief that carries symbolic, imaginal, and batın meanings. Through deyiş and prayers, Pir Haydar Boğa explains how this language establishes a distinctive semantic framework within Raa Haqi cosmology.
Throughout the video, the Pir illustrates the concept of Herd-u Dewreş by referring to figures such as Xızır, Duzgı, and Munzur, who belong to the category of wayir in Raa Haqi cosmology. He discusses how Herd-u Dewreş gains meaning through relationships with sacred places, sacred beings, and nature, and how these figures dwell in the sacred geography of Dersim with both zahir and batın dimensions, made visible through Kırmancki oral culture.
Pir Haydar Boğa’s account situates Herd-u Dewreş within a broad framework, showing its connections to the yol, religious service, belonging, and cosmological continuity in the Raa Haqi tradition. In this respect, the video demonstrates that concepts, language, and sacred geography in Dersim Alevism cannot be understood separately, and provides an instructive perspective on how religious knowledge is transmitted and deepened through oral culture.
This recording was made on 6–7 December 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne, Germany, as part of the Alevi Encyclopedia’s oral history and visual archive project, within the “From the Words of the Path’s Guides” series.
A central focus of the narrative is the role of the Kırmancki language in the belief world of Raa Haqi. Classified by UNESCO as an endangered language, Kırmancki is shown to be not only a means of communication in Dersim Alevism but a fundamental language of belief that carries symbolic, imaginal, and batın meanings. Through deyiş and prayers, Pir Haydar Boğa explains how this language establishes a distinctive semantic framework within Raa Haqi cosmology.
Throughout the video, the Pir illustrates the concept of Herd-u Dewreş by referring to figures such as Xızır, Duzgı, and Munzur, who belong to the category of wayir in Raa Haqi cosmology. He discusses how Herd-u Dewreş gains meaning through relationships with sacred places, sacred beings, and nature, and how these figures dwell in the sacred geography of Dersim with both zahir and batın dimensions, made visible through Kırmancki oral culture.
Pir Haydar Boğa’s account situates Herd-u Dewreş within a broad framework, showing its connections to the yol, religious service, belonging, and cosmological continuity in the Raa Haqi tradition. In this respect, the video demonstrates that concepts, language, and sacred geography in Dersim Alevism cannot be understood separately, and provides an instructive perspective on how religious knowledge is transmitted and deepened through oral culture.
This recording was made on 6–7 December 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne, Germany, as part of the Alevi Encyclopedia’s oral history and visual archive project, within the “From the Words of the Path’s Guides” series.
Interviewer
- Ahmet Kerim Gültekin
