Xızır (Hızır), Kırmancki Deyiş, Dersim Alevism (Raa Haqi)
In this video, Pir Ahmet Karabulut examines the central cosmological, ethical, and social roles of Xızır within the tradition of Dersim Alevism (Raa Haqi). He emphasizes that Xızır is not understood merely as a “helper” or a figure who appears in times of hardship, but as a multilayered being that connects the zahir and batın realities of Dersim Alevism. In the Raa Haqi path, Xızır is seen as a guiding figure in matters of the continuity of existence, communal solidarity, moral integrity, perceptions of time and space, and human–nature relations.
In one of the most distinctive parts of the video, Pir Ahmet Karabulut performs a Kırmancki (Zazaki) deyiş, interpreting the world of meaning of the Xızır tradition in Dersim Alevism directly through his mother tongue. Through this deyiş, he explains the position of Xızır in Raa Haqi cosmology, including its theological references, ethical codes, reflections in social organization, and symbolic functions within talip–pir relations. This narration constitutes a highly valuable source for researchers who seek to understand Dersim Alevism from an internal perspective that preserves its linguistic and conceptual specificity.
In the section following the performance, Pir offers a detailed interpretation of the deyiş, discussing its batınî layers and their reflections within the Raa Haqi belief system. In this way, the video presents an original oral history record that documents firsthand both the mitopoetic memory of Dersim Alevism and the social and spiritual functions of the Xızır tradition.
This recording was made on 6–7 December 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne, Germany, within the framework of the “From the Voices of the Path Leaders” series of the Alevi Encyclopedia.
In one of the most distinctive parts of the video, Pir Ahmet Karabulut performs a Kırmancki (Zazaki) deyiş, interpreting the world of meaning of the Xızır tradition in Dersim Alevism directly through his mother tongue. Through this deyiş, he explains the position of Xızır in Raa Haqi cosmology, including its theological references, ethical codes, reflections in social organization, and symbolic functions within talip–pir relations. This narration constitutes a highly valuable source for researchers who seek to understand Dersim Alevism from an internal perspective that preserves its linguistic and conceptual specificity.
In the section following the performance, Pir offers a detailed interpretation of the deyiş, discussing its batınî layers and their reflections within the Raa Haqi belief system. In this way, the video presents an original oral history record that documents firsthand both the mitopoetic memory of Dersim Alevism and the social and spiritual functions of the Xızır tradition.
This recording was made on 6–7 December 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne, Germany, within the framework of the “From the Voices of the Path Leaders” series of the Alevi Encyclopedia.
Interviewer
- Ahmet Kerim Gültekin
