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| WHIRLING DERVISHES Author: Cemil PEKCAN
Translator: Ergin SOZOZ |
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SOME OF MEVLANA'S WORKS:
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi left behind many works, each of which has a
place amongst the classics of world literature. Let us briefly introduce
three of these.
Mesnevi: A didactical work of mysticism, Mesnevi consists of twenty-seven
thousand five hundred couplets. Although Rasuhi Ismail Dede of Ankara,
who interpreted the Mesnevi, which was recorded in six notebooks, found
and worked on a seventh notebook, it has been made clear as the result
of research carried out that this has no relationship any degree to
Mevlana's Mesnevi. Mesnevi which has its place amongst the masterpieces
of world literature, is referred to as "Mesnevi-i Manevi", "Mesnevi-i
Sherif" and "Mesnevi-i Mevlevi", Divan-i Kebir:This collects together
Mevlana's Iyric poems and rusa'i (Quatrains). This work is known in
eastern countries outside Turkey as "Divan-ul-Shems-il-Hakayik". The reason
for this is the use at the end of most of the poems of Mevlana's own name
or, in place of his surname, that of Sems of Tabriz.
Fihi Ma Fih: This is a work which came about from the collection of
Mevlana's discourses made in lessons he gave to various gatherings. It
is very probable that these discourses were brought together by his son,
Sultan Veled. In the work, which is divided into subject chapters,
Mevlana answers questions put to him in the light of the Koran and
sayings of the Prophet, and also asks questions of the leading personages
of the period.
The Dervish Ceremonies
After Mevlana Celaleddin's death, those who adopted his world view,
love of humanity and philosophy founded the Mevlevi order, which spread
widely in a short time.
The principle of order, founded under the leadership of Mevlana's son
Veled Celebi, is to urge love, peace and brotherhood on everybody, without
making any distinction between people. The "Sema Ayinleri" (dervish
ceremonies) organised with this aim are, in one sense, the bringing to
life of the Mevlana philosophy.
Mevlevi belief has, from its beginning to the present, been intervened
with music. Instruments of classical music such as the "ney" (reed flute),
kudüm (kettledrum) and "sankur" (dulcimer) have a part in this, which
cannot be overlooked. The dervishes dance the "sema" to the accompaniment
of this music. The basis of sema concentrates on the idea that people come
from Allah and will return to Allah. The dervishes performing the sema express
this through the right hand open to heaven and the left hand directed towards
the earth, which they have received from Allah. As the sema speeds up in
harmony with the rising tempo of the music, it symbolises the abundance
distributed to humanity with the skirts which fan out as the
dervishes'speed increases. During the sema, the dervishes enter into a
kind of ecstacy with their eyes closed and their heads inclined slightly
to one side. The "Sheb-i Arus" ceremonies and the sema performances, which
are the reason for the flow of people into Konya from all over the world,
are artistic works in themselves. These ceremonies, in which tourists in
particular have shown great interest, produce an atmosphere which
consolidates, brotherhood, love and friendship amongst people. Before
the sema ceremony, the dervishes emerge into the place where it is to
be performed in their traditional costume. However, for them to begin
the sema, it is necessary for them to take the hand of one of the leaders
of the order, called "Pir" or "Sheyh." With their arms folded across their
chests, the dervishes come into the presence of the "Pir" and take his
hand. The "Pir" gives permission for the performance of the sema by
kissing the dervishes on the nape of the neck and having obtained this
permission, they begin the sema with rhytmic movements of the feet. First
they open their arms to both sides, the palm of the right hand directed
towards heaven, the palm of the left towards the earth. Thus the whirling
starts and before long the movements speed up. A short time later the
dervish enters an ecstacy which transcends himself and remains whirling
in a manner which brings the mind to a standstill.
. WHIRLING DERVISHES
. THE ROAD FROM BALKH TO KONYA
. FROM THE MAN FROM TIRMIZ TO SHEMS FROM TABRIZ
. NEW PARTING OF THE WAYS
. THE DEATH OF MEVLANA
. SOME OF MEVLANA'S WORKS:
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